Virtual schools would stay open under Assembly plan

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The Wisconsin Assembly voted 53-44 overnight to keep the state’s online public schools open next fall.

The two parties still cannot agree on how many students should be able to take advantage of learning at their home computers.

Gov. Jim Doyle wants enrollment frozen at its present level of 3,500, while an audit is performed to see how good of a job the virtual schools are doing.

Assembly Republican leaders agreed to the audit but they want an enrollment cap 2.5 times larger than what the governor called for.

The Senate approved the governor’s proposal last week.

And Doyle has hinted that he would veto the Republicans’ compromise.

Reports say he might be willing to raise the enrollment cap but not to the 8,700 the GOP wants.

If there’s no deal in the next two weeks, the state’s 12 virtual schools may shut down next fall.

That’s because an appeals court has ordered that their state funds be cut off.

Tags: wisconsin_news, virtual_schools, vote