GOP offers compromise on virtual schools

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State Assembly Republicans have agreed to an enrollment limit for Wisconsin’s online public schools so they won’t have to shut down next fall.

But the GOP’s cap is about 2.5 times as big as the 2-year freeze Gov. Jim Doyle demanded last week.

Doyle got the Senate to limit virtual school enrollment at its present level of 3,500, while a study is done to see how effective those schools really are.

Assembly Republican leaders said Wednesday they’ll agree to the study.

That – plus their higher enrollment cap – will be up for a vote in their house today (Thursday).

The state’s largest teachers’ union was able to get an appeals court to cut off public funding for virtual schools. Lawmakers then struck a deal to restore the aid.

Doyle said the online schools needed to be more accountable and he convinced senators to go back on their deal last week.

Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, is still against enrollment limits but he’ll accept them to keep the schools from shutting down. Davis says the governor won’t approve anything until he gets what he wants.

For now at least, Doyle spokeswoman Jessica Erickson says he favors the Senate’s version with the enrollment freeze.

Tags: wisconsin, virtual_schools, vote