Wisconsin Democrats Move to End School Choice as Legal Challenge Threatens 60,000 Students
Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor and a progressive legal group are converging on separate efforts to dismantle the state's school choice programs, putting at risk enrollment for roughly 60,000 students who currently participate. State Rep. Francesca Hong and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, both seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, pledged at a recent town hall to abolish the programs if elected.
Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor and a progressive legal group are converging on separate efforts to dismantle the state's school choice programs, putting at risk enrollment for roughly 60,000 students who currently participate. State Rep. Francesca Hong and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, both seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, pledged at a recent town hall to abolish the programs if elected.
Legal Challenge Targets Constitutional Grounds
The progressive legal organization Law Forward filed a lawsuit arguing Wisconsin's school choice programs violate the state constitution. The case hinges on a 2000 state supreme court ruling that permitted vouchers only on the condition that the legislature provides "sufficient resources" to traditional public schools. Law Forward contends that condition has not been met, even as Milwaukee Public Schools currently receive $25,000 per student in state funding. Wisconsin's supreme court flipped to a progressive majority in 2023, potentially positioning the bench to side with the plaintiffs.
Programs Trace Roots to Civil Rights Movement
Milwaukee's voucher program, the nation's first, was created in 1990 when Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson partnered with local civil rights groups. Attorney Clint Bolick, in his book "Voucher Wars," describes rows of African-American parents attending court proceedings in support of the program. The Wall Street Journal published three op-eds backing the initiative, which Bolick credits with raising the civil rights framing in a major national media outlet for the first time in connection with school choice.
Research has tied voucher participation to higher college attendance and persistence rates among participating students. A report published in Education Next by researcher Patrick Graff found that spending through Florida's choice programs improved public school student achievement more than equivalent direct spending through the public school system would have. Researchers have documented similar competitive effects in Milwaukee.
Broader Democratic Retreat From Education Freedom
Wisconsin's dual-track offensive is part of a wider pattern. Illinois ended a comparable school choice program in 2023. Arizona Democrats pursued multiple referenda aimed at eliminating or curtailing choice policies in that state. Education reformers have pointed to Florida as a counter-example: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis defeated Democratic challenger Andrew Gillum in part by pressing Gillum's opposition to school choice, drawing support from a coalition that included African-American women voters who backed DeSantis on the issue.