Panel Presentation

A panel presentation providing answers to common questions about school vouchers with a breakdown of how vouchers impact public school funding and taxes will take place Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Balansky Room of Manitowoc Public Library,707 Quay Street, Manitowoc. The panel includes: ee Thennes, Manitowoc Public School District Superintendent; Paul (“Biff”) Hansen, Manitowoc School District Board President; Diane Johnson, Two Rivers School District Superintendent; Mary Kay Slattery, Two Rivers School District Finance Director. The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters Manitowoc County. (The library is not a sponsor.)

In Wisconsin, the school voucher program began in Milwaukee in 1990 The program was open to students in Milwaukee with a family income less than 175% of the federal poverty level. Private schools had to be nonsectarian, no more than 1% of the enrollment in the MPS could participate, and no more than 49% of a choice school’s enrollment could consist of choice pupils.

In 1995, the State opened the program to religious schools. Since then, the program has expanded in scope and is now available throughout the State with efforts to expand it nationally and remove income limits.

For the 2025–2026 school year, the amount of the voucher is $10,877 for grades K-8 and $13,371 for grades 9-12. This is taxpayer money going to private schools that do not need to meet the same standards of operation as public schools.  The panel will address questions of eligibility, reassessment of eligibility, and adding transparency.

The school voucher program differs from open enrollment in that open enrollment allows parents to enroll children in a public school not in their district where as the Voucher program specifically includes private schools.