b"MB-006 2020-21 Relo - Single Page_MB-706.qxd2/21/20219:08 PMPage 58SCHOOLS: PUBLIC & PRIVATEschool year during the three-month application period. However, ifCHARTER SCHOOLS parents miss that window, the state established a procedure byCharter schools are public schools that are granted greater freedom which parents may apply for open enrollment outside of thein their operation so that they can develop innovative programs regular application period, called the Alternative Application. and curricula that could improve education as a whole. State Parents may submit applications to up to three nonresident schoollawmakers drafted charter school legislation in 1993 to foster an districts for each child during the open enrollment applicationenvironment of creativity. Wisconsin charter schools are non-period. Parents may apply for their children to attend 4-year-oldreligious, free to the public, and open to all children in the state. kindergarten if the resident school district also offers a K4 programThey are created through a contract, or charter, between the for which the child is eligible. schools operator and the authorizer, which is typically a school Most students who attended a nonresident school district underboard, technical college or university.open enrollment last year are not required to reapply for theAlthough charter schools are exempt from many of the state laws following school year. However, if the student will be enteringand rules that govern public schools, they are required to have a middle school, junior high school, or high school, parents shouldlicensed instructional staff, participate in the state student testing call the school district to find out if they will be required to reapply.program and school report cards, and must comply with student health and safety regulations. Charter schools do not charge tuition. For more information, call the DPI at (800) 441-4563 or visit dpi.wi.gov/sms/charter-schools. Virtual Charter SchoolsVirtual charter schools provide all or a portion of their instruction through the internet. The students and instructional staff are typically located in different geographic areas. Like other charter schools, virtual schools are publicly funded, nonsectarian schools exempt from many regulations that apply to traditional public schools. Pupils typically attend from their homes and communicate with teachers using e-mail or online discussions.PUBLIC SCHOOL LISTINGS The information about public elementary and secondary schools was compiled from state records or information supplied by the HOW SCHOOLS COMPARE school. NA means specific information for that school was not available. Please refer to the Area Communities section to find The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction producesthe school district(s) serving your community.report cards for every publicly funded school and district in Performance: District report card scores based on 2018-2019 the state. The report cards include data on multipledata (see box at left for more information)indicators across four priority areas: Student Achievement, Growth, Closing Gaps, and On-track and Post-secondary Cost Per Student: Total costs per student based on 2018-Success. A school or district's overall performance places it2019 data provided by the state Department of Public into one of five categories:Instruction; percentage indicates amount spent on instruction Significantly Exceeds Expectations 83-100 Attend College, ACT Score and APT Pass Rate: Projections for students planning to attend college (first Exceeds Expectations 73-82.9percentage is for four-year school, second percentage is for two-Meets Expectations 63-72.9year school), average ACT score, and percentage of students passing APT based on 2018-2019 information provided by the Meets Few Expectations 53-62.9state Fails to Meet Expectations 52.9 Enrollment and Staff Information: Enrollment figures based on September 2020 data supplied by the school district. If The charts on these pages provide the performance scoremultiple numbers listed, the first number is high school for school districts. Performance scores for each of theenrollment and the second number is district enrollment. individual schools within the district are available at: dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards Schools: The first number is elementary schools, second number is middle schools and third number is high schools 58 YOUR RELOCATION RESOURCE"