118.153 Children at risk of not graduating from high school.

(1) In this section:

(a) “Children at risk" means pupils in grades 5 to 12 who are at risk of not graduating from high school because they are dropouts or are 2 or more of the following:

1m. One or more years behind their age group in the number of high school credits attained.

2. Two or more years behind their age group in basic skill levels.

2m. Habitual truants, as defined in s. 118.16 (1) (a).

3. Parents.

4. Adjudicated delinquents.

5. Eighth grade pupils whose score in each subject area on the examination administered under s. 118.30 (1m) (am) 1. or 118.301 (3) was below the basic level, 8th grade pupils who failed the examination administered under s. 118.30 (1m) (am) 2. or 118.301 (3), and 8th grade pupils who failed to be promoted to the 9th grade.

(b) “Dropout" means a child who ceased to attend school, does not attend a public, private, or tribal school, technical college, or home-based private educational program on a full-time basis, has not graduated from high school, and does not have an acceptable excuse under s. 118.15 (1) (b) to (d) or (3).

(2)

(a) Every school board shall identify the children at risk who are enrolled in the school district and annually by August 15 develop a plan describing how the school board will meet their needs.

(b) If in the previous school year a school district had 30 or more dropouts or a dropout rate exceeding 5 percent of its total high school enrollment, the school board may apply to the state superintendent for aid under this section.

(3)

(a)

1. Every school board that applies for aid under sub. (2) (b) shall make available to the children at risk enrolled in the school district a program for children at risk.

2. Upon request of a pupil who is a child at risk or the pupil's parent or guardian, a school board described under subd. 1. shall enroll the pupil in the program for children at risk. If the school board makes available more than one program for children at risk, the school board shall enroll the pupil in the program selected by the pupil's parent or guardian if the pupil meets the prerequisites for that program. If there is no space in that program for the pupil, the school board of the school district operating under ch. 119 shall place the pupil's name on a waiting list for that program and offer the pupil another program for children at risk until space in the requested program becomes available.

(b) A program for children at risk shall be designed to allow the pupils enrolled to meet high school graduation requirements under s. 118.33. The school board of the school district operating under ch. 119 shall ensure that there are at least 30 pupils and no more than 250 pupils in each program and that a separate administrator or teacher is in charge of each program.

(c)

1. Each school board shall identify appropriate private, nonprofit, nonsectarian agencies located in the school district or within 5 miles of the boundaries of the school district to meet the requirements under pars. (a) and (b) for the children at risk enrolled in the school district.

2. The school board may contract with the agencies identified under subd. 1. for the children at risk enrolled in the school district if the school board determines that the agencies can adequately serve such children.

3. The school board shall pay each contracting agency, for each full-time equivalent pupil served by the agency, an amount equal to at least 80 percent of the average per pupil cost for the school district.

(4)

(a) Annually in August, a school board that applied for aid under this section in the previous school year shall submit a report to the state superintendent. The report shall include only information about the pupils enrolled in a program for children at risk in the previous school year that is necessary for the state superintendent to determine the number of pupils who achieved each of the objectives under par. (c).

(b) Upon receipt of a school board's annual report under par. (a) the state superintendent shall pay to the school district from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (bc), for each pupil enrolled in a program for children at risk who achieved at least 3 of the objectives under par. (c) in the previous school year, additional state aid in an amount equal to 10 percent of the school district's average per pupil aids provided under s. 20.835 (7) (a), 1991 stats., and s. 20.255 (2) (ac) in the previous school year.

(c)

1. The pupil's attendance rate was at least 70 percent.

2. The pupil remained in school.

3. The pupil, if a high school senior, received a high school diploma.

4. The pupil earned at least 4.5 academic credits or a prorated number of credits if the pupil was enrolled in the program for less than the entire school year.

5. The pupil has demonstrated, on standardized tests or other appropriate measures, a gain in reading and mathematics commensurate with the duration of his or her enrollment in the program.

(e) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (bc) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (b), state aid payments shall be prorated among the school districts entitled to such aid.

(5)

(a) In this subsection:

1. “Alternative school" means a public school that has at least 30 pupils and no more than 250 pupils, has a separate administrator or teacher in charge of the school and offers a nontraditional curriculum.

2. “School within a school" means a school that has at least 30 pupils and no more than 250 pupils, has a separate administrator or teacher in charge of the school and is housed in a space specifically dedicated to it in a public school.

(b) Subject to sub. (3) (c) 3., a school board receiving funds under this section shall provide a specific sum to each program for children at risk in which pupils enrolled in the school district are enrolled based on the ability of the program to meet the objectives under sub. (4) (c).

(c) A school board receiving funds under this section shall give preference in allocating those funds to programs for children at risk provided by alternative schools, charter schools, schools within schools and agencies identified under sub. (3) (c) 1.

(7) The state superintendent shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this section. The rules shall not be overly restrictive in defining approved programs and shall not serve to exclude programs that have demonstrated success in meeting the needs of children at risk.

History: 1985 a. 29, 332; 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 31, 336; 1991 a. 39, 196; 1993 a. 16, 341, 399, 491; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1997 a. 27, 113; 1999 a. 9, 123; 2003 a. 33; 2005 a. 25; 2009 a. 302; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 8; 2015 a. 55.