121.78 Tuition payments by school districts.

(1) By agreement.

(a) The school board of the district of residence and the school board of the district of attendance may make a written agreement to permit an elementary or high school pupil to attend a public school, including an out-of-state school, outside the school district of residence. The school district of residence shall pay tuition to the school board of the district of attendance in an amount specified in the written agreement. The school district of residence shall be paid state aid for the pupil, in an amount up to the amount specified in the written agreement, as though the pupil were enrolled in the school district of residence.

(b) A school board, upon its own order, may provide for the enrollment of a pupil in a public school located outside this state if the course of study in such school is equivalent to the course of study in this state. The school board shall pay the tuition for such pupil and the school district shall be paid state aid as though such pupil was enrolled in the school district of residence.

(2) Reorganized school districts.

(a) The school board of a district operating high school grades shall permit a high school pupil who resides in the school district as the result of school district reorganization under ch. 117 and has completed 9th and 10th grades at one high school outside the school district to complete the pupil's high school education at that high school. The school board of residence shall pay tuition for the pupil. If the parent or guardian of the pupil has paid tuition in order to enroll the pupil in the high school, the school board of residence shall reimburse the parent or guardian for the tuition upon receipt of a tuition claim within 3 years from the date the tuition was paid.

(b) A school district created or altered by a reorganization under ch. 117, in its first year of operating high school grades, may provide for its 11th and 12th grade pupils on a tuition basis and, in its 2nd such year, may provide for its 12th grade pupils on a tuition basis. The clerk of the school district in which nonresident pupils under this subsection are enrolled shall certify the number of such pupils enrolled to the department and to the clerk of their school district of residence. The school district of residence shall include such pupils in membership for aid under subch. II.

(bm) The school board of a school district from which territory was detached to create a school district under s. 117.105 and the school board of the school district created under s. 117.105 shall permit a pupil who resides in the territory that was detached to continue to attend school in the school district from which the territory was detached until the school district created by the reorganization begins offering instruction at the pupil's grade level. The school board of the school district created by the reorganization shall pay tuition for the pupil.

(br) The school board of a school district from which territory was detached to create a school district under s. 117.105 and the school board of the school district created under s. 117.105 shall permit a pupil who resides in the territory that was detached and has gained 12th grade status in the school district from which the territory was detached to continue to attend school in the school district from which the territory was detached. The school board of the school district created by the reorganization shall pay tuition for the pupil.

(c) A school district created or altered by a reorganization under ch. 117 which has at least one operating high school within its territory and which does not have sufficient building facilities to provide high school educational services for all of the high school pupils residing in the reorganized school district may provide for such high school pupils on a tuition basis for a period of 2 years. The reorganized school district shall be eligible for state aid in accordance with par. (b).

(3) Special placement. Pupils may be placed in:

(a) Special education and related services under subch. V of ch. 115.

(b) Alternative programs under s. 118.15 (1) (d) 4. and 6.

(4) Court-ordered educational services. If a pupil is receiving educational services as the result of a court order under s. 48.345 (12) or 938.34 (7d), the school board of the school district in which the pupil resided at the time of issuance of the court order shall pay tuition for the pupil. A school board paying tuition for a pupil under this subsection shall count the pupil as 1.0 pupil in membership for general aid under subch. II. The school board shall pay each agency specified under s. 48.345 (12) (a) 2. to 4. or 938.34 (7d) (a) 2. to 4., 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. No state aid may be paid to the technical college district for pupils attending the technical college under s. 48.345 (12) (a) 4. or 938.34 (7d) (a) 4. The minimum amount paid by a school board to a tribal school specified under s. 48.345 (12) (a) 5. or 938.34 (7d) (a) 5., for each full-time equivalent pupil served by the tribal school, shall be determined by multiplying the average per pupil cost for the school district by 0.8 and then subtracting any federal or state aid received by the tribal school for the pupil.

(5) Alternative programs. If a pupil is placed in an alternative program under s. 118.15 (1) (d) 4., the school board shall pay tuition for the pupil to the agency of service pursuant to a contractual agreement between the school board and the agency of service. If the agency of service is a tribal school, any federal or state aid received by the tribal school for the pupil shall be subtracted in determining the amount of aid to be paid.

History: 1977 c. 29, 418; 1979 c. 244; 1985 a. 29 ss. 1785 to 1787, 1796, 3202 (43); 1987 a. 285; 1989 a. 114, 359; 1993 a. 399; 1995 a. 27 s. 9145 (1); 1995 a. 77; 1997 a. 27, 164, 240, 286; 2009 a. 302; 2015 a. 55.