Madison Reporter

A new law aimed at improving the accuracy of school report cards in Wisconsin has been enacted. Authored by Senator Julian Bradley and Representative Ken Skowronski, the legislation updates how the Department of Public Instruction reports on local school districts' achievements.

The law, known as Act 212 and formerly Senate Bill 235, was signed into effect on Thursday and will be implemented for the 2022-23 school year. Senator Bradley emphasized the importance of reliable data for parents making educational decisions: "This policy change will ensure more accurate reporting of schools' performances across the state," he said. "I trust parents to decide how to educate their children, and when they make those choices, they ought to have the most reliable data available at their fingertips."

A key aspect of this law is that it prevents a school's report card from including data from juvenile detention facilities or jails where more than half of its population does not stay for an entire school year. Previously, such situations were counted as dropouts for districts with these facilities, unfairly impacting their scores.

The new regulation is expected to affect multiple districts in Wisconsin, including Franklin School District. The Wisconsin Association of School Boards supported this legislative change throughout its process.