No, choice schools are not required to participate in the federal free and reduced lunch program.

Yes. All teachers must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Teacher’s aides must have a high school diploma or equivalent.

In 2021 – 2022, schools with 20 or more students participating in any of Wisconsin’s parental choice programs must administer the state examinations to participating students in the same grades and subject areas as Wisconsin’s public school students, as follows:

• Wisconsin Forward Exam for English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments in the spring for grades 3‑8.
• Wisconsin Forward Exam for Science in the spring for grades 4 and 8.
• Wisconsin Forward Exam for Social Studies in the spring for grades 4, 8, and 10.
• ACT Aspire™ in spring for grades 9 and 10
• The ACT^® and ACT WorkKeys^® in the spring for grade 11
• The state civics exam in high school.

In addition:

• Schools may administer other standardized tests in addition to the required state test.
• The DPI pays the cost of state testing for students that participate in one of Wisconsin’s school choice programs. Schools may choose to administer the state test to “non-voucher” (private pay tuition) students, but those costs are the responsibility of the
• school.
• Schools must submit standardized test scores to DPI and to parents of current students, as well as to all program applicants who request them.
• Schools will be required to place a link to their DPI-issued school report card on the homepage of their school website.
• Parents may opt their children out of state testing.

• 4K: 437 hours of direct pupil instruction
• 5K: 1,050 hours of direct pupil instruction for a full-time student
• Grades 1-6: 1,050 hours of direct pupil instruction
• Grades 7-12: 1,137 hours of direct pupil instruction.

Please note that schools that only offer 4K and 5K are required to provide 875 hours of direct pupil instruction in accordance with standard private school hours requirements.