Debate surrounding an increased cap on Milwaukee private school voucher students is expected to reach a conclusion in the near future. Gov. Jim Doyle originally agreed to a cap increase of 5,000, but figures as high as 10,000 are rumored to have been considered in a private meeting last Friday.

"The governor is committed to finding a reasonable solution that both raises the cap and brings accountability over state tax dollars," Doyle spokesperson Dan Leistikow said in an e-mail. "He has never drawn a line in the sand, and he's willing to negotiate about how to accomplish this goal, but the first priority should be on making sure kids in Milwaukee get a great education."

Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, a member of Friday's meeting, backs an increase in the cap and has suggested an elimination of voucher caps altogether.

"Students do better when they have a choice of schools available to them," Gard's Communications Director Christine Mangi said, declining to further discuss the progress of the negotiations.

Mangi, however, did confirm that Gard is working with Gov. Doyle's office to agree on a cap amount.

Yet the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association expressed concern that the increased cap would severely hurt the public school system.

According to Kris Collett, MTEA's communication and program specialist, voucher schools are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as public schools, including requirements to report the results of state testing and perform background checks on employees.

"Many voucher schools have closed due to questionable practices," Collett said. "It's not fair to taxpayers and it's not fair to children."

Collett added the voucher program comes at a serious cost to public school students.

"Vouchers serve a limited number of kids," she said. "We need to serve the entire community."

According to Collett, voucher monies funded by taxpayer dollars would be better used to support the crucial needs of public schools such as textbooks, special needs and smaller classrooms.

Gard's office declined to discuss whether these issues were being deliberated in conjunction with the increase in the cap.

But advocates of the increased cap declared it will better serve the Milwaukee community.

"If we don't raise the cap, thousands of students lose out on going to the school of their preference, and it would be a tragedy if students didn't have that ability," Mangi said. "Students have a better stake in the course of their future, and they tend to do better at these [voucher] schools."

According to Joe Donovan, communications officer of the state Department of Public Instruction, more than 100 private schools participate in the voucher program.

Provided a participating school has space available, low-income parents can apply both to the voucher program and the school. If students are accepted to the program, their entire tuition is covered by the public school system.

There are currently about 14,700 voucher students participating with the cap at 15,000, Donovan added.