A bill passed during a special session hearing of the Senate Thursday that makes changes to current education laws was met with opposition and proposed changes from Democrats, who argued the bill could take away spots in schools from children who may really need them.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa, Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, makes adjustments to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, which gives children from low-income families in the city access to private schools through state funding.

The bill addresses family eligibility and regulation regarding entry into the program. Under the bill, students who are rejected from the program one year because the program has filled up are eligible the following year so long as they continue to reside in the Milwaukee area.

The bill would also require some schools that have been “pre-accredited” for the program to receive accreditation by 2015. The bill also specifies that the Department of Revenue does not make enrollment decisions on the basis of student income but merely verifies whether the student is eligible on the basis of income.

At Thursday’s hearing, Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, spoke against the bill.

“[In this session we] do not want to protect or show transparency or eligibility for how taxpayer dollars are used for the Milwaukee program,” Taylor said of the decisions made in the hearing.

Taylor and other Democrats offered amendments to the bill, all but one of which were tabled.

Taylor also said she was concerned about the eligibility of families to enter the program.

She said there is an incentive for families not to be honest when applying for the program, so that their children can get into more expensive schools, even if they are not from a low-income family.

According to Taylor, under the bill’s “once in, always in” policy, families do not have to consistently meet eligibility requirements. She said they only have to qualify as low-income one time to be part of the program.

Vukmir said the policy is important for the students in MPCP schools. She said if a family no longer qualifies as low-income, their child might have to leave the school.

“You will rip these kids away from a school and a family environment they have come to know,” Vukmir said.

Taylor’s first amendment focused on concerns over background checks for individuals working in schools participating in MPCP to ensure the safety of the students from sex offenders in the schools.

Vukmir, co-sponsor of the bill, responded to Taylor, saying that many of the schools already have background checks that are required for their insurance.

Another of Taylor’s amendments addressed some schools acting as their own regulatory agencies for determining families’ eligibility for the program.

In particular, certain Lutheran and Catholic schools were profiled as being allowed under the bill to regulate themselves.

“There is too much room of manipulating and adjustment to standards,” Taylor said.

She said because other schools, such as the University of Wisconsin, are prohibited from self-regulation, none of the schools should be able to self-regulate.

Vukmir said the bill passed the Education Committee as a bipartisan effort to improve accessibility to schools in Wisconsin.

“The most important part of this is keeping families together and intact,” Vukmir said.

Other Democratic senators also opposed the bill.

Sen. Lisa King, D-Oshkosh, said the legislation gives families no longer in poverty the incentive to take advantage of the program.

“There are too few available spaces in these schools,” King said.

She said the legislation would take spaces away from children who have real need of them.

King said she found the legislation disturbing.

“Taxpayers in my district will be very concerned about these new standards,” King said.