New findings from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction have the potential to dampen current public support for a voucher program proposal in Gov. Scott Walker’s new budget.

Three private voucher schools in Milwaukee that are currently receiving state dollars through continue to take in funding although they have lost their accreditations. The schools have lost voucher licenses for the funding program because of a failure to meet financial or other reporting requirements, according to School Choice Wisconsin President Jim Bender.

Bender, a leader of the primary agency advocating for the funding program for accredited private schools, said these schools continue to receive millions in taxpayer dollars.

Bender said the issue came to surface last year just after the legislative cycle ended while investigating another Milwaukee school.

“We actually contacted the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to inform them that we had identified a school that wasn’t accredited anymore,” Bender said. “We got a call back from DPI that they had gone and scoured the law only to find that nowhere was it stated that schools were required to maintain accreditation, only to attain it.”

Bender said it seems everyone was under the impression private schools in the voucher program were required to continue receiving accreditation. However, he noted a loophole currently exists through which private schools can receive public funding indefinably after their initial accreditation.

Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, is working with School Choice Wisconsin on drafting legislation requiring private schools in the voucher program to uphold their accreditation as long as they want to receive public funding, Bender added. He said the bill would also implement new more stringent regulations on private schools requesting to participate in the voucher program.

Washington DuBois Christian Leadership Academy is one of the three Milwaukee schools involved in the issue. Bender said the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools will have inspectors review the school.

Washington DuBois Academy Principal Ernie DiDomizio said he guaranteed the accreditation for the academy is up to date, and the situation boils down to a clerical error made last April. DiDomizio said he is confident the truth would come out and clear the Academy’s name.

“We are all for transparency, and one hundred percent behind accountability.” DiDomizio said.

The school received a letter from the ACTS in April 2012 alerting DiDomizio the school would no longer be accredited because the required continuous accreditation report had not been filled out, according to an ACTS statement. 

If the Washington DuBois Academy, or schools like it, were to permanently lose its accreditation at this point, they would still be eligible to receive state funding, Bender said.

Accreditation is important because voucher schools do not have to meet the same regulations as public institutions, Bender said. This process demonstrates third party agencies have positively reviewed the schools, and find them deserving of public funding he added.

Currently, the DPI is withholding a portion of funds from the Washington DuBois Academy in the investigation stemming from infringements of their financial or other reporting regulations, DiDomizio said.