Published: October 1, 1995

Milwaukee Choice Plan Goes To Court

The embattled legislation extending Milwaukee's school choice program to religious schools has given voucher advocates a test case they believe will lead to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in their favor.

In August, the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked the expansion of the city's choice plan, at least for the time being. Critics of the program had sought the injunction, arguing that including private religious schools in the already controversial choice plan was a violation of the state and U.S. constitutions.

Since 1990, the Milwaukee program has given public money to a limited number of low-income parents so they could send their children to nonsectarian private schools. A measure passed by the Wisconsin legislature this year and signed into law by Gov. Tommy Thompson added religious schools to the mix. [See "What's...