Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: What transportation benefits are available if two separate schools of the same denomination are located in the same public school district? For example, one denominational school serves grades K4 - grade 2 while another school of the same denomination, ten blocks away, serves grade 3 - 6.

  • One might surmise that both religious schools in the same district would receive transportation benefits. Unfortunately, the current guidance stipulates otherwise:  “… the attendance area in which the student resides cannot overlap with the attendance area of a school of the same denomination. The only exception to this rule is for schools serving a single gender. … Therefore, when two or more schools of the same denomination are located in the same public school district, it’s important the schools come together and, for transportation eligibility purposes only, decide on attendance areas for each school that do not overlap.”(WCRIS Empowerment Series –Information Brief #5)

Question 2a: Does the new IDEA language obligate LEA’s to serve     non-resident parentally placed students in private schools located in the LEA?

Question 2b: What responsibility does the LEA have for resident students placed by parents in private schools located outside the LEA?

  • It is the responsibility of the LEA in which the private school is located.

Questions 2c: Is the child’s school district of residence or the school district where the child’s private school is located financially responsible for child find?

  • The district where the child's private school is located is responsible for the child's find.

Question 3: Are religious and independent schools whose students or teachers receive services under the No Child Left Behind Act considered  recipients of federal funds and, as a consequence, subject to federal civil rights laws?

  • A letter from the U.S. Department of Education to officials in Broward County, Florida, indicates that private schools that do not receive grants directly but that have teachers and students who participate in federal programs administered by a school district are not considered to be recipients of federal financial assistance and are not subject to federal civil rights requirements that apply to recipients.

    SCN representatives also discussed whether being a provider of Supplemental Educational Services triggers recipient status. Question 10 of the Department’s document “Questions and Answers on the Participation of Private Schools in Providing Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Under No Child Left Behind” indicates that private school SES providers are not considered to be recipients of federal funds. The document is available at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/onpe/sesguidance.html


Question 4: What is the application protocol for initial educator mentoring grants?

  • Perennially, schools inquire whether the grant application should be fo forwarded to the DPI directly from the private school administrator or from the jurisdiction office. According to the DPI, a school / jurisdiction must decide on a uniform protocol between the two following options:

  • Individual schools from within a religious jurisdiction can apply,    OR,

  • the jurisdiction as a whole can apply.

  • This is an "either/or propostition. The same process must be followed by all schools within one jurisdiction. However, each jurisdiction may decide  which option works best for them - regardless of what the other jurisdictions decide. [The public schools have a separate protocol and may not be aware of the religious and independent school option - so be aware of unintentional misinformation.}

Question 5: What are the Local Wellness Policy requirements for Religious & Independent Schools?


  • Recognizing our role in promoting student health, Congress passed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-265). The law requires local educational agencies to develop a local school wellness ploicy by school year 2006.  This requirement ALSO applies to R/I schools that participate in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act. Follow this link to view the USDA local wellness policy requirements as specified in Section 204 of P.L. 108-265. Click here http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/fns/wellnessplcy.html to read about the three Q's and A's regarding the local wellness policy requirement as it relates to our schools.  

Question 6: What are the requirements for a private school in relation     to the Family Leave Medical Act?

  • FMLA applies to our schools if the employee works in a location with 50 or more employees. If eligible, the employees may take up to twelve weeks unpaid leave. The twelve weeks may be packaged via one block of time, intermittent time periods or a reduced work schedule. The over-arching context for the family leave must be for a serious personal health condition, to care for a family member with a serious health condition or after the birth/adoption of a child.

Question 7: Thinking about becoming a provider of Supplemental Educational Services (SES)? 

  • Last year, ED called on the private school community to become providers of supplemental educational services (SES) under NCLB.  ED received questions about private school participation in providing SES.  The new guidance was developed in response to these questions.  WCRIS encourages members to consider the option of becoming a SES provider. A colleague states it well, “Doing so could open your school to prospective new students, provide additional income opportunities for your teachers and your school, and help demonstrate the ability of our schools to address the needs of students who are struggling academically.”   To learn more about the guidance and the SES program, visit:         http://www.capenet.org/new.htmlor, more directly, http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/onpe/sesguidance.html

Question 8: What is the protocol for tech plan approval?

  • Technology plan applications must be sent through the appropriate jurisdictional office for review.  Once reviewed, the jurisdictional office sends the plan on to WCRIS or maintains the plan in its office but notifies WCRIS of the approval.  WCRIS then sends the school a letter authorizing its continued participation in the E-Rate program and provide instructions for filling out the appropriate FCC form.

Question 9: What is the DPI teacher licensure cycle?

  • Professional Educator License Cycle Guidelines
    • Year 1: Reflection
    • Year 1 - 4: Professional educator creates and works on completing their PDP. They may collaborate with peers as they develop, initiate, and complete their PDP.
    • Year 5: Submit completed PDP with documentation to the PDP Team by January 15.
    • Year 5: The PDP Team will review and verify the PDP by April 1. Clarification of discrepancies between the PDP Team and the candidate will occur by June 1.
    • Year 5: Submit completed application with PDP verification form to DPI to obtain another Professional Educator license.
  • Initial Educator License Cycle Guidelines
    • Year 1: Refection and work with mentor.
    • Year 2: An initial educator must submit plan with checklist by October 1 to PDP Team for approval of goal.
    • Years 2 - 4: Document an annual review. If an initial educator makes major revisions to the goal in year two, three, or four, the initial educator submits the changes to the PDP Team for review by April 1 of the year the changes occur.
    • Year 5: Submit completed PDP with documentation to the PDP Team by January 15.
    • Year 5: The PDP Teram will review and verify the PDP by April 1. Clairification of discrepancies between the {DP Team and the candidate will occur by June 1.
    • Year 5: Submit completed application with PDP verification form to DPI to advance to a Professional Educator License.


Question 10: We are recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt. What are the racial nondiscrimination policy requirements per the IRS?