Wisconsin Weekly: Private schools can discriminate against students with disabilities

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Wisconsin Weekly is a roundup of the week’s top stories from around the state by Wisconsin Watch and trusted news outlets. Access to some stories may be limited to subscribers of the news organizations that produced them. We urge our readers to consider supporting these important news outlets by subscribing, and sign up to get our free newsletters here.

Of note: In the second part of a series on discrimination in Wisconsin’s School Choice program, Wisconsin Watch reporter Phoebe Petrovic details how taxpayer-funded private schools can discriminate against students with disabilities. Parents are often shocked when a private school pressures their voucher students to leave or kicks them out. But there’s little the Department of Public Instruction can do. More to come on how public schools are also able to discriminate against students with disabilities as part of the open enrollment program and how voucher schools discriminate against LGBTQ+ students.

Also of note: In 2009 we launched as the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. We later adopted the shorter name Wisconsin Watch while maintaining WCIJ. Now we will be known exclusively as Wisconsin Watch. Read more about why.

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Access to some stories listed in the Wisconsin Weekly roundup may be limited to subscribers of the news organizations that produced them. We urge our readers to consider supporting these important news outlets by subscribing.

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Education

Wisconsin Watch identified 19 schools that appear to discriminate against or exclude students with disabilities, including expelling them if the school says it cannot meet the student’s needs with minor adjustments. (Amena Saleh / Wisconsin Watch)

Federal, state law permit disability discrimination in Wisconsin voucher schools

Wisconsin Watch — May 20, 2023

Transportation

Alayna Kohloff, a groomer for Central Bark Milwaukee Westside, and her dog, Willie, play outside the doggy daycare center in Milwaukee on April 11, 2023. (Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch)

How would widening Milwaukee’s I-94 affect residents near the highway?

Wisconsin Watch — May 23, 2023

Wisconsin Watch reporter Jonmaesha Beltran visited the neighborhoods along Interstate 94 and talked to those who will be directly affected by a proposed $1.2 billion expansion of the highway from six to eight lanes. The project has been in limbo for years, but was revived by Gov. Tony Evers.

Environment

Madison resident Brad Horn collects a water sample to test for PFAS in Madison, Wis., on Aug. 8, 2022. (Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Watch)

Black and Hispanic communities more likely to have drinking water with PFAS

Grist — May 22, 2023

Some 18 million Americans are exposed to PFAS contamination with a disproportionate number in Black and Hispanic communities near airports, industrial sites and military bases, according to a new Harvard University study.

Health

Baby-formula makers face FTC investigation for collusion

Wall Street Journal — May 24, 2023

Remember last year’s baby formula shortage? The Federal Trade Commission is now investigating whether baby formula makers colluded to maintain control of tight markets in states where formula sales are subsidized by the federal government.

Justice

3 years after George Floyd’s death, are local police as diverse as their communities?

Lee Enterprises, Type Investigations — May 22, 2023

A survey of 105 police departments serving diverse communities found nearly three-quarters had gaps of 10 percentage points when comparing the diversity of their staff to the broader community. Milwaukee, a city with 67% people of color, has a police force with 36% people of color, a gap of more than 30 points. Madison had one of the narrowest gaps of only about 5 percentage points.