Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 49 - Public assistance and children and family services.
49.26 - Learnfare program.

49.26 Learnfare program.
(1)
(a) In this subsection:
1. “Habitual truant" has the meaning given in s. 118.16 (1) (a).
2. “School" means any one of the following:
a. A public school, as described in s. 115.01 (1).
b. A private school, as defined in s. 115.001 (3r).
bm. A tribal school, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m).
c. A technical college pursuant to a contract under s. 118.15 (2).
d. A course of study meeting the standards established by the state superintendent of public instruction under s. 115.29 (4) for the granting of a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation.
(c) A county department or Wisconsin works agency may provide services under this subsection directly or may contract with a nonprofit agency or a school district to provide the services.
(d) A county department or Wisconsin Works agency that provides services under this subsection directly shall develop a plan, in coordination with the school districts located in whole or in part in the county, describing the assistance that the county department or Wisconsin Works agency and school districts will provide to individuals receiving services under this subsection, the number of individuals that will be served and the estimated cost of the services. The county department or Wisconsin Works agency shall submit the plan to the department and the department of public instruction by January 15, annually.
(e) For an individual who is a recipient of aid under s. 49.19, or whose custodial parent is a participant under s. 49.147 (3) to (5), who is the parent with whom a dependent child lives and who is subject to the school attendance requirement under par. (ge), the department shall make a monthly payment to the individual or the child care provider for the month's child care costs in an amount based on need with the maximum amount per child equal to the lesser of the actual cost of the care or the rate established under s. 49.155 (6) if the individual demonstrates the need to purchase child care services in order to attend school and those services are available from a child care provider.
(g) An individual who is a dependent child in a Wisconsin Works group that includes a participant under s. 49.147 (3), (4), or (5) or who is a recipient of aid under s. 49.19 is subject to the school attendance requirement under par. (ge) if all of the following apply:
1. Before the first day of the fall 1994 school term, as defined in s. 115.001 (12), the individual is 13 to 17 years of age. Beginning on the first day of the fall 1997 school term, as defined in s. 115.001 (12), the individual is 6 to 17 years of age.
2. The individual has not graduated from a public, private, or tribal high school or obtained a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation under s. 115.29 (4).
3. The individual is not excused from attending school under s. 118.15 (3).
4. The individual is a parent or is residing with his or her natural or adoptive parent.
5. If the individual is the caretaker of a child, the child is at least 45 days old and child care is available for the child at the school or the school provides an instruction program for the caretaker at home.
6. If child care services are necessary in order for the individual to attend school, child care from a child care provider is available for the child and transportation to and from child care is also available.
7. The individual is not prohibited from attending school while an expulsion under s. 119.25 or 120.13 (1) is pending.
8. If the individual was expelled from a school under s. 119.25 or 120.13 (1), there is another school available which the individual can attend.
10. The individual does not have good cause for failing to attend school, as defined by the department by rule.
11. If the individual is the mother of a child, a physician has not determined that the individual should delay her return to school after giving birth.
12. If the individual is on a waiting list for a children-at-risk program under s. 118.153, a children-at-risk program that is appropriate for the individual is not available.
(ge)
1. An individual fails to meet the school attendance requirement if the individual meets at least one of the following conditions:
a. The individual is either not enrolled in school or is a habitual truant.
b. During the immediately preceding semester, the individual was either not enrolled in school or was a habitual truant.
2. The Wisconsin Works agency or county department shall verify school enrollment and attendance.
(gm)
1. The following individuals who are subject to the school attendance requirement under the learnfare program are required to participate in case management under sub. (2) (b):
a. Minor parents.
b. Habitual truants.
c. Dropouts, as defined in s. 118.153 (1) (b), including individuals who were dropouts and reenrolled in school in the same or immediately succeeding semester in which they dropped out of school.
d. A child whose Wisconsin Works group includes a participant under s. 49.147 (3), (4), or (5) who has been unable to participate in activities required under s. 49.147 (3), (4), or (5) due to the child's school-related problems.
2. The department may, in accordance with rules promulgated by the department, sanction any individual specified under subd. 1. who fails to cooperate with case management efforts.
(h)
1. An individual who fails to cooperate with case management efforts under par. (gm) is subject to sanctions as provided under subd. 1s. only if all of the following apply:
as. The individual has failed to request a hearing or has failed to show good cause for not cooperating with case management efforts in a hearing. The hearing shall be requested and held under s. 49.152. The department shall determine by rule the criteria for good cause.
b. The individual's family fails to cooperate with the case manager or fails to engage in the activities identified by the case manager as being necessary to improve the individual's school attendance.
c. The individual continues to fail to meet the school attendance requirement under par. (ge).
1s.
a. Except as provided under subd. 1s. b., an individual who fails to meet the school attendance requirement under par. (ge) is subject to sanctions determined by the department by rule.
b. An individual who is a dependent child in a Wisconsin Works group that includes a participant under s. 49.147 (3), (4), or (5) and who fails to meet the school attendance requirement under par. (ge) is subject to a monthly sanction.
2. If, as a result of the application of sanctions under this paragraph, no child in a family receives payment under s. 49.19, the department shall make a payment to meet only the needs of the parent or parents who would otherwise be eligible for aid under s. 49.19.
(hm) The department may require consent to the release of school attendance records, under s. 118.125 (2) (e), as a condition of eligibility for benefits under s. 49.147 (3) to (5) or aid under s. 49.19.
(hr) If an individual subject to the school attendance requirement under par. (ge) is enrolled in a public school, communications between the school district and the department, a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23 or a Wisconsin works agency concerning the individual's school attendance may only be made by a school attendance officer, as defined under s. 118.16 (1) (b).
(2) Services for learnfare pupils.
(a) In this subsection, “county department" means a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23.
(b) County departments or Wisconsin works agencies shall provide case management services to individuals who are subject to the school attendance requirement under the learnfare program under sub. (1) and their families to improve the school attendance and achievement of those individuals.
History: 1995 a. 27 ss. 2319 to 2324, 2898g to 2898r, 3101 to 3120b, 9130 (4), 9145 (1); 1995 a. 289; 1997 a. 3, 27, 239; 1999 a. 9; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 276, 302; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59.

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