Chapter 119, FIRST CLASS CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM

119.01 Applicability. This chapter applies only to cities of the 1st class.

119.02 Definitions. In this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise: (1) “Board” means the board of school directors in charge of the public schools of a city of the 1st class other than those public schools transferred to the opportunity schools and partnership pr…

119.04 Public instruction laws applicable. (1) Subchapters IV, V and VII of ch. 115, ch. 121 and ss. 66.0235 (3) (c), 66.0603 (1m) to (3), 115.01 (1) and (2), 115.28, 115.31, 115.33, 115.34, 115.343, 115.345, 115.363, 115.364, 115.365 (3), 115.366, 115.367, 115.38 (2), 115.415, 1…

119.06 Initial establishment of board. (1) Members of a school board in existence in a city immediately prior to the date on which such city becomes a city of the 1st class shall continue to hold office and shall exercise all of the rights and privileges and discharge the duties …

119.08 Election of board members. (1) (a) The board shall consist of one member elected at-large and 8 members elected from numbered election districts determined by the board. The election districts shall be substantially equal in population and the boundaries of the election di…

119.10 Meetings of the board. (1) The board is a continuing body. Any unfinished business before the board or any of its standing or special committees on the date of the annual meeting under sub. (2) shall be considered as pending before the board newly organized on such date. A…

119.12 Board; general provisions. (1) Board members are subject to all restrictions, liabilities, punishments and limitations, including recall under s. 9.10 (4), prescribed by law for members of the common council in their city. A majority of the members-elect of the board may d…

119.13 Board members; refusal of salary. (1) In this section, “board member” includes a member-elect. (2) (a) 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 119.12 (3), a board member may send written notification to the clerk and the city treasurer that the board member wishes to refus…

119.16 Board; duties. (1) EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES. The board and the superintendent of schools shall identify broad yearly objectives and assess priorities for education in the district and shall issue an annual report and such additional reports as the board and su…

119.18 Board; powers. (1g) GENERALLY. The board may do all things reasonable to promote the cause of education, including establishing, providing and improving school district programs, functions and activities for the benefit of pupils. (1r) RULES. (a) Subject to par. (b), the b…

119.19 Released time for religious instruction. (1) The board may permit a pupil, with the written permission of the pupil’s parent or guardian, to be absent from school for up to 180 minutes per week to obtain religious instruction outside the school during the required school p…

119.22 Sex discrimination in physical education or physical training prohibited. Except as provided in s. 120.13 (37m), courses in physical education or physical training may not discriminate on the basis of sex in the provision of necessary facilities, equipment, instruction or …

119.23 Milwaukee parental choice program. (1) In this section: (ab) “Accrediting entity” means all of the following: 1. Cognia, Inc., Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation, Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran S…

119.235 Contracts with private schools and agencies. (1) The board may contract with any nonsectarian private school located in the city or any nonsectarian private agency located in the city to provide educational programs to pupils enrolled in the school district operating unde…

119.24 Admission of pupils. A pupil may attend a school in an attendance district other than the one in which he or she resides with the written permission of the superintendent of schools. Beginning in the 2000-01 school year, the board shall provide spaces in each school for pu…

119.25 Expulsion of pupils. (1) The board may adopt a resolution, which is effective only during the school year in which it is adopted, authorizing any of the following to determine pupil expulsion from school under sub. (2) instead of using the procedure under s. 120.13 (1) (c)…

119.26 Partial annexation of school district. When the city has annexed a portion of the territory of a school district and such annexation does not include the site of any school building of such school district, the school board of the district and the board may enter into an a…

119.28 Special schools. (1) The board shall establish and maintain such special schools for children with disabilities, as defined in s. 115.76 (5), as are required to accommodate pupils of school age desiring to attend school. The board shall prescribe the courses of study and t…

119.30 Trade schools. (1) The board may establish, conduct and maintain one or more schools for the purpose of giving practical instruction in the useful trades and may purchase the proper machinery, tools and equipment and employ a sufficient number of teachers and other necessa…

119.315 Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pilot programs for pupils in grades kindergarten to 5.

119.32 Superintendent of schools; business manager. (1) The board shall elect by roll call vote at a regular meeting a superintendent of schools whenever that office becomes vacant. The superintendent of schools shall be a person of suitable learning and experience in the art of …

119.33 Superintendent of schools opportunity schools and partnership program. (1) LEGAL ENTITY. There is created within the school district operating under this chapter a superintendent of schools opportunity schools and partnership program under the management and control of the…

119.36 Dismissal of superintendent of schools. By a two-thirds vote of the members-elect and upon compliance with this section, the board may remove from office the superintendent of schools for a misdemeanor in office, incompetency or inattention to the duties of the office. Not…

119.40 Salary schedules. (1) (a) Annually, the board shall establish a schedule of salaries for all classroom teachers, not including principals and vice principals, in the schools of the city. (b) Annually, the board may establish one or more schedules of salaries for all its em…

119.42 Teacher tenure. (1) In this section, “teacher” has the meaning given under s. 40.02 (55), but excludes the superintendent of schools, deputy superintendent of schools, associate superintendent of schools, executive assistant to the superintendent of schools, assistant to t…

119.44 Board report. (1) The board shall file its annual financial report with the city clerk and shall send a copy of the report to the state superintendent. (2) Annually at such times as the department prescribes but on or before September 1, the board shall file a verified ann…

119.46 Taxes for school operations fund. (1) As part of the budget transmitted annually to the common council under s. 119.16 (8) (b), the board shall report the amount of money required for the ensuing school year to operate all public schools in the city under this chapter, inc…

119.47 Taxes for school extension fund. (1) If activities are being conducted under s. 119.70 (1), the board as part of the budget transmitted annually to the common council under s. 119.16 (8) (b) shall specify the amount of money required for the ensuing school year under s. 11…

119.48 Taxes for school construction fund. Cross-reference: See definitions in s. 115.001. SUBCHAPTER I FIRST CLASS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

119.485 Taxes for state trust fund loans. (1) If the board is awarded a state trust fund loan under subch. II of ch. 24, the board shall include in its budget transmitted to the common council under s. 119.16 (8) (b) a written notice specifying the amount of money necessary to pa…

119.49 Bond issues. 119.49(1)(1) 119.49(1)(a)(a) If the board deems it necessary to construct buildings or additions to buildings, to remodel buildings or to purchase school sites or to provide funds for any such purpose as a participant in a contract under s. 120.25, it may by a…

119.495 Borrowing on promissory notes; 1989 to 1993. (1) Between July 1, 1989, and the first Monday in August, 1993, upon adopting a resolution by a two-thirds vote of the members elect, the board may direct the common council to issue promissory notes under s. 67.12 (12) for the…

119.496 Borrowing on promissory notes; 1992 to 1995. (1) Subject to sub. (6), between June 1, 1992, and June 30, 1995, upon adopting a resolution by a two-thirds vote of the members elect and receipt of written approval by the mayor of the city, the board may direct the common co…

119.498 Promissory notes; unfunded prior service liability contributions. (1) Subject to s. 119.499 (1), the board may adopt a resolution requesting the common council of the city to authorize the issuance of promissory notes under s. 67.12 (12) for school purposes consisting of …

119.499 Borrowing; unfunded prior service liability. (1) The board may not request the redevelopment authority of the city to issue bonds under s. 66.1333 (5s) or adopt a resolution under s. 119.498 (1) unless it develops information on both options and chooses the option that is…

119.50 Disbursement of moneys. (1) All moneys received by or raised in the city for school district purposes shall be paid over to the city treasurer. Such moneys shall be disbursed by the city treasurer on the written order of the superintendent of schools, countersigned by the …

119.55 Youth service centers, truancy abatement and burglary suppression. (1) (a) The board shall establish one or more youth service centers for the counseling of children who are taken into custody under s. 938.19 (1) (d) 10. for being absent from school without an acceptable e…

119.60 Real property. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2m) (c) and s. 119.61 (5), if any real property within the city which is used for school purposes is sold, the board shall determine whether the proceeds of the sale are deposited in the school operations fund under s. 119.46 …

119.61 Surplus property. (1) In this section: (a) “Education operator” means any of the following: 1. The operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x). 2. The operator of a private school. 3. The operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2…

119.66 Interest in contracts forbidden. During the term for which elected or appointed and for 2 years after the expiration of the term, no member of the board may be employed by the board or by the department of employee trust funds in any capacity for which a salary or emolumen…

119.68 Claims against the city or board. (1) All claims against the city or board shall be audited for sufficiency of funds by the auditing officer of the city. The superintendent of schools shall furnish the auditing officer of the city a complete list of the claims. Before a wa…

119.70 Use of school buildings and grounds for civic purposes. (1) The board may establish and maintain for children and adults, in the school buildings and on the school grounds, evening schools, vacation schools, reading rooms, library stations, debating clubs, gymnasiums, publ…

119.71 Five-year-old kindergarten programs. (1) In this section, “full-day” has the meaning given in s. 121.004 (7) (c) 2. (3) (a) Annually, the board shall spend at least $5,090,000 to expand its half-day 5-year-old kindergarten program to a full-day program, as provided under p…

119.73 Kindergarten programs. The board shall evaluate the effectiveness of the expanded 5-year-old kindergarten programs under s. 119.71 in meeting the needs of disadvantaged children. Annually by January 1, the board shall submit a report summarizing its findings to the state s…

119.74 Extended-day elementary grade, 4-year-old kindergarten and alcohol and other drug abuse programs. The board shall spend at least $430,000 for the following programs in each school year: (1) Extended-day preschool to grade 6 programs. (2) Four-year-old kindergarten programs…

119.75 First grade programs. (1) The board shall provide expanded educational opportunities for first grade pupils who have participated in an expanded 5-year-old kindergarten program under s. 119.71. (2) Annually, the board shall spend at least $1,070,000 to pay the costs of tea…

119.78 Family resource center. The board shall establish a family resource center to distribute parent education materials, conduct workshops on child development, facilitate communication between school personnel and parents of pupils enrolled in the school district and provide …

119.82 Alternative educational programs for learnfare pupils. (1m) Upon the request of the child or the child’s parent or guardian, the board shall provide an alternative educational program for any child who resides in the city and satisfies all of the following: (a) Is at least…

119.9000 Definitions. In this subchapter: (1) “Commissioner” means the individual in charge of the opportunity schools and partnership program under this subchapter. (2) “Council” means the opportunity schools and partnership program advisory council. (3) “County” means a county …

119.9001 Commissioner of opportunity schools and partnership program; general provisions.