Choice Enrollment Surpasses 60,000 Students in Wisconsin for the First Time Ever

By annie October 16, 2025

This post originally appeared at https://schoolchoicewi.org/choice-enrollment-surpasses-60000-students-in-wisconsin-for-the-first-time-ever/

Significant increases in schools participating in Special Needs Scholarship Program, and others

October 16, 2025 (BROOKFIELD, Wis.) — Data released today by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) highlight historic growth in the state’s private school parental choice programs. More than 60,000 students are enrolled in one of the state’s four choice programs – a record-breaking total that has nearly doubled in the past decade.

“Parents are speaking loudly and clearly about what they want for their children: more educational options different than those offered by public schools. Lawmakers in Madison should continue to prioritize protecting these private-school options for all students,” said Carol Shires, Vice President of Operations for School Choice Wisconsin. “This milestone validates the strong support from Wisconsin’s political leaders for strengthening the financial foundation of parental choice programs.”

This growth comes as an enrollment cap on the statewide Wisconsin Parental Choice Program is set to expire in the 2026-27 school year, paving the way for continued growth of the program. This will allow more families – including those now on waiting lists – to benefit from the nation’s longest-standing program committed to educational freedom.

Public polling has shown that School Choice is incredibly popular among Wisconsinites. A poll conducted ahead of the 2024 presidential election in Wisconsin found that 68% of voters favored school choice policies for all Wisconsin families.