2024-2025
Private School Choice Programs in Wisconsin
Applicaon Guidelines for Parents
Step 1: Online Applicaon
Each year, parents must complete the online parent
applicaon at dpi.wi.gov/choice. An email address is required.
Open applicaon periods vary by Choice program. Schools
decide in which of the periods they will accept MPCP and
RPCP student applicaons. All schools have the same open
applicaon period for WPCP students. Parents may apply to
one or more schools for their student(s) during the available
open applicaon period(s).
Step 2: Supporng Documentaon
Parents will receive a conrmaon email aer subming
an applicaon with informaon about the supporng
documentaon parents must provide to the school(s) to
complete the applicaon process.
Parents must provide supporng documentaon directly to
each school they apply to during the open applicaon period as
explained in the applicaon and conrmaon email, or the
applicaon is ineligible:
• Residency Documentaon: All parents must provide
residency documentaon.
• Income Documentaon: Parents of students that
parcipated in any Choice program in the prior year and
students on a Choice waing list in the prior year applying
to the same Choice program are not required to provide
income documentaon.
Parents of new students must show income eligibility by
either:
(1) providing their social security numbers or taxpayer
idenca
on numbers and having the Department of
Revenue determine whether the student is income eligible
–OR –
(2) using the Department of Public Instrucon (DPI) Income
Determinaon method by answering a series of income
quesons in the online parent applicaon. Generally,
documentaon must be submied directly to the school(s) if
the par
en
t selects the DPI Income Determinaon method.
(connued on next page)
MPCP
RPCP
WPCP
Open Applicaon Periods
Milwaukee Parental
Choice Program
(MPCP)
February 1 – February 20
March 1 – March 20
April 1 – April 22
May 1 – May 20
June 1 – June 20
July 1 – July 22
August 1 – August 20
September 1 – September 16
October 1 – October 21*
November 1 – November 20*
December 1 – January 7*
*2nd semester parcipaon only
Racine Unied
Parental Choice
Program (RPCP)
February 1 – February 20
March 1 – March 20
April 1 – April 22
May 1 – May 20
June 1 – June 20
July 1 – July 22
August 1 – August 20
September 1 – September 16
Wisconsin Parental
Choice Program
(WPCP)
February 1 – April 18
2024-2025
Private School Choice Programs in Wisconsin
Applica
on Guidelines for Parents (connued)
Step 3: Parent Nocaons of Acceptance or Nonacceptance
to the Choice Program
MPCP AND RPCP
Schools must nofy MPCP and RPCP parents within 60 days of the end of the
open applicaon period during which an applicaon is received whether the
student(s) were accepted into the Choice program.
If a Choice school in the MPCP or RPCP receives applicaons from more
eligible students than it has Choice seats available, selecon of students will be
determined on a random basis with certain preferences allowed under state law.
WPCP ONLY
For the 2024-25 school year, state law mandates that no more than 9% of the
pupil membership of a public school district participate in the WPCP. The DPI will
conduct a random drawing, which includes certain required preferences, of all
eligible applications. The DPI will notify parents via email in the summer of
students chosen in the WPCP random drawing and students on the WPCP waing
list. Parents of students chosen in the random drawing must conrm with the
school their acceptance and indicate whether or not their students will aend the
school. If the school nds a student’s applicaon ineligible, the school must nofy
the parent of non-acceptance by the rst weekday of June.
Helpful Resources
The Applicaon Process Presentaon, Online Parent Applicaon Print Screens,
Frequently Asked Quesons resource, and the Overview of Private School Choice
Programs in Wisconsin handout at dpi.wi.gov/choice can help parents complete
the applicaon process and learn more about the Choice program and student
eligibility.
For More Informaon:
Parents should contact schools directly with quesons about the applicaon
process or status of their applicaon. A list of parcipang private schools and
their contact informaon can be found at: dpi.wi.gov/choice.
Private School Choice Programs
Wisconsin Department of Public Instrucon
Toll-free: 888-245-2732, ext. 3
Web site: dpi.wi.gov/choice
This informaon is based on Wis. Stats. §§118.60
& 119.23 and Wis. Admin. Code PI 35 & PI 48.