WICSA Files Amicus Brief in Opposition to Effort to Declare Independent Charter Schools Unconstitutional

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2023
Contact: Alesha Guenther - aaguenther@michaelbeststrategies.com

The Wisconsin Independent Charter School Advocates (WICSA), a non-profit, membership organization along with several charter schools, filed an Amicus Brief with the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday. This brief was filed in opposition to a petition for original action at the Wisconsin Supreme Court claiming Independent Charter Schools in Wisconsin were unconstitutional.

“Wisconsin’s Independent Charter Schools are public schools and serve thousands of students to prepare them for a successful life.” said Dr. Kristi Cole, Chair of the WICSA Board and the CEO of The Lincoln Academy Charter School in Beloit. “The Wisconsin Independent Charter School Advocates will continue to protect the schools and families from those attempting to close our doors.”

  “The petition seeking a declaration that the school choice and charter school programs are unconstitutional is deeply flawed and includes numerous factual errors,” said Joe Olson, Counsel for WICSA. “Petitioners are seeking to by-pass the normal fact-finding process conducted every day by Wisconsin circuit courts.  Such a request and the conclusions Petitioners are asking the Supreme Court to draw are both inappropriate.”  

WICSA submitted the Amicus Brief on behalf of the 11,590 Wisconsin pupils its members educate in 35 public schools within the Independent Charter Schools Program. The brief lays out the petitioner’s flawed reasoning and constitutional conclusions, how the petition isn’t narrowly tailored, and how the petitioner fails to state any viable constitutional claims. 

  Any media inquiries for the legal team or WICSA, please contact Alesha Guenther at aaguenther@michaelbeststrategies.com.