The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says four new religious private schools will be added to the statewide voucher program starting next year including Central Wisconsin Christian School in Waupun. The school’s director of advancement, Gregg Zonnenfeld, says its another step in the process. “We’re excited about the fact that we’re in that top 25 group of schools and accepted. We know there’s a lot of uncertainty yet. We don’t know what final budget numbers are going to look like,” Zonnefeld told WFDL news. The department said Thursday that more than 3,540 students have applied to receive a taxpayer-funded voucher to attend private and religious schools. That number is more than triple the enrollment cap of 1,000 for the statewide program that’s in its third year. The four new schools added to the program next year will be Heritage Christian Schools in Brookfield, Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson, Central Wisconsin Christian School in Waupun and Saint James Lutheran School in Shawano. Of the eligible student applications, 49.3 percent are already paying to attend a private school. If selected to receive a voucher, taxpayers will pay for their education.
