Most Green Bay Voucher Students Skipped State Tests
In the 2025-26 school year, 71% of local voucher students did not take state standardized tests.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Homeschooling
Live Poll
Should private schools receiving public tax dollars be required to report student state test results?
Seventy-one percent of students using private school vouchers in the Green Bay area opted out of state standardized testing during the 2025-26 school year. These institutions received a total of $19.5 million in public funding throughout that same period.
Why it matters
Standardized test scores are critical components used to determine state accountability report cards for schools. The absence of this data limits the state's ability to measure academic performance at schools receiving taxpayer support.
Twenty-one Green Bay area schools participate in the Wisconsin Parental Choice program, with six schools qualifying for testing waivers due to having fewer than 20 voucher students.
The players
Wisconsin Parental Choice
This state-run program provides public funding in the form of vouchers for students to attend private schools.
The details
Parents may legally opt their children out of the state testing process, while schools with fewer than 20 voucher students are exempt from the administration requirements. This policy resulted in $14.4 million in public voucher funding being directed to local private schools that did not report test results.
Timeline
During the 2025-26 school year, 71% of local voucher students bypassed state testing.
Culture Shift
This trend reflects a broader move toward greater parental autonomy in education, which often complicates standardized state oversight protocols. As more families utilize private vouchers, the ability of state agencies to track and compare academic performance across the entire education sector remains in flux.
Parents and taxpayers in Green Bay have less comparative data regarding the performance of private schools receiving public funds compared to public district schools. Families considering voucher schools may find it more difficult to evaluate school quality without consistent standardized testing results.
The takeaway
The high rate of test participation waivers limits the available data on private school academic effectiveness in the Green Bay area. Families should proactively inquire about internal assessment metrics when evaluating schools that do not provide state-level testing data.
Further reading
For more on local education standards, visit the Homeschooling section.
Live Poll
Should private schools receiving public tax dollars be required to report student state test results?
