Independent (2r or 2x) Charter Schools
What is an Independent Charter School?
The common council of the city of Milwaukee
The chancellor of any institution in the Universities of Wisconsin
Each technical college district board
Waukesha County Executive
College of Menominee Nation
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University
Universities of Wisconsin Office of Educational Opportunity
Current ICS Authorizer Contact Information
- Common Council of the City of Milwaukee
Gayle Peay
gayle.peay@marquette.edu
414-288-1540 - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Adrienne L. Woods
woodsal@uwm.edu
414-229-4682 - University of Wisconsin - Parkside
Nicole Meier
meiern@uwp.edu
262-595-2309 - Universities of Wisconsin Office of Educational Opportunity
Cynthia L. Gonzalez
cgonzalez@uwsa.edu
(608) 262-8887 - Waukesha County Executive
Shawn Lundie
slundie@waukeshacounty.gov
262-548-7902
What do we mean when we say "2r & 2x" and "Legacy & New" Independent Charter Schools?
The terms "2r" or "2x" refer to the section of the charter school law within s. 118.40 that grants these entities authority to authorize charter schools. Independent charter schools may also be referred to as legacy or new independent charter schools. Legacy independent charter schools are schools that are chartered by authorizers who had the authority prior to 2015 Act 55 (UW-Milwaukee, the City of Milwaukee, UW-Parkside, and the Milwaukee Area Technical College), and new independent charter schools are those chartered by an authorizer who received authority to authorize in or after 2015 Act 55 (Waukesha County Executive, College of Menominee Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, Office of Educational Opportunity, any UW Chancellor (other than UW-Milwaukee and UW-Parkside), and any technical college district board (except MATC).
Legacy independent schools receive funding from general purpose revenue. New independent charter schools are funded by a deduct from the student's resident district. You may find preliminary, non-audited Third Friday in September resident district deduct data here, by scrolling to the bottom of the webpage and selecting New Independent Carter Schools Impacts.
Additional Information
Under Wis. Stat. § 118.40(4)(ag), no more than a minority of the governing board's members may be employees of the charter school or employees or officers of the school district in which the charter school is located”. Therefore, no more than a minority of the governing board could be filled by employees or officers of the school district they are physically located in.
State law prohibits independent authorizers from authorizing a virtual charter school.
For more in-depth information on independent charter schools see: Wisconsin Legislature Chapter 118.40 quick reference or Wis. Stats. Chapter 118.40(2r) and (2x).
Independent Charter School Payment Amount
In the 2025-2026 academic year, Independent Charter Schools will receive $12,369 as the per pupil payment. In the 2026-2027 academic year, it is estimated that Independent Charter Schools will receive $12,797 as the per pupil payment
Authorizer Requirements:
Per Wis. Stat. 118.40(1), all independent authorizers shall notify the state superintendent of their intention to establish a charter school by February 1 of the school year preceding the opening of the charter school. Independent authorizers and limits, if any, on school location and pupil residency are listed below:
| Legacy Independent Charter School (ICS) Authorizers | School Location | Pupil Residency | Number of Charter Schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Milwaukee (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
| UW-Milwaukee (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
| UW-Parkside (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
| New ICS Authorizers (2015 Wis. Act 55 and 2017 Wis. Act 59) | School Location | Pupil Residency | Number of Charter Schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waukesha County Executive (2r) | Waukesha County | Statewide | Unlimited |
| College of Menominee Nation (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | No more than six schools between College of Menominee Nation and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | No more than six schools between College of Menominee Nation and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College |
| Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO UW System) (2x) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
| Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO UW System) (2x) Recovery Charter School | Statewide | Statewide | One school with no more than 15 students |
| Any UW Chancellor (other than UW-Milwaukee and UW-Parkside) (2r) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
| Any Technical College District Board (except MATC) (2r) (Gateway Technical College District Board added in 2015 Wis. Act 55) | Statewide | Statewide | Unlimited |
Independent Charter School Audit Information
Independent Charter School Membership Information
List of Independent Charter Schools
Independent Charter Schools Program Calendar