March 19, 2014 - Introduced by Senators Vinehout and Lehman, cosponsored by
Representatives Danou, Wachs, Ohnstad and Ringhand. Referred to
Committee on Education.
SB684,1,5 1An Act to repeal 39.41 (1m) (h); and to amend 39.41 (1m) (a) 1., 39.41 (1m) (b),
239.41 (1m) (c) 4., 39.41 (1m) (c) 5., 39.41 (1m) (d), 39.41 (1m) (e), 39.41 (1m) (g),
339.41 (1m) (j) and 39.41 (1m) (m) of the statutes; relating to: the awarding of
4academic excellence higher education scholarships to pupils of public and tribal
5high schools with enrollments of at least 20 but fewer than 80 pupils.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) administers
the Academic Excellence Higher Education Scholarship Program under which
HEAB awards scholarships to certain scholars, designated on the basis of grade
point average, who enroll, on a full-time basis, in a public or private institution of
higher education in this state. Under the program, an academic excellence higher
education scholarship recipient is exempt from up to $2,250 in tuition and fees for
each academic year that the recipient is enrolled full time, maintains at least a 3.000
grade point average, and makes satisfactory progress toward an associate or a
bachelor's degree or a vocational diploma.
Currently, those scholarships may be awarded: 1) to the senior with the highest
grade point average from each high school in this state enrolling at least 80 but fewer
than 500 pupils; 2) to the two seniors with the two highest grade point averages from
each high school in this state enrolling at least 500 but fewer than 1,000 pupils; 3)
to the three seniors with the three highest grade point averages from each high
school in this state enrolling at least 1,000 but fewer than 1,500 pupils; 4) to the four

seniors with the four highest grade point averages from each high school in this state
enrolling at least 1,500 but fewer than 2,000 pupils; 5) to the five seniors with the
five highest grade point averages from each high school in this state enrolling at least
2,000 but fewer than 2,500 pupils; and 6) to the six seniors with the six highest grade
point averages from each high school in this state enrolling 2,500 or more pupils. In
addition, not more than ten scholarships statewide may be awarded to seniors with
the highest grade point averages from high schools enrolling fewer than 80 pupils.
This bill permits: 1) a scholarship to be awarded to the senior with the highest
grade point average from each public or tribal high school in this state enrolling at
least 20 but fewer than 500 pupils; and 2) not more than ten scholarships to be
awarded statewide to seniors from public or tribal high schools enrolling fewer than
20 pupils and to seniors from private high schools enrolling fewer than 80 pupils.
The bill takes effect retroactively to January 1, 2014. Notwithstanding the
February 25 deadline under current law for designating a senior as a scholar, the bill
permits a school board of a school district operating a public high school, or a
governing body of a tribal high school, with an enrollment of at least 20 pupils but
fewer than 80 pupils to designate a senior as a scholar by May 1, 2014, and provides
that a scholar so designated is eligible for an academic excellence higher education
scholarship in the 2014-15 academic year.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB684,1 1Section 1. 39.41 (1m) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,2,52 39.41 (1m) (a) 1. For each public or tribal high school with an enrollment of at
3least 80 20 pupils but less than 500 pupils and for each private high school with an
4enrollment of at least 80 pupils but less than 500 pupils
, designate the senior with
5the highest grade point average in all subjects as a scholar.
SB684,2 6Section 2. 39.41 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,3,27 39.41 (1m) (b) Subject to par. (e), by February 25 of each school year, the school
8board of each school district operating one or more high schools and
the governing
9body of each private high school and of each tribal high school may, for each high
10school
with an enrollment of less than 80 20 pupils, may nominate the senior with

1the highest grade point average in all subjects who may be designated as a scholar
2by the executive secretary under par. (c) 3.
SB684,3 3Section 3. 39.41 (1m) (c) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,3,84 39.41 (1m) (c) 4. For each public, private, or tribal high school with an
5enrollment of at least 80 20 pupils and for each private high school with an
6enrollment of at least 80 pupils
, notify the school board of the school district
7operating the public high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high
8school of the number of scholars to be designated under par. (a).
SB684,4 9Section 4. 39.41 (1m) (c) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,3,1510 39.41 (1m) (c) 5. For each public, private, or tribal high school with an
11enrollment of less than 80 20 pupils and for each private high school with an
12enrollment of less than 80 pupils
, notify the school board of the school district
13operating the public high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high
14school that the school board or governing body may nominate a senior under par. (b)
15who may be designated as a scholar by the executive secretary.
SB684,5 16Section 5. 39.41 (1m) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,4,1117 39.41 (1m) (d) By February 25 of each school year, if 2 or more seniors from the
18same public or tribal high school of at least 80 20 pupils or from the same private high
19school of at least 80 pupils
have the same grade point average and, except for the
20limitation on the number of designated scholars, are otherwise eligible for
21designation under par. (a), the faculty of the high school shall select the applicable
22number of seniors for designation under par. (a) as scholars and shall certify, in order
23of priority, any remaining seniors with the same grade point average as alternates
24for the scholars or, if there is no remaining senior with the same grade point average,
25any remaining seniors with the next highest grade point average, but not less than

13.800 or the equivalent, as alternates for the scholars. If a senior from that high
2school designated as a scholar under par. (a) does not qualify for a higher education
3scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), an alternate for the scholar with the same
4grade point average as any senior from that high school designated as a scholar
5under par. (a) shall be eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under
6sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board. If an
7alternate with the same grade point average as a scholar under par. (a) does not
8qualify for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), an alternate
9with the next highest grade point average, but not less than 3.800 or the equivalent,
10shall be eligible for a higher education scholarship as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or
11(3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the board.
SB684,6 12Section 6. 39.41 (1m) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,5,513 39.41 (1m) (e) If 2 or more seniors from the same public or tribal high school
14of less than 80 20 pupils or from the same private high school of less than 80 pupils
15have the same grade point average and, except for the limitation of one nominated
16senior, are otherwise eligible for nomination under par. (b), the faculty of the high
17school shall select the senior who may be nominated by the school board of the school
18district operating the public high school or the governing body of the private or tribal
19high school for designation under par. (b) as a scholar by the executive secretary. If
20that senior is designated as a scholar by the executive secretary, but does not qualify
21for a higher education scholarship under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a), the faculty of the high
22school shall select, in order of priority, one or more of the remaining seniors with the
23same grade point average for certification as a scholar or, if there is no remaining
24senior with the same grade point average, one or more of the remaining seniors with
25the next highest grade point average, but not less than 3.800 or the equivalent, for

1certification as a scholar, and the school board of the school district operating the
2high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school shall certify to
3the board one or more of these seniors as eligible for a higher education scholarship
4as a scholar under sub. (2) (a) or (3) (a) until the scholarship may be awarded by the
5board.
SB684,7 6Section 7. 39.41 (1m) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,5,167 39.41 (1m) (g) Notwithstanding par. (a), if a public or tribal high school of at
8least 80 20 pupils or a private high school of at least 80 pupils closes or merges in the
91991-92 school year or in any school year thereafter, the school board of the school
10district operating the high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high
11school shall, subject to par. (d), for each of the 2 school years following the closure or
12merger, designate the same number of scholars from among the pupils enrolled in
13the high school at the time of closure or merger as the number of scholars designated
14for that high school in the school year the high school closed or merged. Any seniors
15designated under this paragraph shall be eligible for an original scholarship under
16this section.
SB684,8 17Section 8. 39.41 (1m) (h) of the statutes is repealed.
SB684,9 18Section 9. 39.41 (1m) (j) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,5,2419 39.41 (1m) (j) In the event that If 2 or more seniors from the same public or
20tribal
high school of at least 80 20 pupils, or from the same private high school of at
21least 80 pupils,
have the same grade point average and are otherwise eligible for
22designation under par. (a), the school board of the school district operating the high
23school or the governing body of the private or tribal high school shall make the
24designation of the faculty of the high school for purposes of par. (d) or (i).
SB684,10 25Section 10. 39.41 (1m) (m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB684,6,6
139.41 (1m) (m) Notwithstanding pars. (a), (b) and (d), if a high school ranks its
2seniors on the basis of grades in academic subjects, the school board of the school
3district operating the high school or the governing body of the private or tribal high
4school or, for purposes of par. (d), the faculty of the high school may request a waiver
5from the executive secretary in order to fulfill its requirements under par. (a), (b) or
6(d) on the basis of grade point averages in academic subjects.
SB684,11 7Section 11. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB684,6,218 (1) Deadline for designation of academic excellence higher education
9scholars in 2014.
Notwithstanding section 39.41 (1m) (a) (intro.) and (d) of the
10statutes, by May 1, 2014, the school board of a school district operating a public high
11school with an enrollment of at least 20 pupils but less than 80 pupils or the
12governing body of a tribal high school with an enrollment of at least 20 pupils but less
13than 80 pupils may designate the senior with the highest grade point average in all
14subjects as an academic excellence higher education scholar and that scholar shall
15be eligible for an academic excellence higher education scholarship in the 2014-15
16academic year. This subsection does not apply to a school board or a governing body
17of a tribal high school that nominated a senior as an academic excellence higher
18education scholar under section 39.41 (1m) (b) of the statutes by February 25, 2014,
19if that senior was subsequently designated as such a scholar by the executive
20secretary of the higher education aids board under section 39.41 (1m) (c) 3. of the
21statutes.
SB684,12 22Section 12. Effective date.
SB684,6,2423 (1) Academic excellence higher education scholarships. This act takes effect
24retroactively to January 1, 2014.
SB684,6,2525 (End)
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