Students from families who meet the income guidelines are chosen through a lottery system governed by the State of Wisconsin. Selected students will receive a voucher from the State of Wisconsin to apply to their schooling. Families selected will be notified in the summer and will have the opportunity to choose their school and accept or decline the voucher.
The State of Wisconsin does require current WPCP students to follow a simplified re-application process that does not require filing of financial information. Families will still need to prove their residency and must complete this re-application process within the posted enrollment window.
The state of Wisconsin is in charge of the lottery selection process. It does give consideration to siblings of current WPCP students who are already attending our school. The full application process, including proof of income and residence, will need to be completed.
CLS asks all income eligible families to apply for this voucher program.
In addition to applying for the WPCP program, qualifying families can also apply to the CLS Tuition Assistance Program. Each year, CLS provides thousands of dollars of financial aid for many families and students. Applications for financial aid are available at www.tads.com and must be completed by May 15, 2024. If a family receiving financial aid qualifies for a voucher, it allows financial aid resources to help other students who may need tuition assistance, but who don’t qualify or weren’t selected for the WPCP program.
The two-year budget approved by the state legislature did expand the WPCP program so that it now allows a growing percentage of up to five percent of the the total students per school district to be chosen for a voucher. Since CLS serves students from many school districts (Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, New London, Green Bay, and more), this gives many families the opportunity to be selected. As always, changes in political leadership may lead to changes in this government program.
CLS believes that parents are the best equipped to decide what school is the best fit for their child. The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) allows parents who meet eligibility requirements to choose a Christian school education for their son or daughter. This state-funded program allows more families to choose this educational option for their children. The Wisconsin DPI allows religion classes and chapel to be counted as part of our students’ required instructional hours. The CLS Board and administration have carefully researched the program and believes the WPCP will be a blessing to many families who might not otherwise be able to afford a Christian education.