121.004 Definitions. In this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(1) Average daily membership. “Average daily membership" is the sum of all pupils enrolled in all schools of the school district for each day of the school term, divided by the number of days school is actually taught. If it contains a fraction, the quotient shall be expressed as the nearest whole number.

(2) Equalized valuation. The “equalized valuation" of a school district is the full value of the taxable property of the territory in the school district as certified for the prior year under s. 121.06 (2), excluding value adjustments made under s. 70.57 (1) resulting from appeals made under s. 70.995. The “equalized valuation" of any taxable property in a tax incremental district shall not exceed its equalized value determined for the purpose of obtaining the tax incremental base of that district under s. 66.1105. The “equalized valuation" of a school district shall be reduced by the amount of an environmental remediation value increment on a parcel of property that is certified under s. 66.1106 during the period of certification.

(3) Fund. “Fund" is an independent accounting entity, as prescribed under s. 115.28 (13).

(4) Gross cost. The “gross cost" of a fund means the sum of all nonduplicative expenditures from and other financing uses of that fund.

(5) Membership. “Membership" for any school district is the sum of pupils enrolled as reported under s. 121.05 (1) or (2), as appropriate, and the summer average daily membership equivalent for those academic summer classes, interim session classes, and laboratory periods approved for necessary academic purposes under s. 121.14 (1) (a) 1. and 2. and those online classes described in s. 121.14 (1) (a) 3.

(6) Net cost. The “net cost" of a fund means the gross cost of that fund minus all nonduplicative revenues and other financing sources of that fund except property taxes, general aid, and aid received under ss. 79.095 (4) and 79.096. In this subsection, “nonduplicative revenues" includes federal financial assistance under 20 USC 236 to 245, to the extent permitted under federal law and regulations.

(7) Pupils enrolled.

(a) “Pupils enrolled" is the total number of pupils, as expressed by official enrollments, in all schools of the school district, except as provided in pars. (b) to (f). If such total contains a fraction, it shall be expressed as the nearest whole number. The same method shall be used in computing the number of pupils enrolled for resident pupils, nonresident pupils or both.

(b) A first grade pupil may be counted only if the pupil attains the age permitted under s. 120.12 (25) or required under s. 118.14 for first grade admission.

(c)

1. A pupil enrolled in kindergarten may be counted only if the pupil attains the age permitted under s. 120.12 (25) or required under s. 118.14 for kindergarten admission. A kindergarten pupil, including a pupil enrolled in a 4-year-old kindergarten program being phased in under s. 118.14 (3) (b), shall be counted as one-half pupil except that:

a. A pupil enrolled in a 5-year-old kindergarten program that requires full-day attendance by the pupil for 5 days a week, but not on any day of the week that pupils enrolled in other grades in the school do not attend school, for an entire school term shall be counted as one pupil.

b. A pupil enrolled in a 5-year-old kindergarten program that requires full-day attendance by the pupil for less than 5 days a week for an entire school term shall be counted as the result obtained by multiplying the number of hours in each day in which the pupil is enrolled by the total number of days for which the pupil is enrolled, and dividing the result by the total number of hours of attendance required of first grade pupils in the school district.

2. In subd. 1. a. and b., “full-day" means the length of the school day for pupils in the first grade of the school district operating the 5-year-old kindergarten program.

(cm) A pupil enrolled in a 4-year-old kindergarten program, including a 4-year-old kindergarten program being phased in under s. 118.14 (3) (b), that provides the required number of hours of direct pupil instruction under s. 121.02 (1) (f) shall be counted as 0.6 pupil if the program annually provides at least 87.5 additional hours of outreach activities.

(d) A pupil enrolled in a preschool program under subch. V of ch. 115 who is 3 years of age or older shall be counted as one-half pupil.

(e) A pupil attending public school under s. 118.145 (4) shall be counted as the result obtained by dividing the number of hours of direct pupil instruction scheduled for the pupil at the public school during the school year by the number of hours of direct pupil instruction that the school district scheduled for a pupil in the same grade during the school year.

(em) A pupil attending public school outside his or her school district of residence under s. 118.53 shall be counted as 0.25 pupil for each course the pupil attends at the public school during the school year. A pupil attending public school in his or her school district of residence under s. 118.53 shall be counted as the result obtained by dividing the number of hours of direct pupil instruction scheduled for the pupil at the public school during the school year by the number of hours of direct pupil instruction that the school district scheduled for a pupil in the same grade during the school year.

(f) A pupil who transfers from one school district to another under s. 121.85 (3) (a) shall be counted by the school district in which the pupil resides as 0.75 pupil or, if appropriate, as a number equal to the result obtained by multiplying 0.75 by the appropriate fraction under par. (c), (cm) or (d).

(8) Summer average daily membership equivalent. “Summer average daily membership equivalent" is a number determined by dividing the sum of the following by 48,600:

(a) The total number of minutes in which pupils are enrolled in academic summer classes, interim session classes, or laboratory periods, as defined by the state superintendent under s. 121.14.

(b) The sum of the number of minutes of online class instruction completed per pupil for each high school pupil and each pupil in the 7th or 8th grade who completes an online summer class or an online interim session class offered by a school district if all of the following are satisfied:

1. The online class is offered by a school district.

2. The pupil receiving instruction in the online class resides in the school district under subd. 1. or is attending that school district under s. 118.51.

3.

a. If the pupil receiving instruction in the online class is enrolled in a high school grade, the pupil receives credit for completion of the class.

b. If the pupil receiving instruction in the online class is enrolled in the 7th or 8th grade, the pupil successfully completed the class.

4. The school board of the school district under subd. 1. determines that the online class fulfills a requirement for high school graduation specified under s. 118.33 (1) (a) 1. or 2. or established by the school board under s. 118.33 (1) (am) or the authority of the department.

(9) Teacher-pupil ratio. “Teacher-pupil ratio" is the quotient of the number of pupils enrolled divided by the number of teachers employed.

(10) Teachers employed. “Teacher" means a person holding a license or certificate under s. 115.28 (7), but does not include any person under s. 115.29 (3). In computing the number of teachers employed, professional workers who devote less than full time to their professional duties shall be counted in proportion to the time devoted to such duties. Teachers who devote full time to children with disabilities shall not be counted.

History: 1977 c. 29 ss. 1081, 1085e, 1085m; 1977 c. 418, 429; 1979 c. 34, 221; 1979 c. 346 s. 15; 1981 c. 20, 317; 1983 a. 27, 189; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 39, 48; 1993 a. 16; 1997 a. 27, 164, 240; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 2001 a. 16; 2007 a. 226; 2009 a. 28; 2013 a. 20, 257; 2017 a. 59, 151.