On December 13, 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a petition that aimed to permanently dismantle the United States’ oldest school choice program, ruling unanimously in favor of school choice.
In November, the Liberty Justice Center filed an amicus brief in Underwood v. Vos, urging the Court to reject a petition which would have terminated the state’s private school choice and charter school programs. These programs currently serve over 65,000 low-income and middle-income Wisconsin students, and the injunction would have forced tens of thousands of students across the state to leave their schools of choice.
Analyzing recent data from the Wisconsin Institute of Law & Liberty (WILL), the Liberty Justice Center’s amicus brief argued that the petition would create an impossible burden on the state’s public school system and on Wisconsin families.
“We are thrilled with the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to reject this reckless petition and side with school choice,” said Dean McGee, Educational Freedom Attorney at the Liberty Justice Center. “As our amicus brief highlighted, granting the petitioners’ request would have had devastating consequences—not only for the many students enrolled in Wisconsin’s school choice programs, but also for those attending Wisconsin’s already overburdened public schools.”
The Liberty Justice Center thanks local counsel Bernardo Cueto, Esq., for his invaluable assistance with the brief.
The Liberty Justice Center’s amicus brief, filed November 14, is available here.