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Latest Reports:
 The People Speak Poll:
Region's residents favor subsidies for water industryMarch 2010Greater Milwaukee residents show solid support for efforts to use the region's abundance of fresh water as an economic development tool, even if it means paying slightly more for their own water or using public subsidies to do so. That's according to the latest People Speak Poll of 429 residents in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties conducted in mid-February.
Nearly 70% of municipal water users participating in the poll would be willing to pay a small surcharge on their water bill "to fund economic development activities promoting southeast Wisconsin as a place for water-related research and economic growth." In addition, 65% of all respondents agree that government subsidies are "desirable to attract new or expanded water industries to southeast Wisconsin." More than 80% of respondents agree the region has the potential to become a global leader in the water technology industry.
 New regulations impacting school choice program: School closures up, number of new schools down
February 2010Between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, fewer new schools joined the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) than ever before. In addition, 14 MPCP schools closed and another three schools merged - the most year-over-year closures the program has seen. In this 12th edition of the Public Policy Forum's annual census of MPCP schools, we find 112 schools are participating in the choice program, enrolling 21,062 students using taxpayer-funded tuition vouchers. The number of full-time equivalent students using vouchers is greater than in any other year of the program's 19-year history; however, there are fewer schools participating today than earlier this decade.
Related materials:Milwaukee Voucher School Directory
 Should It Stay or Should It Go?
Exploring the potential for structural reform in
Milwaukee County governmentJanuary 2010Milwaukee County government faces immediate and substantial fiscal and programmatic challenges. The county's structural deficit - defined as the gap between expenditure needs and anticipated revenues - is projected to grow from $48 million in 2011 to more than $106 million by 2014, despite several successive years of significant expenditure and staff reductions and anticipation of significant wage and benefit concessions in 2010. This projection is the clearest indication yet that the county's finances are crumbling and that valued services in areas like parks, transit, mental health and public safety face severe degradation without prompt and concerted action. This action could take any of several forms, including the complete elimination of Milwaukee County government. This report, commissioned by the Greater Milwaukee Committee, provides detailed analysis and perspective on the complex issues surrounding that option, as well as other potential structural changes.
 The Price of Quality
Estimating the cost of a higher quality early childhood care and education system for Southeast WisconsinDecember 2009Throughout the United States, investments in high-quality early childhood education are seen by community leaders as a strategy for improving outcomes in areas such as K-12 education, workforce development, and economic development. Indeed, many research studies conclude that high quality early learning environments produce social, educational, and economic benefits for children and the communities in which they live. As a result, many state and local governments around the country are seeking to capture these benefits by investing in quality improvement efforts. Wisconsin is no different; the 2009-2010 state biennial budget calls for the Department of Children and Families to create a strategy for improving the quality of publicly-subsidized child care.
While policymakers increasingly are looking to maximize the benefits of high-quality early childhood education, budget realities often dictate that they do so while minimizing the expenditure of public funds. Thus, this report seeks to inform these decisions in Wisconsin by estimating the costs of achieving improved quality in child care and early learning programs in southeast Wisconsin and analyzing policy options associated with quality improvement initiatives.
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