MADISON - Wisconsin lawmakers announced a compromise Thursday that would allow virtual schools to remain open and receive the same amount of state aid. The breakthrough potentially resolves an emotional debate over online education that has been watched closely in national education circles. A court ruling and a stalemate in the Legislature had threatened to close a dozen Wisconsin schools starting as early as next year. The compromise rejects a Democratic plan that would have cut the schools' funding in half, after an outcry from school superintendents and other advocates. Instead, they would continue to get nearly $6,000 for each open-enrollment student. The plan announced by Democratic and Republican lawmakers at an afternoon news conference also would add new regulations to ensure quality education at the schools. Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, said the state's dozen virtual schools would be allowed to continue operating with few changes. "Allowing parents to choose virtual schools helps keep Wisconsin a national leader in education policy," said Davis, chair of the Assembly education committee. Lawmakers said they hoped the plan would be approved in coming weeks and signed into law by Gov. Jim Doyle. The governor told reporters in Milwaukee he was waiting for the plan's details but predicted he could support it. Virtual schools allow students to learn from home under the guidance of their parents and instructors who teach over the Internet. They are a growing and popular option for families who want their children to learn from home instead of at traditional public schools. But critics such as teacher's unions have started to question their quality and complain they drain money from public schools. Some say they amount to taxpayer-subsidized home schooling. Wisconsin has been at the center of the debate after an appeals court in December ordered the state to stop funding the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, the state's largest virtual school with 800 students. The ruling was the first of its kind in the nation. Siding with a teacher's union, the court said the school was operating in violation of teacher licensing, open enrollment and charter school laws. The logic could be applied to schools that enroll 3,000 students across the state. Virtual schools, also known as cyber charter schools, operate in 18 states and enroll more than 90,000 students, according to the North American Council for Online Learning. Students can attend them from kindergarten through high school. Democrats who control the Senate and Republicans who lead the Assembly both vowed to rewrite state laws to keep the schools open but were divided over how much taxpayer money to give them and other regulations. Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, had proposed cutting their state aid in half, arguing a Virginia company was making too much money selling curricula to districts. But his proposal drew a backlash from advocates who warned the cut would force them to close or lay off teachers and cut programs. The agreement also discards Lehman's proposals to require at least 15 percent of students to come from within the district that operates each school and to require teachers to have a certain number of hours of direct contact with students each day. Lehman said he was proud of the compromise, pointing to new rules that would require schools to provide a minimum number of hours of education per year and have parent advisory boards that meet regularly, among other things. "Our compromise allows virtual schools to continue while ensuring quality standards and accountability," he said. The deal comes eight days after more than 1,000 students and parents rallied at the Capitol to plead with lawmakers to save the schools. Lawmakers also held two lengthy public hearings on the issue. "We heard from students, families and administrators," Davis said. "This is a big win for them and they should be pleased." (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)