Say Something Real
Financial Turmoil Spells Trouble
By Michelle Bryant
Michelle Bryant
“The math ain’t mathing” accurately sums up the recent financial turmoil facing Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). Per Urban Dictionary, the popular phrase means that something doesn’t add up or when you are skeptical about something you are hearing or seeing.
Over the last few days, Milwaukee taxpayers, parents and community stakeholders are reeling from news of MPS’s fiscal house of cards. After successfully pushing a referendum to garner $252 million dollars from local residents, we have learned that the district has been playing a financial shell game. MPS’ money grab doesn’t appear to have been based on transparent accounting practices or current financial information.
We can thank the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for sounding the alarm. Although, one could argue that the district was allowed to nearly burn to the foundation first. DPI has made a decision to withhold the district’s June 2024 Special Education Aid Payment. Citing failures to provide financial reports, some of which are 8 months overdue, MPS will now struggle to fill the $16,623,612 void that will be left because of the suspended disbursement.
In just shy of a month, federal funding for MPS’ Head Start program was suspended for 30 days to address program deficiencies and safety concerns. DPI drops it’s bombshell, MPS’ Superintendent Keith Posley resigns, MPS’ Comptroller is no longer with the district, and the U.S. Department of Education Inspector General has been asked to investigate all federal funding the district has received. As we try to figure out what this all means, one thing is for sure, Milwaukee Public Schools is prime for a state takeover. We’ve been here before.
Established by Republicans in the 2015 Wisconsin Act 55, the Opportunity Schools and Partnership Program (OSPP), has been lurking in the background. An opportunity school is managed and controlled by a program commissioner selected by the applicable county executive. No schools have been transferred into the program to date, but at the bill’s passage, 55 schools were eligible for transfer in the 2016-17 school year.
DPI and the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) railed against OSPP. The chosen Commissioner was maligned and attacked. DPI changed the criteria used to determine what constituted a failing school. Milwaukee’s County Executive, at the time, couldn’t move forward with enacting OSPP and there was never another Commissioner named. There was a victory dance and the opponents of OSPP thought they had won the fight in protecting local control. If only they saw then, what many of us knew. The takeover attempts weren’t over. The proponents are back, circling MPS’ carcass, and waiting to pounce.