MPS celebrates referendum passage, says closing schools still part of long-term plan

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Officials from Wisconsin's biggest school district joined teachers union leaders and other supporters Wednesday to celebrate the passage of a $252 million referendum.

At the same time, district administrators signaled another loud debate is on the horizon as they plan to close some of the district's low-enrollment schools.

Milwaukee voters narrowly passed the referendum Tuesday. Out of more than 81,000 ballots cast, the measure won by about 1,800 votes.

With an additional quarter of a billion dollars, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) will now have the highest level of per student funding among the state's 10 biggest districts and the highest funding among Milwaukee County school districts.

At a press conference Wednesday, Superintendent Keith Posley repeated that money would go toward maintaining and expanding programs implemented after the passage of an $87 million referendum in 2020.

"Art, music, physical education, library and media specialists," Posley said. "Smaller class sizes that retain highly qualified staff, counselors, social workers, and the list goes on."

While Posley said he was willing work with those who opposed the referendum, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes called out those who campaigned against the referendum.

Barnes accused the 'no' campaign of misplacing priorities, noting regional business groups did not demand similar accountability last fall when state lawmakers passed and Gov. Tony Evers signed a $500 million funding plan to renovate and maintain American Family Field.

"People are all too comfortable, all too fine, when we finance arenas, stadiums," Barnes said. "But when it comes to our children, there's this constant question of, 'can we do this? Can we afford to do this?'"

The region's biggest business lobby, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) led the paid opposition to MPS' referendum. 

MMAC President Dale Kooyenga defended the group's stance, citing concerns a significant property tax increase would cause hardship for both homeowners and renters who'd bear the passed-down costs. Under the referendum, property taxes will increase by $216 for every $100,000 of assessed land value. For a home valued at $250,000, that means a $540 tax hike is coming.

"We are very concerned with the amount of money being asked for," Kooyenga said. "We're concerned about the impact this has on affordable housing, and we want to have a more clear plan on what a quarter billion dollars is gonna get us from an investment because we want to see better educational outcomes."

According to the most recent state report card from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 52% of MPS students performed at a below basic level in reading while 64% were below basic in math.

Barnes said the additional funding will help MPS improve learning by adding staff who can help students manage challenges from live outside the classroom. Among the 100 biggest U.S. school districts, only five have a higher percentage of students living in poverty than Milwaukee.

MPS to "absolutely" recommend closing schools

Referendum supporters accurately noted the overall amount of funding MPS received from state aid and property taxes has declined over the last two decades.

However, MPS enrollment has nosedived over that time, and on a per student basis, funding from those two main sources is now slightly higher than it was in 2004.

MPS had a little more than 98,000 students in 2004; this year, that number is slightly fewer than 68,000.

Posley said the district was still working on updating its long-term buildings plan, which was last done in 2018. At Wednesday's press conference, he said that plan will include consolidating some of the district's low-enrollment schools.

"Absolutely," Posley said. "And if you take a look at one of our tenets on our strategic plan is right-sizing."

Currently, dozens of the district's schools have enrollment totals well below their building's capacity. According to a building inventory report MPS is required to give the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, 36 schools have an enrollment number than is than 70% of capacity.

23 schools are operating at less than 60% of their buildings' capacity, and 14 schools are less than half-full.

However, the district's teachers union, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association, has indicated it will oppose any effort to close schools. Posley acknowledged those conversations will not be easy, and it's not clear whether the nine-member Board of Directors will accept any consolidation plan the district provides.

"There's conversations that have to be had with the community, families and all of those kinds of things," Posley said. "All of those things are still on the table."

MMAC to vouch for more K-12 funding

Kooyenga said the MMAC's board opposition stemmed from a lack of specifics about how the district would use the referendum money and concerns about how the property tax increase would affect housing affordability.

At the same time, 84 other school districts across Wisconsin put 91 other referendum questions on ballots across the state Tuesday, according to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

When asked if the MMAC would push the Republican-controlled Legislature to increase K-12 funding, Kooyenga said he'd support such an effort.

"Absolutely, I think the funding formula is broken," he said. "There's many aspects of it that deserve criticism."

Kooyenga, who previously served on the Joint Finance Committee as a Republican state Senator, said the MMAC would specifically lobby for the state to cover a higher share of districts' special education costs.

Currently, Wisconsin reimburses school districts for 31% of their special ed spending.

"The special education funding in Wisconsin is grossly inadequate," Kooyenga said. "And we will be locking arms with many different partners on increasing special education funding in the future."