MPS insists on referendum » Greater Milwaukee

Riverwest Elementary School, 2765 N. Fratney St. File photo: Dave Reid.

Administrators say a school funding referendum in less than two weeks will make or break Milwaukee Public Schools.

MPS principals told Urban Milwaukee that for schools, the referendum is a question of whether to maintain current staffing and resource levels or cut the budget.

“A 'yes' referendum would make our schools function very similar to how they function today; a 'no' referendum would make our schools significantly different.” Stated. Frank LammersPrincipal of German Immersion School.

The district is appealing to voters for an additional $252 million in funding over the next four years, about $125 million of which will come from property tax increases in the city of Milwaukee. Just four years ago, the district successfully voted for an additional $87 million.

MPS, the Milwaukee Teacher Education Association and their political allies are trying to rally support for increased funding. The city's powerful business lobby, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), funded an advertising campaign opposing the referendum.Another protest organized by local lawyers Daniel Adams They argue that the proposed tax increases would have a negative impact on home prices.

“During my tenure as principal, I would say this was the most important budget I have had to pass,” said Lammers, who served as principal of German Immersion School for seven years.

If the referendum fails, Lammers said, the school will only receive less funding next year than this year. He said the school's art, music and physical education teachers will go from full-time to part-time.

The message the district is trying to put before voters is that the projected budget gap will continue for more than a decade. This is the result of states not continuing to fund public education at the pace of inflation.

““The reality of our state is that Wisconsin has been underfunding our children for a very long time.” Chris ThielMPS Legislative Policy Manager, “But certainly compared to inflation over the past 16 years.”

Thiel said the trend was exacerbated by soaring inflation and nearly flat education spending during the pandemic. He also noted that the U.S. Department of Education warned in 2021 that states are budgeting too little for public education to qualify for $1.5 billion in COVID-19 funding for school districts. I pointed out what I did.

As reported by the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan think tank, a significant portion of MPS's projected budget deficit is generated by school district employment expectations. This district isWe have successfully implemented our plan to attract more teachers to our schools. ” Thiel said.

Critics of the proposed referendum question whether MPS demonstrates the need for all of these teachers, especially as the district's enrollment declines over the years.

“Based on the district’s strategic plan, the referendum supports the status quo and requires the district to fully restructure and downsize to meet future needs and provide more resources to all MPS students. “It will not be allowed to do so,” he said. William Andrekopoulos, former MPS director. He made this point in his op-ed, arguing that raising property taxes would worsen Milwaukee's affordable housing crisis. “Based on the district’s strategic plan, the referendum supports the status quo and requires the district to undergo serious restructuring and downsizing to meet future needs and provide more resources for all MPS students. This cannot be tolerated,” he wrote.

Principal of Samuel Clemens School Gary Lawson He said a lack of project funding would force him to cut staff for the first time in his seven years as principal. ““If the referendum does not pass, we will have to cut $245,000 from the school budget,” he said.

Like Lamaze at German Immersion School, this could mean teaching art and physical education goes from being a full-time educator to a part-time educator. It also means having to dismiss the school's leadership team, he said. These administrators focus on closing achievement gaps, instruction, and school climate. Despite the potential loss of these team members, Lawson said the district's hopes that he will improve student achievement and close the achievement gap will continue.

“Our enrollment numbers will not change,” Lawson said of the expected reductions. “But the support we need to help students will change.”