MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley is breathing a sigh of relief after voters approved a $252 million referendum to be spread over four years.
"To the people of Milwaukee, thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said with a grin.
Posley did not, however, guarantee the district would not turn to voters again in the future.
"If funding does not change at the state level districts will be in the same situation over and over," he explained. "91 districts went to referenda yesterday (Tuesday). 91! And then there will be others in November."
When asked about hesitation from voters who said there was a lack of transparency about how the money will be spent, and how Posley will ensure accountability for the funding moving forward, this was the superintendent's response: "I will continue to do the same things we've done in the past. Every single document that we move forward with comes before, basically, the Milwaukee Board of school directors. It gets out there on the airwaves and anybody can read it at any given time."
Taxpayers will not be responsible for the full $252 million. The owner of an average home in Milwaukee, which is about $200,000, will see an extra $432 on their property tax bill.
But your wallet will be spared after the first year. MPS expects to receive increased state aid in years two through four to prevent additional local tax hikes.
Beyond that former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes says the chance of another referendum is in the hands of leadership in the legislature. "We are running a surplus, but too many of my former colleagues in the legislature, the party who is in the majority right now — refuse to support our schools across the state."
In the meantime, the president of the union that represents MPS staff says to build a better future, Milwaukeeans must now come together. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent to say no to children, and I think there are organizations that really have to look at themselves and examine the choices that they made," said Ingrid Walker-Henry, the president of MTEA.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, which funded the opposition campaign, put out a statement saying the status quo is unacceptable and called on MPS to release a strategic plan that is transparent and bold.
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