MILWAUKEE — A new twist in the crisis surrounding Milwaukee Public Schools.
The state Department of Public Instruction responded to the district's corrective action plan to get its financial situation in order and said, as of now, it's not good enough.
Wisconsin State Senator John Jagler obtained the district's draft of the plan and shared it on X writing it has "no urgency on finding immediate solutions."
TMJ4's Mariam Mackar spoke to state Senator John Jagler on the phone, who said the plan "looks like it was written by Chat GPT."
DPI agreed replying on X "We made it clear we need a real plan and we are committed to helping them get there."
The corrective action plan shows a long to-do list of what MPS needs to fix with little details or a timeline on when that will happen.
One of the points listed is that the MPS board will be reprogramming the current financial software system— a concern the former comptroller, Alfredo Balmaseda, told Mackar he brought to the district over a year ago.
Now the district's financial mess is officially affecting the budget for special education students.
On Thursday, DPI sent a notice that it will be withholding June's special ed payment of $16.6 million because of the district's missing data.
A special education teacher in the district spoke to TMJ4 anonymously and said it will have an immediate impact on students.
"It's harmful, it's careless, it's hurtful and there are families that depend on this," the teacher said. "Special Education doesn't end in June. If a student needs those extra supports from June, July, up until September when we return, that's what that funding provides — it's that summer care."
The teacher said that monthly funding also pays for special transportation, teacher pay, and specific supplies.
"So taking away this state funding would be a gut punch?" Mackar asked.
"Yes, it would be. And it is. It's hurtful and I was very disappointed to hear that."
It's important to note that just because the money is being withheld doesn't mean the district won't get it in the future once all their finances are sorted— but there's no telling when that will happen.
The MPS Board has promised to hold another press conference on Friday. We will be there to ask those questions.
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