MADISON, Wisc. — The state is threatening to suspend funding to Milwaukee Public Schools.
A letter sent to MPS Superintendent Dr. Keith Posley on Friday by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), said MPS has failed to provide key financial reports dating back 8 months.
Sachin Chheda, executive director of the Department of Public Instruction, said sending the letter was an extreme move. One the department wasn’t prepared to take earlier this year when Milwaukee voters were considering a more-than $250 million school funding referendum.
“Prior to the April referendum we weren't in a position where our expectations were that they weren't going to be able to file the required financial information,” Chheda said.
The letter DPI sent Friday instructs MPS officials to come up with a plan for how they will submit the overdue reports and prevent similar issues in the future. In the meantime, the department has threatened to withhold state funds from MPS, starting with special education aid that totaled nearly $16 million when it was paid out last June.
"At a practical level that means they've got a week or so, a week or two, to put forward a plan that we can have confidence in,” Chheda said.
To Republican state lawmakers like Sen. Duey Stroebel – who have been some of MPS’s harshest critics – the overdue financial reports are just another reason the school district is in need of reform.
“These reports were due last September, and here we are – we're almost in June, and these reports aren't done. I mean we really got to question the capability of MPS to behave as a school district,” he said in an interview.
Gov. Tony Evers' spokesperson, Britt Cudaback released a statement regarding MPS's financial report issues on Thursday.
You can read the full statement below:
"The governor and our office have been in contact with MPS and DPI and are urging them to work together to reach resolution quickly and avoid further financial impacts.MPS is our state’s largest public school district and no one—Republican lawmakers included—should be rooting for the failure of a district that serves thousands of Wisconsin’s kids or seizing this moment to bank political talking points.Gov. Evers is focused on our kids and minimizing any impacts on them, which should be everyone’s focus right now—doing what’s best for our kids."
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
