Milwaukee District's financial hole makes everything harder

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Milwaukee Public Schools' biggest problem may be financial, but the district must not lose sight of a key goal: giving students a quality education and restoring confidence in parents.

The thought of Milwaukee Public Schools going bankrupt is scary, but like some of those big financial institutions in the headlines lately, MPS also must be considered too big to fail.

The public isn't in any mood to hear that a big part of the system's problems are financial. But it is inescapable.

We'd support thoughtful change to the state's funding formula that acknowledges the special needs and challenges facing urban districts such as MPS. And we encourage MPS administrators, the School Board and the teachers union to face up to the legacy costs that are weighing the district down.

But no one should support just throwing more money at MPS -- not until we know for certain how well the district is using the money it has. To say that the public lacks confidence in the district's abilities is a vast understatement.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at October 8, 2008 3:22 AM
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