The school district’s non-compliance with federal and state statutes should have been disclosed to the Milwaukee taxpayers, the majority of whom are working families, before they were asked to increase the district’s budget by more than a quarter-billion dollars annually in April. It would have changed the narrative and forced the electorate to think twice about entrusting this amount of funding to a body who seemingly can’t manage it. MPS has a transparency problem, and the state and federal governments are holding it accountable.
We now ask the Milwaukee Public School Board to investigate the matter and hold those responsible fully accountable. A deep, independent performance audit of the district must be conducted, and the results made public.
Our students are told to complete their work and turn it in on time. MPS administration needs to be held to that same standard.
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“I asked @WisconsinDPI why they didn’t inform the public months ago about MPS’s failure to disclose financial data…..”
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Milwaukee School Board members could fire Superintendent Keith Posley or take other disciplinary action against him at a meeting Monday night, according to a meeting noticeupdated Friday evening, days after board members found out MPS had failed to submit key financial reports to state officials.
According to the meeting notice, board members could discuss Posley’s employment in a closed door meeting, before possibly returning to a public meeting to take action.
At the meeting, board members may consider “dismissal, demotion, licensing or discipline” of the superintendent. They may also discuss Posley’s compensation and performance evaluation data, and confer with legal counsel, according to the meeting notice.
The meeting, at 5:30 p.m. Monday at MPS’ Central Office, will also include a public hearing on the district’s budget and financial situation. Board members delayed voting this week on a district budget for the 2024-25 school year to get more information about where the district’s finances stand.
Also at the meeting on Monday, board members plan to announce the hiring of an outside financial consultant that will help the district get its financial reports in order.
Some community members have called for Posley to resign, or for school board members to fire him, since news broke this week that the district has failed to submit financial reports to the state Department of Public Instruction, some of which were due more than eight months ago. DPI warned that it could suspend funding to MPS if the reports are not filed promptly.
MPS has not granted the Journal Sentinel an interview with Posley.
Good gracious! Alderman Westmoreland “disgusted and embarrassed” by MPS situation.
“Change at MPS is imperative to prevent a fate as disastrous as the Titanic’s.”
“[MPS] must excel in every area they can control. There is absolutely no room for error.”
Madison’s chamber involvement in the schools…?