Lawmakers Propose MPS Breakup

By MacIverNews -
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MacIver News Service | Feb. 3, 2022

Republican lawmakers announced a package of education bills on Wednesday, that includes a plan to break up Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) into 4 – 8 smaller districts by 2024.

MPS has been in a state of crisis for decades, and the Covid lockouts only made things worse.

DPI currently rates MPS as a three-star district that “meets expectations.” That’s a generous rating considering heart wrenching test scores that get worse each year. In the 2020-21 school year:

  • Only 4.2% of MPS students scored proficient or better in Math on the Forward exams last year (grades 3-8)
  • Only 7.3% of MPS students scored proficient or better in English on the Forward exams last year (grades 3-8)
  • Only 8.9% of MPS students scored proficient or better in Science on the Forward exams last year (grades 4 and 8)
  • Only 7.2% of MPS students scored proficient or better in Social Science on the Forward exams last year (grades 4, 8, and 10)

Meanwhile, curriculum in MPS has increasingly shifted from traditional academics to social justice activism. The district recently began dedicating an entire week each year for Black Lives Matter curriculum.

Students get multiple opportunities throughout the school year to participate in protests instead of going to class. Some events have become criminal with teachers even getting arrested.

Public education routinely receives massive funding increases in every state budget. Last year, the legislature passed a state budget that increased education funding by $3.3 billion over two years, the biggest increase in state history.

This year, MPS is getting $603.9 million in general school aid alone. However, MPS spends just 52% of its funding on classroom instruction.

Meanwhile, as funding increases, statewide enrollment trends downward. It’s currently about 823,000. MPS has 73,395 students.

Evers says Wisconsin’s education system is heading in the right direction, but needs more funding.

“When I took office, our public school system had dropped to 18th in the nation,” according to Evers. “Wisconsin has improved to 8th best and we have a better graduation and literacy rate than many of our neighboring states.”

Republican lawmakers have made previous attempts to break up the district or introduce major reforms. Sen. Alberta Darling and Dale Kooyenga introduced a plan to reform the district in 2015, at a time when there was a Republican governor and legislature. Darling is again leading the charge this time around.

Rebecca Kleefisch and Kevin Nicholson both said they would sign that bill into law if they were governor.