Gov. Evers seeks 'outside, independent' auditors of Milwaukee Public Schools

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Monday he will proceed with two new audits of Milwaukee Public Schools after the idea won support from school board members and city leaders, as the school district grapples with an accounting crisis and the departure of Superintendent Keith Posley.

The audits would examine MPS operations and educational practices. Those audits would be separate from the school district's financial audit, which is completed annually by Baker Tilly and is many months overdue.

Evers' administration plans to issue a request for "outside, independent" auditors in the coming days. The Department of Administration will oversee the selection process of the auditors, according to Britt Cudaback, Evers' office's communications director.

Evers, who led the state state Department of Public Instruction before being elected governor in 2018, has only shared broad brushstrokes of his plan, which he first suggested Friday. He said it would be a "similar effort" to an initiative 15 years ago, when then-Mayor Tom Barrett and then-Gov. Jim Doyle obtained an independent evaluation of MPS' finances and operations.

One audit, an operational audit, would look for ways to improve the district's "systems, processes and procedures," according to Evers' office.

The other audit, an instructional audit, would look at "instructional practices, methodologies and policies," including classroom learning environments, staff training, curriculum and leadership.

It's unclear when the audits would begin or end, how much they would cost, or the exact funding source. Cudaback said the timeline will depend on what they hear from potential auditors, but it's likely the operational audit will begin first, "as soon as possible."

A previous press release said funding would come from "federal dollars available between underspending of previously awarded contracts and funding already allocated for Milwaukee that has not yet been spent."

Evers said he was moving ahead after hearing positive feedback on the plan. Support came from state Superintendent Jill Underly, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, and Milwaukee School Board Vice President Jilly Gokalgandhi, among others.

"MPS and the greater Milwaukee community must both be supportive of any efforts aimed at getting the district back on the right track if those efforts are going to be successful," Evers said in a statement Monday.

The state Legislature's leading Republicans were more critical. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Friday he expected Evers would put the audits under the control of the DPI, who he referred to as "the same failed DPI bureaucrats who allowed this to happen." Cudaback confirmed Monday that the audits will not be done by a state agency.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said he wanted an audit done by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau, adding: "Wisconsinites deserve full transparency and accountability, not a private audit commissioned by the former DPI Superintendent who played a role in creating this disaster."

Gokalgandhi said last week that she welcomed the governor's proposed audits, along with plans by city officials to help the district with its accounting.

"We are really appreciative of the governor's and the mayor's support," Gokalgandhi said. "We look forward to working in partnership to ensure the best outcomes for our kids and our families."

The district is working on a corrective action plan to prove to state officials at DPI that the district should continue receiving tax dollars despite being over eight months late on turning in its financial reports.

DPI Communications Officer Chris Bucher said DPI staff had a "productive meeting" about the plan with MPS Monday.

"We've made a lot of progress toward a strong plan to bring them into compliance, and we are optimistic we will have a corrective action plan in place this week," Bucher said.

MPS board members are also preparing to vote on a budget for the 2024-25 school year and searching for an interim superintendent.

Contact Rory Linnane at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane. 

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Evers seeks independent auditors of Milwaukee Public Schools