Voters sent message with narrow referendum victory. Are MPS leaders listening? | Opinion

I’m a proud graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools. Even so, I voted against Tuesday's referendum that passed by just 1,720 votes. MPS got its money but the work for the school board and superintendent is just getting started. They need to address a frustrating lack of transparency or they may never get public support for new dollars moving forward.

Milwaukee schools have significantly changed since I graduated from John Marshall High School in 1987. And not in a good way.

The district's and educators' expectations and demands have increased substantially. It sought financial support from taxpayers in a 2020 referendum and was granted $87 million. Four years later, the district returned to the taxpayers and asked for $252.2 million to preserve vital programs such as art and prevent significant layoffs. Despite a narrow margin, taxpayers once again voted to provide the necessary funds.

I'm all tipped out. Seems like everyone's asking no matter level of service.

I voted no on Tuesday because I don’t believe MPS will make the necessary changes to improve our children's lives, and I think the money would have been better spent on investing in families. Given the tight margin, a lot of people might have also felt this way. Officials counted 41,586 votes in favor, about 51% of voters, and 39,866 votes against the referendum, about 49% of voters.

MPS hasn't provided clear breakdown in how money will be spent

When the district asked voters to approve the 2020 referendum, I voted in favor. It was the first MPS referendum posed in more than two decades and passed with 78% of the vote during a global pandemic.

At the time, the financial support was called a lifeline for the state’s largest and poorest school district. Even a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum stated that MPS faced an “uncertain future” without painful cuts and a significant infusion of cash from the state or local property taxpayers had they not received the funding.

The MPS board president said the funding would improve students’ mental health and welfare and help expand music, gym, and library programs which it did, though it had trouble filling some of the staffing positions.

The 2020 “lifeline” provided by taxpayers was in addition to $7.5 million Milwaukee schools received in federal COVID-19 aid.

While I understand the importance of additional funding, I have concerns about the request's lack of transparency and specificity in the allocation of funds, leaving many questions regarding the potential impact. Without a clear breakdown of how each dollar will be spent, it isn't easy to ascertain whether the requested amount of $252 million is appropriate or whether a different amount would have been more suitable.

Thanks for nothing, Evers. Excluding couples, retirees from tax relief is wrong.

Overall, the lack of transparency regarding the allocation of funds raises significant concerns that must be addressed. MPS Superintendent Keith Posley called the vote a massive victory for the children of Milwaukee. However, we also know this will be a victory for teachers who will get another pay boost after receiving a raise in the last referendum in 2020.

There needs to be transparency regarding how much of the new money goes toward raises and to support student programming. The phrase “administrative costs” is too vague and leaves much room for interpretation. MPS must make its budget and expenditures clear and precise for the public, especially since it asked for, and received, extra funding from already cash-strapped taxpayers.

"MPS is grateful to the city’s voters for supporting our continued efforts to help students succeed in school and in life,” Posley said.

Now, taxpayers must demand improvement. If there is no measurable improvement in reading scores and closing one of the widest gaps in reading between white and black students in the nation, those who pushed for this tax must be on the hot seat.

Without accountability, schools won't improve or see support

For as long as I can remember, there has been talk of a MPS overhaul.

Education funding comes primarily from state and local sources, with a fraction provided by the federal government. Using data from the state Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Policy Forum documented how growth in the dollars received by MPS have lagged inflation, leaving the district with fewer overall dollars available to educate its students.

There lies the inequity.

I'm a member of the Bad River Band, I support Enbridge Line 5 relocation

Insufficient funding for underprivileged communities is a pressing issue. However, the root of the problem lies in the funding system itself. What’s the solution from the perspective of taxpayers footing the bill? Well, it starts with accountability. Last November, MPS’s report card was better than in past year:

• The district met or exceeded state expectations with three stars, up from two stars the year prior, when it met “few expectations.”

• Academic achievement scores dropped, but test scores improved.

• Four-year graduation rates improved slightly in 2021 for the first time since the pandemic, with about 65% of students completing high school in four years.

• MPS attendance rates remained a stubborn problem. The 2021-22 attendance rate was 79%, down from 87% before the pandemic.

• About 58% of students missed at least 10% of school days in the 2021-22 school year, up from about 37% before the pandemic.

The additional money MPS will receive should also be used to help families become more involved in their children’s education. I believe that offering additional after-hours tutoring for students, hiring more African American and Hispanic teachers, whom students have expressed a desire for, and employing counselors who represent the students would be beneficial.

Additionally, programming geared towards getting parents involved in MPS would be a positive step. As taxpayers become increasingly frustrated, it is imperative that MPS succeeds and that all stakeholders are held accountable. The referendum passed. Now the real work begins.

Reach James E. Causey at [email protected]; follow him on X@jecausey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lack of transparency in Milwaukee schools referendum plan troubling