MPS referendum: School staff cuts possible, principal says
MILWAUKEE - The debate over Milwaukee Public Schools' big-ticket ballot item is heating up.
A referendum asks voters for $252 million over four years to bolster the school district's budget. Inside Maryland Avenue Montessori School, teachers provided a glimpse Wednesday of what the vote could mean.
"Second year in a row that I have a classroom of 32 students," said teacher Christine Poser.
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Teachers like Poser are juggling a lot. She said it takes the help of a support staff to make flow happen.
"Even now, with our staffing as it is, I don’t have a full-time assistant," she said.
Maryland Avenue Montessori School
"Without those paraprofessionals and support staff, it makes it really challenging," said Joe DiCarlo, the school's principal.
DiCarlo said that is one of the potential issues on the table.
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"If we do not have the referendum, we will be cutting staff, and not having the appropriate amount of staff to support those students," he said.
This is not MPS' first request for more money in recent years. In 2020, voters approved an $87 million dollar referendum.
"This is the reality we are in right now," DiCarlo said.
MPS referendum: Early voting opens with school funding on ballot
Milwaukee residents will soon vote on the future of Milwaukee Public Schools. A referendum seeks $252 million to bolster the MPS budget.
Not everyone is on board. If the referendum passes, it would be funded through a property tax increase.
"It is detrimental to ask socially economic disadvantaged families to pay more when they are barely making ends meet," said parent LaToya Woods. "I just can’t afford this now, and neither can so many Milwaukeeans."
The increase would cost owners of a $100,000 home an additional $216 a year. Voters will make the ultimate decision at the polls.
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
"We care about our city. We care about our children," Woods said.
MPS is not the only southeast Wisconsin school district asking voters for more money. The state Department of Public Instruction said there are 91 referendums on the April ballot statewide.
The MPS referendum is the highest request. The New Richmond School District, seeking more than $113 million, ranks second. The Mukwonago School District ranks third, seeking $102 million for demolition and rebuilding work.