Education Decision-Makers: Milwaukee Board of School Directors

By Julia Smucker, Community Policy & Advocacy Fellow

When it comes to K-12 education in Milwaukee, who holds the power? Who gets to make decisions? Who gets to raise and spend tax dollars?

In Milwaukee, local public education decisions are made by several different entities. The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is one of the most active. This explainer provides information about the board and how it operates.

The board is made up of nine members who are elected and serve for four-year terms: an at-large member who represents the whole city and is elected by all Milwaukee voters and eight members who each represent a school board district in Milwaukee and are elected by voters in their district.

This year, the boundaries of each school board district are being ‘redistricted,’ a process that occurs every 10 years after the US Census. Redistricting changes district boundaries to ensure each of them contains a relatively equal number of Milwaukee residents. Here is a map of one proposed option for the board’s new district boundaries:

The Milwaukee Board of School Directors oversees more than half of the city’s publicly-funded schools:

• The board directly governs traditional public schools and instrumentality charter schools operated by Milwaukee Public Schools
• The board authorizes non-instrumentality charter schools operated by independent non-profit organizations
• The board contracts with partnerships schools operated by independent organizations
• The board provides a limited scope of services to private schools

The school board has a great deal of power locally, including the authority to hire or fire the superintendent and MPS personnel, approve the district budget, set the tax rate for MPS (subject to limitations by the state legislature), select the curriculum for the district, borrow money to build new buildings, and make decisions about school facilities.

During COVID-19, the school board has been responsible for deciding when the district will offer in-person or virtual schooling, and how federal pandemic relief funds are distributed in Milwaukee.

Each month, the board meets to make decisions and take actions. There are a mix of regular monthly reports and actions, as well as unique or less frequently addressed topics. The board may also call special meetings for specific matters that require a timely decision.

The board has five different committees that meet separately (three of which meet monthly) and make recommendations to the full board. Committees are typically made up of five board members. During the committee meetings, community members may give testimony. During the monthly board meetings, testimony cannot be given. Official decisions are made by the full board at its regular monthly board meetings.

Here are the committees that make recommendations to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors:

• Committee on Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) — Meets monthly to monitor district progress and compliance with student Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), Title I, and the district’s efforts to engage with parents and the community
• Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation (SASI) — Meets monthly to make recommendations on school reform initiatives, including charter school and partnership school contracts and proposals, school closure, and curriculum reform
• Committee on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel (AFP) — Meets monthly to make recommendations on hiring, firing, and discipline of district employees; audits and issues of legal compliance; and district finances
• Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget (SPB) — Meets as needed for budget development, planning, and auditing
• Committee on Legislation, Rules and Policies (LRP) — Meets as needed to consider local, state, and federal policies that may impact the district and makes recommendations on district rule/policy changes

Below is a list of the regular monthly matters discussed by the Milwaukee Board of School Directors:

• Monthly report from the superintendent (supporting district goals of academic achievement, student, family and community engagement, and effective and efficient operations)
• Monthly report on legislative activities affecting MPS
• Monthly report on activities within the board’s office of accountability and efficiency
• Monthly report of the President of the Milwaukee School Board of Directors
• Monthly report on student expulsions

Here is a list of regular matters discussed by the three committees that meet monthly:

• Committee on Parent and Community Engagement — Monthly report on disproportionate suspensions with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
• Committee on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel — Monthly personnel matters (hires, resignations, retirements, leaves of absence), monthly finance matters, monthly facility matters
• Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation — Regional showcase (overview of different regions of the district, school performance, and activities in specific schools)