Parents and educators from around the state rallied in Madison for better funding for schools. Around 40 Milwaukee Public School parents and leaders joined them with their own message for lawmakers.
"It is about education, it's about funding. It is about talking to legislators to get them to pass legislation to help all school districts,” said Evans Stephens, who helped coordinate the parents heading to Madison.
"I have the perspective of growing up in Milwaukee Public Schools,” said Ingrid Walker Henry, a parent MPS teacher and president of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association. "From the early 80s to now I have witnessed what underfunding has meant for students, it has meant less, less art, less music and less gym."
Now MPS and 90 other districts in the state are asking for taxpayer help by putting a referendum on the Spring Ballot. Those referendums are to raise taxes in order to have more money for schools. But MPS district officials say more needs to be done at the state level.
Right now, the state provides $325 per pupil in funding according to MPS. Posley says that is below inflation, which would be $390 per pupil. Plus, he says even if it was funded at inflation it would not make up for the past two years where they had frozen funding.
"If we are not able to adequately fund our schools properly we can't move forward with the progress we have been able to make. We have moved from a school district that meets few expectations to a school district that meets expectations,” said Posley.
While enrollment has been on the decline since before the pandemic, Posley says kindergarten enrollment is up by 25 percent. That is the highest it has been in four years and a sign people are returning to public school.
“Our student population is increasing and we know if the early grades, kindergarten, K3, K4, K5, you know we are seeing growth patterns,” said Posley.
Parents tell us with their children’s future on the line, they can’t sit around and wait for more funding.
"I'm here because I want to make a difference as I go out,” said Stephens.
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