MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Board of School Directors on Tuesday unanimously approved Superintendent Brenda Cassellius’ proposed final budget for 2025-26.
The district said the approximately $1.6 billion final budget reflects adjustments from the preliminary budget, which was approved in the spring, according to a release. Milwaukee property taxpayers are estimated to see an increase of about $8 in taxes per $100,000 of assessed value.
Watch: Milwaukee Public Schools board approves final 2025-26 budget
“We are delivering a budget that maximizes resources for students and schools while demonstrating fiscal prudence and responsibility to our taxpayers,” Cassellius said.
The district said the final budget includes greater investment in extracurricular programs for middle and high school students, as the board had requested. Additionally, the district said budget adjustments occur each year because both state aid and enrollment are finalized after the preliminary budget is passed.
“We are continuing to prioritize what we know students need while being transparent to our staff, families and the public,” Board President Missy Zombor said. “We want to thank our neighbors across the city of Milwaukee for their continued support of our public schools.”
Under the budget, the district said its portion of the Milwaukee tax levy is expected to rise by 2.95%, just under the current 12-month rate of inflation released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the district, the approved tax levy includes additional revenue for its extension fund to support the new northwest side community recreation center, anticipated community needs, and to provide greater flexibility for future budgets.
The district provided the following breakdown of the finalized proposed budget for 2025-26:
- An increase of about $20 million more in state special education funds under the new state budget, which increased the reimbursement rate for districts
- An increase of about $32 million in state aid, thanks in part to voters’ passage of the district’s 2024 referendum that helped maintain art, music, physical education and mental health supports in schools
- Reducing the district’s “vacancy adjustment” by about $22 million so that the district does not rely too heavily on vacant positions to balance the budget and better prepare the district for its 2026-27 budget
- Reducing expenses by about $11 million to align to lower enrollment, including 54 fewer full-time equivalent positions without any layoffs
- Smaller adjustments to address findings in Gov. Tony Evers’ academic and operational audits as well as the Human Resources audit conducted by the Council of the Great City Schools at MPS’s request
The district said it is also working on preparing the 2026-27 budget and will continue to pursue centralized staffing.
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