MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Schools has reached a major milestone as the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction released the final $8 million in withheld state funding to the district. The funding was restored after MPS corrected financial reporting issues that stemmed from missed deadlines in 2024.
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The Department of Public Instruction had withheld around $42 million in state funding due to late financial reports. After nearly two years of work to address these financial management problems, MPS has now received all of its funding.
"We're really proud that we were able to meet our deadlines and work toward better transparency and better reporting," said Brenda Cassellius, MPS superintendent.
Cassellius was hired last year and was tasked with cleaning up the district's financial situation. She says new processes are now in place that will allow MPS systems to communicate directly with the Department of Public Instruction, preventing similar issues in the future.
Watch: MPS Superintendent discusses the district receiving final $8 million in state funding after financial issues
With the funding restored, Cassellius says the district can now begin next year's budgeting process with a clear picture of available resources. However, that process may involve significant budget cuts.
"What we're gonna do is be able to work with the board next week. We're gonna be talking with them about some of the assumptions in the budget, our current fiscal reality, and then where we need to make some, probably some very significant cuts to be structurally sound and responsible," Cassellius said.
While no decisions on cuts have been made yet, Cassellius is advocating for a $22 million investment in center city schools, which she says have faced a lack of investment in the past.
"If we are able to show that we can provide excellent programming, then I think parents are gonna have hope, and they're gonna believe again in the Milwaukee public schools and they're going to choose our schools," Cassellius said.
The superintendent hopes these changes will help retain families, as the district faced an open enrollment deficit of around 3,200 students this school year, according to DPI data.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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