More than a dozen Milwaukee-area school districts have chosen to close their doors to in-person classes as of 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Yet Milwaukee Public Schools has not done so.
“This is one of the most vexing challenges we have,” admitted Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.
He says there are numerous factors involved that the other districts, mainly in suburban areas, do not have to deal with as often, such as large numbers of single parent families where parents cannot take time off, and families which do not have the money to feed their children three meals per day.
“There are a lot of families in poverty. They may not have the ability,” said Mayor Barrett.
“(Many students) receive two meals a day in school. What’s going to happen there?”
Some districts are going to the pathway of using online classes, where students use a home computer.
For many MPS families, that is also not an option.
“What does that mean for families who live in homes? They may not have access.”
The Mayor also stated that numerous MPS parents work in the health care sector – one which is going to be ramping up to take care of the coronavirus outbreak.
“If the caregiver can’t go to work because (of school closings), what challenges is that going to put on the health care system in staffing?”
Watch the news conference below.