MILWAUKEE — After several hours of contentious public comment, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors adopted the 2024-25 Proposed Budget in a seven to one vote at a special board meeting Thursday night.
Darryl Jackson was the only board member who voted against the $1.5 billion budget.
Frustrated community members expressed disapproval; some called for voting on the budget to be postponed; and others, like members of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association signaled support of the plan for now.
Budget approval was due at the end of the district’s fiscal year, June 30. The MPS board can still make cuts or revisions to the budget until October 1.
The board also unanimously approved recommendations from the Department of Public Instruction for their Corrective Action Plan (CAP) at Thursday’s meeting.
The DPI withheld a $16.6 million payment from the state earlier this month and threatened to withhold another payment on June 17 if MPS did not come up with an approved plan to address its overdue financial audit.
State officials will now make that payment on Monday, but said in a letter the release of the $16.6 million payment and other future payments will depend on the district’s progress towards implementing the plan.
The MPS board submitted a second version of its plan on Wednesday after the DPI rejected its first draft last week.
State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement Thursday: “an approved CAP is an important first step to strengthen schools for our learners, who deserve the very best from the adults who serve them every day.”
MPS could still stand to lose separate state funding aid that would not be recoverable. DPI officials estimate that between $35 million and $50 million in state aid for the next school year could be docked to offset errors in the district’s financial reporting.
The board voted to go into closed session at the end of Thursday night’s meeting to begin selecting an interim superintendent, following Dr. Keith Posley’s resignation last week.
