School Funding

Jun 4, 2010

Over the past week, WUWM has been exploring barriers to achievement in the Milwaukee Public Schools system. Today, on the final day of our Project Milwaukee series, we ask the question: is more generous funding the key to producing better grades? As WUWM's Ann-Elise Henzl learned, it depends on whom you ask.

Children listen to a book being read at La Escuela Fratney.



In other words, deep cuts -- including hundreds of positions in the budget for the upcoming school year. Rita Tenorio has already seen plenty.

"We've had to cut back and cut back and cut back," Tenorio says.


"We don't have a music teacher, we don't have a physical education teacher. We have no teaching assistants in our school anymore," Tenorio says.



"Mantas electricas? Las vacas? Mantas electricas? 'Sinceramente, las vacas.'"

Principal Tenorio says libraries are especially important for students from low income families. Many don't have books at home -- not to mention computers.

"In order for children to really be able to learn and learn how to learn -- which is the future -- you have to have resources. I can't think of a better one than our school library.

State Sen. Glenn Grothman is a critic of MPS.










Finance chief Michelle Nate says MPS has used millions of federal stimulus dollars on construction projects and teacher training -- things that had been put off because of tight budgets.

"How fast we can move towards things like reducing physical plant -- closing schools -- or getting control of the cost of our employee benefits package, that's what's going to determine how quickly we can recover," Nate says.

Nate wishes the state would change the school funding formula itself, but says that's not likely to happen. Previous attempts have failed. So the district is thinking outside the box, such as by making the most of foundation money and resources community groups have donated.

"What they're interested in doing is making long-term investments, and that might not show up in next year's test scores. But I believe that that base is being built and is sustainable and that the community really does want to involve itself," Nate says.
