(The Center Square) – Milwaukee Public Schools are missing another deadline for the financial report that was due to the state last year.
MPS and the state’s Department of Public Instruction said they hope to have the report finalized by Thanksgiving.
“That’s not a hard and fast deadline, but we’re cautiously optimistic that it is possible,” State Superintendent Jill Underly told reporters at a press conference.
The report, which was supposed to detail Milwaukee’s spending for the 2023 school year, was due by September of last year.
MPS Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan said the district has been working since the spring to re-do the report.
“While our progress signals a resolution to MPS reporting issues, our work is not done,” he said.
Galvan blamed the delay on out-dated computers, a lack of training and not enough people in MPPS’ comptroller’s office.
But the 2023 report is not the only state-required report from Milwaukee Public Schools that will likely be late.
DPI said MPS likely won’t have its 2024 financial reports until later this winter.
“We want to beat those dates hopefully by many weeks in 2025,” Underly said.
Sen. John Jagler, R-Watertown, said that the approach of “we hope,” is part of the problem.
“Who is in charge? Both MPS and DPI roll past statutory deadlines without concern. Even the governor’s audit is past due,” Jagler said on social media. “This is a multi-million-dollar fiasco and the education establishment clearly feels they are untouchable.”
He also said a culture of backroom deals has crippled public education in Milwaukee, and in Wisconsin.
“A pattern is developing. Wisconsin kids aren’t doing well on test scores? Lower the standards,” Jagler said. “MPS is late on financial reports? Give them a new deadline. They don’t meet that deadline? Pretend deadlines don’t exist. The law requires MPS to have school resource officers? Ignore.”
MPS has said it is working on returning school resource officers to the city’s school buildings. Those officers were supposed to be back in MPS schools Jan. 1.
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