Assembly to vote on bill breaking up Milwaukee K-12 district

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By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Assembly was scheduled to vote on a Republican-backed bill on Tuesday that would break the state’s largest public school district in Milwaukee up into as many as eight smaller districts, a step critics say will not guarantee better outcomes for struggling students.

Also up for a vote was another bill allowing parents to opt their students out of any mask mandates and requiring schools to be open for in-person teaching.

Even if the bill breaking up Milwaukee schools is passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, Gov. Tony Evers has signaled he will veto the measure, saying it is “too simplistic” and won’t work. But it shows the direction Republicans want to head if Evers is defeated in his November reelection bid. The Republican gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch supports the proposal.

Republican supporters say the breakup would increase accountability and lead to better performance in the smaller districts, ultimately bolstering low reading and math scores for Milwaukee public school students. The proposal has the support of conservative groups but is opposed by a wide array of others, including the Milwaukee district, Disability Rights Wisconsin and the state teachers union.

Opponents argue that breaking up the district and dispersing its roughly 75,000 students will not guarantee better educational outcomes. They argue that what Milwaukee really needs is more money to bolster its schools and programs.

The bill would break up Milwaukee into between four and eight smaller districts starting in the 2024 school year. The idea has been floated unsuccessfully before, including in 2009 and 2015.

Other bills up for a vote Tuesday would:

— Allow parents to opt their children out of any school requirement that they wear a mask. That proposal would also require schools to be open for in-person learning. It is supported by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and conservative groups. Its opponents include the state education department and groups representing school boards and administrators.

— Eliminate income limits for sending children to a private school using a taxpayer-funded voucher. The bill would also remove a cap on enrollment in the statewide voucher program. Evers is opposed to expanding the voucher program, so this proposal is also headed for a veto.

— Add the 9/11 terrorist attacks to the list of 21 other days that K-12 schools must observe. Under the bipartisan measure, it would be up to each district to determine how to mark the anniversary of the attacks. Other days that schools must observe include Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Bullying Awareness Day and Veterans Day.

— Require public and private high schools participating in the school choice program to collect statistics on certain crimes that happen on school property or buses and make that data publicly available.

Republican supporters say having the data on school report cards will help parents make informed choices about where to send their children. But opponents say schools aren’t in the business of collecting such data, what would qualify as something needing to be reported is unclear and the information could be misleading. No groups are registered in support; opponents include organizations representing school boards, administrators and school social workers.