Milwaukee Public Schools elections (2017)

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<- 2015

Milwaukee Public Schools Elections

* * *

General election date
April 4, 2017
Enrollment (14-15)
77,316 students

Four of the nine seats on the Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors were up for general election on April 4, 2017. In her bid for re-election to District 4, incumbent Annie Woodward defeated challenger Aisha Carr. In District 5, incumbent Larry Miller defeated challenger Kahri Phelps Okoro. District 6 incumbent Tatiana Joseph and District 7 incumbent Claire Zautke did not file to run for re-election, leaving both seats open for newcomers. Tony Baez and Jonatan Zuñiga ran for the District 6 seat, and Joey Balistreri and Paula Phillips ran for the District 7 seat. Baez and Phillips won election to the board.[1][2]

Carr and Zuñiga were promoted by the group Leaders for a Better Community (LBC), which was started by Sherwin Hughes, a political consultant and radio personality on the Milwaukee station WNOV. In the past, Hughes supported publicly-funded voucher schools. In March 2017, LBC released an online campaign ad featuring the image of Milwaukee Superintendent Darienne Driver, which they were asked to take down by the school board. The board said that Driver had not endorsed anyone in the race. Days after the ad was released, Carr was suspended from her position as a teacher in the district by school administration due to a field trip policy violation. Carr said she believed the suspension was politically motivated, but the school district said suspensions were only issued for "a serious violation of board policy or procedure." Both Carr and Zuñiga said they had nothing to do with the ad that featured Driver, and they both said they were not advocates of school choice or voucher schools.

The struggle between public school advocates and school choice and voucher advocates in Milwaukee was highlighted in other district issues. A private voucher school filed a lawsuit against Milwaukee Public Schools in federal court in March 2017 over transportation costs, and a study released in 2017 by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which agreed to represent the private voucher school suing the district over transportation costs, said that the city of Milwaukee had violated a state law to expedite the sale of empty buildings in Milwaukee Public Schools. A number of voucher schools had contacted the district in the past to buy the surplus buildings. The Milwaukee Department of City Development asserted that the city was following the law and said that the study was misleading.

With two candidates running for each seat on the ballot, the 2017 school board election differed from the district's previous elections. At least half the seats up for election in 2013 and 2015 featured uncontested candidates. Click here for more election trends. The two incumbents who ran for re-election in 2017 represented different governing factions on the board, according to a Ballotpedia study of the board's voting patterns in meeting minutes. From 2015 to 2016, Miller was part of a five-member majority faction, and Woodward was part of a two-member minority faction. Zautke, who did not file to retain her District 7 seat, was also a member of the majority faction, while Joseph, who did not file to run for another term in District 6, was not a member of either faction.

Other issues in the district included a possible $50 million gap for the district's 2017-2018 budget and the designation of the MPS campus as a "save haven of learning and support."

## Contents

* 1 Elections
* 1.1 Voter and candidate information
* 1.2 Candidates and results
* 2 District 4
* 2.1 Results
* 2.2 Candidates
* 3 District 5
* 3.1 Results
* 3.2 Candidates
* 4 District 6
* 4.1 Results
* 4.2 Candidates
* 5 District 7
* 5.1 Results
* 5.2 Candidates
* 6 Additional elections on the ballot
* 7 Key deadlines
* 7.1 Endorsements
* 7.2 Campaign finance
* 7.2.1 Reports
* 7.3 Past elections
* 7.3.1 2015
* 7.3.1.1 District 1
* 7.3.1.2 District 2
* 7.3.1.3 District 3
* 7.3.1.4 District 8
* 7.3.1.5 At-large
* 7.3.2 2013
* 7.3.2.1 District 4
* 7.3.2.2 District 5
* 7.3.2.3 District 6
* 7.3.2.4 District 7
* 7.3.3 2011
* 7.3.3.1 District 1
* 7.3.3.2 District 2
* 7.3.3.3 District 3
* 7.3.3.4 District 8
* 7.3.3.5 At-large
* 7.4 What was at stake?
* 7.4.1 2017
* 7.4.1.1 Election trends
* 7.4.1.2 Issues in the election
* 7.4.1.2.1 Candidate suspended from district teaching position
* 7.4.1.3 Issues in the district
* 7.4.1.3.1 Voucher school sues district over transportation costs
* 7.4.1.3.2 Study says city violated law to expedite sale of empty school district buildings
* 7.4.1.3.3 District faces possible $50 million budget gap
* 7.4.1.3.4 Superintendent announces district will not share student immigration status with federal officials
* 7.4.1.3.5 2017-2018 school year to start in August
* 7.4.1.3.6 District partners with higher education institutions to increase college readiness
* 7.4.2 Candidate survey
* 7.5 About the district
* 7.5.1 Demographics
* 7.5.1.1 Higher education achievement
* 7.5.1.2 Median household income
* 7.5.1.3 Poverty rate
* 7.5.1.4 Racial demographics
* 7.6 Recent news
* 7.7 See also
* 7.8 External links
* 7.9 Footnotes

## Elections[edit]

### Voter and candidate information[edit]

The Milwaukee Board of School Directors consists of nine members elected to four-year terms. Eight members are elected by district, and one member is elected at large. Elections are held on a staggered basis every odd-numbered year. Five seats were up for election in 2015, and four seats were up for election in 2017. The general election was held on April 4, 2017. A primary election could have been held on February 21, 2017, if more than two candidates had filed for a seat.[3][4]

School board candidates had to be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, and residents of the school district for a minimum of 28 consecutive days before filing as a candidate. They also could not be disqualified from voting under Wisconsin law.[4]

To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file nomination papers with the school district clerk by January 3, 2017. If incumbents whose terms were up for re-election did not file to run in the race and did not file written notification that they would not be running, the candidate filing deadline could have been extended until January 6, 2017. The terms of candidates elected in the race started on April 24, 2017.[4]

### Candidates and results[edit]

# District 4[edit]

### Results[edit]

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Annie Woodward Incumbent | 51.87% | 1,624
Aisha Carr | 47.59% | 1,490
Write-in votes | 0.54% | 17
Total Votes | 3,131
Source: Milwaukee City Election Commission, "April 4, 2017 - Spring Election: Final Official Results," accessed May 2, 2017

### Candidates[edit]

Annie Woodward | Aisha Carr

|

* Incumbent
* Member, 2009-2017
* Graduate, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Alverno College, and Concordia University
* Retired, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services

* Graduate, Marian University and Cardinal Stritch University
* Teacher, Milwaukee Public Schools

# District 5[edit]

### Results[edit]

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Larry Miller Incumbent | 65.72% | 4,794
Kahri Phelps Okoro | 33.86% | 2,470
Write-in votes | 0.42% | 31
Total Votes | 7,295
Source: Milwaukee City Election Commission, "April 4, 2017 - Spring Election: Final Official Results," accessed May 2, 2017

### Candidates[edit]

Larry Miller | Kahri Phelps Okoro

|

* Incumbent
* Member, 2009-2017
* Graduate, University of Wisconsin and National Louis University
* Adjunct professor, Marquette University

* Graduate, Concordia University
* Project manager

# District 6[edit]

### Results[edit]

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Tony Baez | 67.52% | 1,056
Jonatan Zuñiga | 31.91% | 499
Write-in votes | 0.58% | 9
Total Votes | 1,564
Source: Milwaukee City Election Commission, "April 4, 2017 - Spring Election: Final Official Results," accessed May 2, 2017

### Candidates[edit]

Tony Baez | Jonatan Zuñiga

|

* Graduate, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
* Educator and executive director

* Graduate, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
* Community outreach manager, Layton Boulevard West Neighbors

# District 7[edit]

### Results[edit]

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2017

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Paula Phillips | 61.24% | 3,512
Joey Balistreri | 38.24% | 2,193
Write-in votes | 0.52% | 30
Total Votes | 5,735
Source: Milwaukee City Election Commission, "April 4, 2017 - Spring Election: Final Official Results," accessed May 2, 2017

### Candidates[edit]

Joey Balistreri | Paula Phillips

|

* Graduate, George Mason University
* Former teacher and instructional coach

* Project coordinator, Medical College of Wisconsin

# Additional elections on the ballot[edit]

See also: Wisconsin elections, 2017

The Milwaukee Board of School Directors election shared the ballot with elections for the office of Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, 12 seats on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, and one seat on the City of Milwaukee Municipal Court.[5][6]

# Key deadlines[edit]

The following dates were key deadlines for Wisconsin school board elections in 2017:[7][8]

Deadline  | Event

|

January 3, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline
January 16, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline for candidates registered before January 1
February 13, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline for districts holding primary elections
March 27, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline for general election
April 4, 2017 | Election Day
April 24, 2017 | Board members take office
July 15, 2017 | Post-election campaign finance deadline

### Endorsements[edit]

The following is a list of official endorsements made in the Milwaukee Board of School Directors election.

Candidate endorsements

Endorsement  | Annie Woodward
(District 4)  | Aisha Carr
(District 4)  | Larry Miller
(District 5)  | Kahri Phelps Okoro
(District 5)  | Tony Baez
(District 6)  | Jonatan Zuñiga
(District 6)  | Joey Balistreri
(District 7)  | Paula Phillips
(District 7)
Organizations
Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA)[9] |

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Milwaukee Administrators & Supervisors Council[10] |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO[11][12][13] |  |  |

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Wisconsin AFL-CIO[14] |  |  |

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Wisconsin Working Families Party[15] |

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AFSCME Wisconsin Council 32[11][12] |  |  |

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AFT Local 212[11][12] |  |  |

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IBEW Local 494[11][12] |  |  |

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SEIU Wisconsin[11][12] |  |  |

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Voces de la Frontera[12] |  |  |  |  |

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Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans[16] |  |  |

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Wisconsin Progress[17] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Media outlets
Wisconsin Gazette[18] |

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Shepherd Express[19] |

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State officials
State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-6)[11] |  |  |

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State Sen. Chris Larson (D-7)[11] |  |  |

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State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff (D-19)[11] |  |  |

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State Rep. David Crowley (D-17)[11] |  |  |

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Local officials
Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde[11] |  |  |

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Milwaukee County Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson[11] |  |  |

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Milwaukee Alderman Nik Kovac[11] |  |  |

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Milwaukee Public Schools Board of School Directors President Mark Sain[11] |  |  |

|  |  |  |  |

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

### Campaign finance[edit]

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2017

All school board candidates in Wisconsin were required to file a campaign registration statement with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission after qualifying as candidates. This statement declares their candidacy to the county clerk's office and allows them to claim exemption from reporting campaign contributions and expenditures. Candidates were only required to report campaign contributions and expenditures if they did one or both of the following:[20]

* Accepted contributions, made disbursements, or incurred debt in excess of $2,000 during the calendar year
* Accepted more than $100 from a single source during the calendar year, barring contributions made by candidates to their own campaigns

There were three campaign finance report deadlines in 2017:

* The pre-primary report was due February 13, 2017,
* The pre-election report was due March 27, 2017, and
* The post-election report was due July 15, 2017.[21]

Candidates who filed before January 1, 2017, also had to file a continuing campaign finance report on January 16, 2017.[8]

#### Reports[edit]

Candidates received a total of $106,538.98 and spent a total of $96,604.81 in the election, according to the City of Milwaukee Election Commission.[22]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

District 4
Annie Woodward | $305.78  | $5,749.14  | $5,906.68  | $148.51
Aisha Carr | $0.00  | $9,935.00  | $8,326.89  | $1,608.11
District 5
Larry Miller | $465.04  | $12,743.38  | $12,467.95  | $740.47
Kahri Phelps Okoro | $0.00  | $17,147.09  | $15,623.09  | $1,524.00
District 6
Tony Baez | $0.00  | $18,881.00  | $14,062.08  | $4,818.92
Jonatan Zuñiga | $0.00  | $8,832.40  | $8,574.42  | $257.98
District 7
Joey Balistreri | $0.00  | $14,534.95  | $14,534.95  | $0.00
Paula Phillips | $0.00  | $18,716.02  | $17,108.75  | $1,607.27

### Past elections[edit]

Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right.

|

#### 2015

See also: Milwaukee Public Schools elections (2015)

##### District 1

| Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Mark Sain Incumbent | 98.1% | 2,740
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1.9% | 53
Total Votes | 2,793
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "April 7, 2015: Spring Election Summary Report," accessed April 22, 2015

##### District 2

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Wendell Harris Sr. | 62.5% | 3,467
| Nonpartisan  |  Jeff Spence Incumbent | 37% | 2,053
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.5% | 26
Total Votes | 5,546
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "April 7, 2015: Spring Election Summary Report," accessed April 22, 2015

##### District 3

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Michael Bonds Incumbent | 71.8% | 2,791
| Nonpartisan  |  Stephany Pruitt | 27.6% | 1,073
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.5% | 21
Total Votes | 3,885
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "April 7, 2015: Spring Election Summary Report," accessed April 22, 2015

##### District 8

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 8 General Election, 4-year term, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Carol Voss | 98.5% | 4,491
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1.5% | 69
Total Votes | 4,560
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "April 7, 2015: Spring Election Summary Report," accessed April 22, 2015

##### At-large

Milwaukee Public Schools,
At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Terrence Falk Incumbent | 97.4% | 22,983
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 2.6% | 602
Total Votes | 23,585
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "April 7, 2015: Spring Election Summary Report," accessed April 22, 2015

#### 2013

##### District 4

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Annie Woodward Incumbent | 97.2% | 2,442
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 2.8% | 71
Total Votes | 2,513
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 2, 2013," accessed September 22, 2014

##### District 5

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Larry Miller Incumbent | 97.6% | 4,493
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 2.4% | 109
Total Votes | 4,602
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 2, 2013," accessed September 22, 2014

##### District 6

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Tatiana Joseph | 61.5% | 1,047
| Nonpartisan  |  Angel Sanchez  | 38.1% | 648
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.5% | 8
Total Votes | 1,703
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 2, 2013," accessed September 22, 2014

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 6 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Tatiana Joseph | 51.6% | 491
| Nonpartisan  |  Angel Sanchez  | 34.8% | 331
| Nonpartisan  |  Jaime Alvarado  | 12.7% | 121
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.8% | 8
Total Votes | 951
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: February 19, 2013," accessed September 22, 2014

##### District 7

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2013

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Claire Zautke | 60.1% | 3,951
| Nonpartisan  |  David Voeltner Incumbent | 39.1% | 2,571
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.8% | 51
Total Votes | 6,573
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 2, 2013," accessed September 22, 2014

#### 2011

##### District 1

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Mark Sain | 49.9% | 5,785
| Nonpartisan  |  Tim Petersons Incumbent | 49% | 5,678
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1% | 120
Total Votes | 11,583
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 5, 2011," accessed September 22, 2014

##### District 2

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Jeff Spence Incumbent | 69.4% | 9,485
| Nonpartisan  |  Gerald S. Glazer  | 29.7% | 4,060
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.9% | 125
Total Votes | 13,670
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 5, 2011," accessed September 22, 2014

##### District 3

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Michael Bonds Incumbent | 98.8% | 10,407
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1.2% | 127
Total Votes | 10,534
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 5, 2011," accessed September 22, 2014

##### District 8

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 8 General Election, 4-year term, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Meagan Holman | 66.5% | 9,608
| Nonpartisan  |  Candy Jo Lesniewski  | 32.8% | 4,734
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.7% | 107
Total Votes | 14,449
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 5, 2011," accessed September 22, 2014

Milwaukee Public Schools,
District 8 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Meagan Holman | 49.5% | 3,523
| Nonpartisan  |  Candy Jo Lesniewski  | 24.7% | 1,759
| Nonpartisan  |  Ed Heinzelman  | 24.4% | 1,735
Total Votes | 7,115
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: February 15, 2011," accessed September 22, 2014

##### At-large

Milwaukee Public Schools,
At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Terrence Falk Incumbent | 60% | 56,102
| Nonpartisan  |  Susan L. Schmidt  | 39% | 36,427
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1% | 961
Total Votes | 93,490
Source: City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Election Results: April 5, 2011," accessed September 22, 2014

## What was at stake?[edit]

### 2017[edit]

#### Election trends[edit]

See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief

Every Milwaukee Board of School Directors seat up for election in 2017 had a contested race, unlike the district's past two election cycles. In 2015, three of the five seats on the ballot featured uncontested candidates, and in 2013, two of the four seats on the ballot had uncontested candidates.

The 2017 race was guaranteed to add two newcomers to the board due to open seats. Both incumbents who ran for re-election defeated challengers to retain their seats. In 2013 and 2015, all but one incumbent who faced a challenger was defeated. The other incumbents who won additional terms on the board were unopposed.

School board election trends

Year  | Candidates per seat  | Unopposed seats  | Incumbents running for re-election  | Incumbent success rate  | Seats won by newcomers
Milwaukee Public Schools
2017 | 2.00 | 0.00% | 50.00% | 100.00% | 50.0%
2015 | 1.4 | 60.00% | 80.00% | 75.00% | 40.00%
2013 | 1.75 | 50.00% | 75.00% | 66.67% | 50.00%
Wisconsin
2015 | 1.38 | 38.24% | 73.53% | 84.00% | 35.29%
United States
2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81%

#### Issues in the election[edit]

##### Candidate suspended from district teaching position[edit]

Aisha Carr

District 4 challenger Aisha Carr was suspended from her position as a teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools in March 2017. Carr said the district officially suspended her due to a field trip policy violation, but she said she believed the decision was also politically motivated. Carr said she was considering legal action as she believed she had done nothing wrong.[23][24]

The field trip policy violation was related to a student trip to a youth summit held at city hall. "They talked about racial disparities, mass incarceration, organizing," said Carr, who taught a comparative ethnic studies class for students in grades nine through 12 prior to getting suspended.[24]

The violation occurred when she asked students to meet after school the night before the summit to practice their speeches, according to Carr. "This was not school related, it was practice after school. That's where I was told I went wrong," said Carr.[24] She said it was a procedural error. "I can't tell you how many times teachers do this," Carr said.[23]

Jonatan Zuñiga

Denise Callaway, a spokesperson for the school district, said she could not comment on Carr's suspension as it was a confidential personnel matter. "Generally speaking, suspensions without pay are issued only after a serious violation of board policy or procedure has been substantiated," said Callaway.[23][24]

Carr said she believed that some district officials were unhappy about her campaign for a seat on the school board. Her suspension came after the school board asked the group Leaders for a Better Community, which promoted both Carr and District 6 candidate Jonatan Zuñiga, to take down an online campaign ad that featured the image of Milwaukee Superintendent Darienne Driver. The school board said Driver did not endorse anyone in the election.[23][24][25]

Leaders for a Better Community was started by Sherwin Hughes, a political consultant and radio personality on WNOV, a Milwaukee station. In the past, Hughes supported publicly-funded voucher schools. Both Carr and Zuñiga said they had nothing to do with the ad that featured Driver. They also said they were not advocates of voucher schools. Both candidates were defeated in the election.[23][2]

#### Issues in the district[edit]

##### Voucher school sues district over transportation costs[edit]

St. Joan Antida High School, an all-girls Catholic voucher school that is part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, filed a lawsuit in federal court in March 2017 against Milwaukee Public Schools over transportation costs. The lawsuit calls for Milwaukee Public Schools to pay for the cost of transportation for St. Joan Antida students, which it says is required by state law.[26][27]

State law requires public school districts to pay for transportation costs of students attending private schools within the district's boundaries if certain criteria are met, according to Brian Pahnke, assistant state superintendent for finance and management in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.[27] The criteria include:

“  |

* If the child lives two or more miles from the private school that he or she attends
* If the child resides within the private school’s approved attendance area, and
* If the private school that the child attends is located either within the boundaries of that child’s school district, or not more than 5 miles beyond the boundaries of the district.[28]

| ”

|
|

—Wisconsin Public Radio (March 23, 2017)[27]

State law also says, “There shall be reasonable uniformity, in the transportation furnished to pupils, whether they attend public or private schools.” The Milwaukee school district's transportation policy dictates that busing must be provided to both public and private schools if students live more than two miles from their schools or if they live more than one mile from public transportation. The policy also includes an exception for citywide schools.[26]

It is that exception that is referenced in St. Joan Antida's lawsuit, which is represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. “If they’re busing citywide high school students who live within a mile of public transportation, then they need to do the same for my girls,” said Paul Gessner, head of St. Joan Antida.[26]

Gessner said transportation was a hardship for a number of his students' families. “Without transportation it definitely impacts the choice of school that parents can select. The very first thing that we get asked is, ‘Is there a bus?’”[29]

Co-chair of Schools and Communities United Ingrid Walker-Henry said it was unreasonable for state law to require a public school to bus private school students. She said public money should be used for public schools. “We have this institution in our city that does educate all children and provides its own transportation, yet, we’re going to continue to take from these children to provide for something private,” said Walker-Henry.[26]

President of School Choice Wisconsin Jim Bender said the lawsuit was not related to a school choice debate. “All families in Milwaukee pay property taxes through home ownership or rent,” said Bender. “State law is clear that all students, regardless of sector, are to be treated equally with transportation services.”[29]

C.J. Szafir, vice president for policy and deputy council of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, said the lawsuit was filed in federal court because St. Joan Antida had a constitutional claim. “We believe the constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law are being violated by Milwaukee Public Schools where they discriminate against children who attend private and religious schools by denying them transportation,” said Szafir.[29]

A spokesperson for Milwaukee Public Schools said the district would not comment on pending litigation.[26]

##### Study says city violated law to expedite sale of empty school district buildings[edit]

See also: Debate over the fate of empty school buildings

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty released a study in March 2017 that said that the city of Milwaukee had violated a law to expedite the sale of unused Milwaukee Public Schools properties. The study showed 40 Milwaukee Public School properties were vacant or underused and said that five of those 40 buildings were for sale, though there was interest from potential buyers for other buildings.[30]

"The City of Milwaukee is acting like state law is optional," said C.J. Szafir, vice president for policy and deputy council of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. The law in question was passed as part of the state's 2015-2017 state budget.[31]

"With a struggling Milwaukee educational system and interest from charter and voucher schools, city officials would rather see them empty than put to good use and filled with kids," said Szafir.[30]

Officials from Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Department of City Development said the study was misleading and pointed to errors such as listing one school district property as being at 55 percent capacity when it was at 99.6 percent capacity.[30][32]

"We absolutely assert that the City of Milwaukee is following the law as it was written," said Milwaukee Department of City Development Deputy Commissioner Martha Brown.[30]

Michael Bonds, member of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, said the push to sell the district's buildings was like “asking the Coca-Cola Company to turn over its facilities to Pepsi so Pepsi can expand and compete with the Coca-Cola Company.” His statement alluded to the struggle between public school advocates and school choice advocates in Milwaukee. School choice advocates argue that the school district should sell its unused buildings due to its low graduation rate and failing schools, while public school advocates argue that a number of choice schools perform no better and are not held to the same standards.[30]

Before the law to expedite the sale of buildings went into effect, Milwaukee Public Schools either refused to sell its buildings to voucher schools or asked for additional payments to combat a state funding flaw. If a building was sold to a voucher school and students left the school district to attend it, the district's per-pupil state funds decreased. Because the district was responsible for paying a portion of per-pupil vouchers, the district had to pay more money to voucher schools, even if it had less money coming in. This funding flaw was corrected in the state's 2013-2015 budget, but its repercussions lasted years afterward. When they refused to sell to voucher schools before the 2015 law went into effect, school district officials said they were trying to avoid placing a larger tax burden on the city's residents.[33]

The 2017 study from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty also mentioned the city's tax burden. “You have dwindling enrollment at Milwaukee Public Schools that has led to buildings that just sit empty, costing taxpayers money,” Szafir said. “These empty buildings over the course of the last decade have cost Milwaukee taxpayers well over $10.2 million.”[32]

The 2017 study called on the Wisconsin State Legislature to add penalties if the city does not comply to the law. One suggested penalty was to award attorney's fees “if the aggrieved party prevails,” in a lawsuit related to the law, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Such a penalty could benefit the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty as it represents school choice advocates.[30]

“I know there are those that want financial repercussions for not cooperating,” said Sen. Alberta Darling (R-8), a co-author of the law. “I don’t know how you do that. It’s really hard to have teeth in the legislation because the ball keeps bouncing in different directions.”[32]

##### District faces possible $50 million budget gap[edit]

Milwaukee Superintendent Darienne Driver announced on March 8, 2017, that the district faced a $50 million gap between expenditures and revenue sources in its 2017-2018 budget projections. Driver said the gap was caused in part by a decrease in federal funding and by legacy costs from healthcare benefits for retired employees.[34]

To offset costs, Driver said the district was pursuing donations from philanthropic sources and evaluating programs in order to fund only those that had proven successful. The district received $36 million from philanthropic sources for the 2016-2017 school year, which was more than double what it received the previous year. Driver said she did not anticipate that layoffs would be needed, but she did say that district staff might need to shift positions.[34]

In anticipation of the budget gap, schools across the district were asked to cut budgets by six figures, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The district also moved to shut down underperforming high schools with small enrollments and to reconfigure other schools.[34]

##### Superintendent announces district will not share student immigration status with federal officials[edit]

See also: Sanctuary policy preemption conflicts between the federal and local governments

Sanctuary policy conflicts

Milwaukee Public Schools was one of 15 districts tracked by Ballotpedia that debated sanctuary policies as of October 16, 2017.
Learn more about these debates on Ballopedia's coverage of sanctuary jurisdictions  »

Milwaukee Superintendent Darienne Driver sent a message to district families in February 2017 that promised to protect student information, including immigration status. In the message, Driver called Milwaukee Public Schools a "save haven of learning and support."[35]

"We do not ask for students' immigration status when they enroll," Driver said in the message. "If we become aware of a student's immigration status, we will not share that information with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services."[35]

Driver's message was sent out two days after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance memos on the enforcement of immigration laws and executive orders on immigration issued by President Donald Trump (R). The memos called for more Border Patrol agents and prioritized the removal of individuals convicted or charged with a crime and reinforced prosecutorial discretion. Officials from DHS said that these guidance memos would not impact the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protected minors brought to the U.S. without legal permission.[36][37]

After Driver sent the message, school board members Larry Miller and Tatiana Joseph proposed a resolution to create a district policy that would require staff to not share students' legal status with government agencies. The resolution was passed unanimously on March 30, 2017.[38][39]

##### 2017-2018 school year to start in August[edit]

See also: School administrators seek flexibility for school start date

Students attending middle schools and high schools in the Milwaukee school district started the 2017-2018 school year on August 14, 2017, rather than on September 5, 2017, when most of the public schools in the state started. The change to an earlier start time was championed by Milwaukee Superintendent Darienne Driver. She said the district needed to maximize learning time for its students.[40][41][42]

Officials in other school districts in the state expressed their desire to also switch to earlier start times, but due to a state law, they were unable to start before September 1, 2017. The Milwaukee school district had more flexibility in scheduling their school calendars than other districts.[40]

A bill that would have repealed the September 1 start date law was re-introduced in the Wisconsin State Legislature in February 2017. It did not move out of committee before the 2017-2018 school year started on September 5, 2017.[43] A similar bill was introduced in past sessions but was never passed.[44]

School administrators in favor of starting earlier than September said it would give high school students more time in class before they took advanced placement courses in May and that it would help maximize learning for other students as well. Administrators said students were more ready to learn in August than they were in the spring when teachers started seeing declining results.[40]

Officials with the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association, the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin, and other city and county visitor centers, however, said they relied on student workers to close out the season through Labor Day. In 2015, the month of August brought in $130 million more in tourism revenue than the month of June, according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.[40]

##### District partners with higher education institutions to increase college readiness[edit]

Milwaukee Public Schools partnered with the Milwaukee Area Technical College and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee to create an education initiative called M-Cubed in January 2017. The initiative was created to make sure the three education institutions were teaching subjects in similar ways, according to Milwaukee Area Technical College President Vicki Martin. The initiative also outlined goals to increase college readiness, increase the expectation of continuing to learn after high school, and increase the understanding of the importance of higher education.[45]

"Students have a hard time with math," said Martin. "With our students, as well, they hold off 'til the last semester because they want to avoid it at all costs. So what we realized is that we could together start working on a curriculum early to make sure that we are all aligned."[45]

A third of Milwaukee's high school students do not continue to the 10th grade, according to Milwaukee Superintendent Darienne Driver. "Everybody's who's in the college readiness game knows how important 9th grade is," said Driver. "But again, this is not work that we can figure out by ourselves. We have to have partners that are helping us get our students over those different benchmarks, getting them to the finish line."[45]

### Candidate survey[edit]

Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to view or fill out the survey.

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## About the district[edit]

See also: Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin

The Milwaukee school district is located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee school district is located in Milwaukee, the seat of Milwaukee County, in southeastern Wisconsin. The county was home to 957,735 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[46] The district was the largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 77,316 students.[47]

### Demographics[edit]

#### Higher education achievement[edit]

Milwaukee County outperformed Wisconsin as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 29.1 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 27.8 percent of state residents.[46]

#### Median household income[edit]

From 2011 to 2015, the median household income for Milwaukee County was $43,873. During that same period, the median household income for Wisconsin was $53,357. For the United States, it was $53,889.[46]

#### Poverty rate[edit]

The poverty rate in Milwaukee County was 22 percent between 2011 and 2015. During that same period, the poverty rate for the entire state was 12.1 percent, and for the entire country it was 13.5 percent.[46]

#### Racial demographics[edit]

Racial Demographics, 2015[46]

Race  | Milwaukee County (%)  | Wisconsin (%)
White | 65.1 | 87.6
Black or African American | 27.1 | 6.6
American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0 | 1.1
Asian | 4.2 | 2.8
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1
Two or more races | 2.7 | 1.8
Hispanic or Latino | 14.5 | 6.6

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Milwaukee Public Schools Wisconsin election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Milwaukee Public Schools elections (2017) - Google News

## See also[edit]

Milwaukee Public Schools | Wisconsin | School Boards

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|

* Milwaukee Public Schools elections (2015)

* List of school districts in Wisconsin

* Wisconsin school board elections, 2017
* Public education in Wisconsin
* Local ballot measures, Wisconsin

* School board elections, 2017
* School board elections, 2016
* School board election data analysis, 2017
* School board election data analysis, 2016

## External links[edit]

* Milwaukee Public Schools
* Milwaukee County Election Commission
* City of Milwaukee Election Commission

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "2017 Spring Election Candidates," accessed January 4, 2017
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Milwaukee City Election Commission, "Latest Election Results: April 4, 2017 - Spring Election," accessed April 4, 2017
3. ↑ Milwaukee Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed December 16, 2016
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wisconsin Association of School Boards, "Guide for Candidates: 2017 Spring Election Edition," accessed December 16, 2016
5. ↑ Milwaukee County Election Commission, "Elected Officials & Terms of Office," accessed December 16, 2016
6. ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "Spring 2017 Election," accessed January 3, 2017
7. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Guided for Candidates," accessed December 16, 2016
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Checklist," accessed December 16, 2016
9. ↑ Milwaukee Teachers Education Association, "MTEA Endorsements," accessed March 14, 2017
10. ↑ Facebook, "Joey Balistreri for Milwaukee School Board post from January 24, 2017," accessed March 14, 2017
11. ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Larry Miller for Milwaukee Public Schools District 5, "Endorsements," accessed March 14, 2017
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Tony Baez 6th District School Board Director, "Endorsements," accessed March 30, 2017
13. ↑ Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO, "Committee on Political Education Recommendations for Spring 2017 Election," accessed March 30, 2017
14. ↑ Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, "Spring Election Endorsed Candidates," March 9, 2017
15. ↑ Urban Milwaukee, "Press Release: Wisconsin Working Families Party Endorses Candidates for Milwaukee Board of School Directors," January 18, 2017
16. ↑ Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, "WIARA Spring Election Endorsements," March 17, 2017
17. ↑ Wisconsin Progress, "Our Endorsements for Spring 2017," accessed March 30, 2017
18. ↑ Wisconsin Gazette, "Endorsements: Milwaukee School Board Candidates," March 23, 2017
19. ↑ Shepherd Express, "Four School Board Seats Up for Election on April 4," March 28, 2017
20. ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "11.0104 Reporting exemptions: limited activity," accessed December 15, 2016
21. ↑ Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Filing Deadlines and Reporting Periods," accessed December 15, 2016
22. ↑ City of Milwaukee Election Commission, "Campaign Finance Reports 2017 Election Cycle," accessed August 1, 2017
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "District suspends MPS teacher running for school board," March 16, 2017
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Fox 6 Now, "Policies or politics? MPS teacher threatens legal action following her suspension," March 17, 2017
25. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "MPS asks school board candidate to remove Darienne Driver from campaign materials," March 13, 2017
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 Fox 6 Now, "St. Joan Antida files lawsuit against MPS arguing public transportation should be paid for by district," March 22, 2017
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Milwaukee Public Radio, "Milwaukee Choice School Sues MPS Over Transportation Costs," March 23, 2017
28. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Townhall, "Lawsuit: MPS violating constitution by denying bus rides to religious school students," March 23, 2017
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Report accuses Milwaukee of foot-dragging on mandate to sell vacant MPS buildings," March 10, 2017
31. ↑ Wisconsin Watchdog, "Milwaukee finds new way to delay selling empty school buildings," November 2, 2015
32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Townhall, "Report says Milwaukee defying state law regarding vacant school buildings," March 14, 2017
33. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Mayor Tom Barrett proposes fee for voucher school to buy MPS building," July 31, 2014
34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Public Schools bracing for $50 million-plus budget gap," March 8, 2017
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Milwaukee Public Radio, "MPS Reassures Families: 'We Won't Share Immigrant Status With Federal Officials,'" February 22, 2017
36. ↑ Department of Homeland Security, "Executive Orders on Protecting the Homeland," accessed February 22, 2017
37. ↑ CNN, "Trump admin sets stage for mass deportations," February 22, 2017
38. ↑ WISN, "MPS board wants to declare schools as 'safe havens' from immigration enforcement," February 28, 2017
39. ↑ CBS 58, "Milwaukee Public Schools Passes Sanctuary District Resolution," March 30, 2017
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Proposed bill would repeal Sept. 1 school start law," February 3, 2017
41. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "MPS moves more schools to early start," December 16, 2016
42. ↑ Milwaukee Public Schools, "2017-18 Early Start Calendar," accessed February 10, 2017
43. ↑ Open States, "AB 103," accessed September 5, 2017
44. ↑ WXOW.com, "Should local districts decide school start dates?" February 21, 2017
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 Wisconsin Public Radio, "New Education Initiative Launches In Milwaukee," January 25, 2017
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 United States Census Bureau, "Milwaukee County, Wisconsin," accessed December 14, 2016
47. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016

Milwaukee Public Schools elections in 2017

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Election date:| April 4, 2017
Candidates:| District 4: • Incumbent, Annie Woodward • Aisha Carr
District 5: • Incumbent, Larry Miller • Kahri Phelps Okoro
District 6: • Tony Baez • Jonatan Zuñiga
District 7: • Joey Balistreri • Paula Phillips
Important information:| What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines

v • e

State of Wisconsin
Madison (capital)

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Elections |

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2026 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government |

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy