Next year, the High School of the Arts might not have a spring musical at all.
Some parents and teachers say the soul of the school is at stake. Their concern is echoed at some of the other most renowned high schools in Milwaukee Public Schools, including Rufus King, considered the toughest school to get into.
Parents are crying out that MPS schools with strong academic or art specialties can’t survive much longer under current budget realities. They argue that their programs have been taken for granted as the district moves to put more families in neighborhood schools and create dozens of smaller high schools.
“I’m really afraid the School Board is positioning itself to cut its arts program,” said John Glaspey, whose daughters attend the arts high school. “I think they are hellbent on sacrificing that for the neighborhood and K-8 schools and this small high school initiative.”