Milwaukee Public Schools administrators are exploring immediate budget cuts as they say auditors recently concluded the district overspent its budget for the 2024-25 school year, running its main operations fund into the red by about $46 million as of the end of the last school year.
MPS officials weren’t expecting to run a deficit in the last school year, they told the Journal Sentinel, but were surprised by high costs primarily for school meals and transportation services.
It wasn’t until auditors started reviewing spending for the 2024-25 school year this fall when they “started to see these gaps,” Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said. District officials didn’t have a confident picture of the fund balance from the auditors until mid-January, Cassellius said. The numbers are still awaiting final certification and could change slightly, officials said.
——-
Story updated after MPS school board meeting:
Milwaukee Public Schools officials say the district’s budget deficit is a symptom of inflation and inadequate state funding, but also too much spending.
State taxpayers send Milwaukee more than $11,700 per student. Total per pupil revenue is more than $24,600 per student. There is NO credible way for the the district to hide behind the inadequate funding excuse.