Two Milwaukee charter school operators are making moves to leave the oversight umbrella of Milwaukee Public Schools, instead operating under the authority of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Milwaukee College Prep and Carmen Schools of Science & Technology have applied to UWM for authorization of some of their schools beginning in the next school year, after their current contracts with MPS are set to expire, public records show.
Charter schools, in order to exist under state law, must secure a contract from their local school board or certain other bodies, such as UWM. That body is expected to oversee the performance of the schools, only renewing contracts if the schools live up to their promises.
Rather than seek renewals from MPS, Carmen and Milwaukee College Prep are looking to primarily answer to UWM going forward. The financial impact to MPS is difficult to measure. As an authorizer, MPS collects fees from charter schools but also spends funds on services for those schools.
A 2018 Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis found MPS collected about $2,261 per Carmen student and used the funds to pay for district-wide services. It was difficult to tell if the funding matched the value of services that Carmen might have benefited from, the Forum found.