Wanggaard blasts Milwaukee Schools, state superintendent over another late report

(The Center Square) – There is more criticism from the Wisconsin capitol after Milwaukee Public Schools missed another deadline on another state-required report.

Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said MPS missed last month’s deadline to turn its District Aid Certification into the state’s Department of Public Instruction.

“This was the very first step under the agreed-to Corrective Action Plan and they missed it,” Wanggaard said in a statement. “MPS and State Superintendent Jill Underly agreed that submitting this report on time and accurate was ‘high-priority and high-urgency.’”

MPS agreed to that Corrective Action Plan after the city’s schools failed to turn in two other required financial reports last year.

So far, the failure to file those reports, as well as other reporting failures with MPS’ federal Head Start program, have cost Milwaukee Schools $17 million. MPS has said it could lose as much as $50 million because of its financial reporting problems and their fallout.

Wanggaard said this is not just a Milwaukee problem.

“MPS is so big, and so heavily state-aided, its financial decisions have a huge impact on schools statewide,” Wanggaard added. “This literally impacts every single district in Wisconsin. Superintendent Underly must impose consequences on MPS. She can’t just ignore the problem like she did before Milwaukee’s $256 million referendum that hurt most every district in the state.”

Records show the state superintendent knew about Milwaukee’s late reports, and the looming financial penalties the district faced, before voters cast their ballots on that referendum.

Wanggaard said Underly now needs to do something about MPS’ problems.

“I don’t care if MPS is one of 100 schools that haven’t filed their Aid Certification yet. MPS is the one under the Corrective Action Plan,” Wanggaard said. “Deadlines are deadlines. Without consequences, there’s no reason to meet a deadline. Everyone knows that.”

MPS has said it is working to properly complete and submit its late reports.