MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Schools struggles with a “culture resistant to change” that has undermined its ability to function properly, disproportionately harming its most vulnerable students, an audit found.
Gov. Tony Evers released the first of two independent audits of Milwaukee Public Schools on Thursday, after the district missed the state’s deadline to submit required annual financial reports to the Department of Public Instruction.
“My focus from the beginning has been on doing what’s best for our kids by working to ensure MPS’ future improvement and success and to get answers for the parents and families, taxpayers, and the greater Milwaukee community concerned about their local schools,” said Gov. Evers. “At the end of the day, the bottom line for me in this effort has always been about identifying areas the district can improve to make sure our kids are set up for success. This audit is a critical next step for getting MPS back on track and, ultimately, improving outcomes for our kids, so I urge and expect the district to take these recommendations seriously and move forward quickly with implementing this audit’s findings.”
The audit, completed by MGT of America Consulting LLC, found that the district, which is the state’s largest, with more than 66,000 students, must make sweeping, high-level changes to be more transparent with parents and taxpayers.
It gives the district three overarching goals to reach, each with three associated objectives, and another 29 specific recommendations.
At least $3 million of the total $5.5 million Evers committed to the audits last year will go toward helping MPS implement the recommendations.
Evers also announced that he’ll include another $5 million in his 2025-27 executive budget to provide support for audit results, including those in the second one. However, Evers said that this will only be awarded “if the state is satisfied the district has made substantial and sufficient progress implementing the audit results.”
Evers did not indicate when the second audit would be released.
“The motivation for this review is clear: MPS must make systemic changes to ensure that students—particularly the most vulnerable—are at the center of every decision. Ultimately, this work is in service of students, whose future success hinges on a district capable of delivering equitable, high-quality education,” MGT said.
The three goals in the first audit direct MPS to create a coherent central system, foster meaningful communication and collaboration, and operate and fund strategically.
Under the first goal, the audit recommended restructuring the Central Office, investing in the Office of Human Resources and making shifts to the Strategic Plan to focus on “high-impact priorities.”
In the audit, MGT indicated there are “unclear reporting lines and siloed departmental structure” in the Central Office that “significantly hinder the District’s ability to drive student success.” It also notes that there is ambiguity in roles and inconsistencies that makes things “confusing.”
About human resources, the audit found the district has faced leadership challenges and staffing issues.
“Persistent vacancies have impacted continuity of efforts, and there is a cohort of long-tenured veteran staff who are highly resistant to change. Together, this has continued to hinder the Office’s evolution,” the audit said.
Within the second goal, the audit said MPS should improve collaboration between the school board and district leadership, bolster leadership and operations of the marketing and communications department, and enhance data management and utilization.
MGT said the relationship between the board and leadership is “strained” and that it remains a “critical barrier” to success.
“Without access to accurate and timely data tied directly to district goals, the Board often defaults to ad hoc decision-making based on anecdotal evidence rather than actionable insights,” the audit found, adding that decision often stray from district-wide priorities.
MGT called out MPS’ lack of a chief communications officer as exacerbating challenges of losing public trust over “inability to deliver strong academic outcomes for Milwaukee students.” It also found communication efforts to be mostly reactive, with the public mostly seeing narratives as “overly positive or excessively negative.”
Finally, in the third goal, the audit recommended maintaining external accountability structures, investing in technological infrastructure and planning, and redesigning internal procedures.
The audit did acknowledge improvements made to technology, such as Chromebooks for students, but said the district still “lacks a comprehensive technology roadmap for the future.”
In this section, the audit also reiterated a lack of clarity in roles and said this especially affects internal hires.
“Many personnel accepting new positions lack the needed guidance and preparation to adopt newfound responsibilities and job duties,” the audit said, with some staff saying they haven’t had a formal onboarding.
The audit also described the reporting policies in the district as creating a “toxic work culture.”
“The current grievance structure is set up such that if a leader tries to implement a change and a peer disagrees with that change, that peer could retaliate by subjecting the leader to undergo a formal investigation for bullying, fraud, etc., which requires significant time and resources,” the audit elaborates.
MGT said in order for the district to restore trust and stability, these changes will require urgent, intentional action.
State Superintendent Jill Underly said she is hopeful that MPS will take recommendations from the audit, especially under the direction of the new district superintendent selected by the school board earlier this week.
“The success of our children is at the heart of everything we do. The operational audit report released today on Milwaukee Public Schools offers a clear and practical blueprint for getting the district back on course, ensuring it better serves students and families. I am optimistic that under the leadership of Dr. Brenda Cassellius, the district will take the actionable recommendations from this report and turn them into meaningful change,” Underly said in part in a statement.
The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association said it’s imperative that the recommedations be taken seriously.
“Students in Milwaukee Public Schools are shortchanged $140 million every single year, and that is year after year after year,” said MTEA President, Ingrid Walker-Henry. “So, what Governor Evers is pledging is a start, but he doesn’t make up for the funding that students in Milwaukee Public Schools and actually students across the state of Wisconsin have needed.”
MPS released the following statement in response to the audit:
“The independent operational audit of Milwaukee Public Schools validates the progress we are making while also serving as a guide for continued improvements. It highlights the strength of our existing systems and the dedication behind key initiatives, reinforcing the steps we have taken to move our students forward. At the same time, it identifies areas for growth, reaffirming our commitment to continuous improvement.
“While acknowledging the need for focused support, the report makes clear that we have an opportunity to build on this momentum, strengthening our schools and communities while creating a more unified path forward.
“Most importantly, this report represents a true collective effort, one that underscores our commitment to transparency, accountability, and the future of our city. We appreciate the collaboration of all stakeholders involved in this process and remain dedicated to driving meaningful progress on behalf of Milwaukee’s students. We want to move our students and city forward, collectively.”
Read the full audit below:
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