MPS financial reports: Friday deadline, state funding at risk

MPS faces Friday deadline, state funds at risk

Milwaukee Public Schools has one more day to get financial reports to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction or risk losing money.

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Public Schools has one more day to get financial reports to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction or risk losing money.

'Cautiously optimistic'

What they're saying:

Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said the school district has been working to try to meet the deadline of Friday, May 30. FOX6 News asked several times on Thursday night if that would happen.

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"We’re still cautiously optimistic, but we’ll have more for you tomorrow," said Cassellius. 

MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius

There are no clear answers about the latest critical deadline. 

"We’re still working toward the deadline and working with the state. We meet with them regularly throughout the day to get them what they need to be able to run their calculations.

Missed deadlines

The backstory:

Last June, the Department of Public Instruction did not send MPS $16.6 million meant for special education. The state held it back due to missed deadlines on 2023 financial reports.

Those reports are in, but 2024 reports are now late. The original deadline was last September. MPS missed that deadline and then missed the May 16 deadline for an extension.

Dig deeper:

Cassellius said the biggest hurdle for the state's largest school district had been using an accounting system that didn't align with the state's. 

"It’s the correction of the errors for the two systems talking to one another. And just the manual power to get that done," she said.

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At a meeting on Thursday, the superintendent told the school board she had moved the district's finance office into her suite.

"We are working constantly with collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction really to overcome challenges as they're identified," said Matt Chason with the MPS Office of Accountability and Efficiency.