Milwaukee school board reelects Missy Zombor as president
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Board of School Directors unanimously reelected Missy Zombor to a second term as president, continuing a role she has held through a challenging period for Wisconsin's largest school district.
School directors also elected James Ferguson as the board's vice president. The current vice president, Marva Herndon, will remain on the school board.
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Challenging times
Dig deeper:
Zombor was first elected to the school board in April 2023, and her new term continues through April 2026.
Milwaukee Public Schools navigated the resignation of one superintendent amid a multimillion-dollar financial reporting debacle, and the search for and hiring of a new one, during her time on the school board.
Missy Zombor, MPS School Board President
In her first term as board president, the district dealt with the discovery of widespread lead issues in school buildings, the return of state-mandated school resource officers and the sorting-out of the district's financial reporting issues.
"The role of a board member continues to grow more challenging every year, and in a district as large and complex as Milwaukee Public Schools, that responsibility is even greater," Zombor said in a statement. "I am honored that my board colleagues have trusted me with this leadership through this critical time. The next year will not be easy, but MPS students are counting on us to make decisions that ensure they have the opportunities they deserve."
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Ferguson won a school board special election in November 2024 and was later elected to a four-year term in April 2025.
The special election was called to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Aisha Carr, who stepped down amid a district attorney's office investigation. She was later sentenced to probation for filling out a defective campaign finance report.
Wage increase, budget issues
Big picture view:
The school board voted to reelect Zombor and elect Ferguson at its annual meeting on Tuesday, and during that same meeting, approved a 2.63% base wage increase for certain MPS employees.
MPS workers who are part of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association will receive the wage increase in two phases: 1.5% in July 2026 and 1.13% in January 2027. Increases for non-MTEA workers could still come, and negotiations with the Psychologists Association of the Milwaukee Public Schools are expected to continue.
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MPS and the teachers' union had been deadlocked as recently as last week over the timing of a wage increase, the two sides millions of dollars apart, as the district deals with a $46 million budget hole.
The school board has already approved plans to cut roughly 200 positions, impacting central office staff and assistant principals but not classroom teachers. At the same time, MPS advertised adding 89 licensed teacher jobs and 63 paraprofessional positions.
What's next:
The MPS administration plans to present its full 2026-27 budget proposal in early May.
The Source: Information in this story is from Milwaukee Public Schools and prior coverage.