State proposal will dictate how MPS handles vacant buildings

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A state proposal will dictate how Milwaukee Public Schools handles vacant and underused buildings -- and it's not sitting well with MPS officials. However, proponents of charter and voucher schools are pretty happy about it.

In a time voucher and charter schools like St. Marcus Lutheran are vying for or eyeing empty Milwaukee Public Schools buildings like the former Malcolm X to purchase as their own, a state proposal may help their cause.

The bill would require the city to "offer a school building deemed surplus, underutilized or vacant to only education operators initially, who submit a letter of interest to the Milwaukee Common Council to purchase the building."

That means possibly selling to education operators who compete with MPS for the same students, and state money follows the student.

After a building has been identified as underutilized for 12 months, it goes up for sale.

The bill gives detailed definitions of an underutilized school building -- including one where less than 40% of the square footage of the school is used for the instruction of pupils.

"It's unfair to give charter and voucher schools the opportunity to use buildings to allow them to grow, but it doesn't provide us with that same opportunity," MPS Spokeswoman Denise Callaway said.

Callaway says Golda Meir is one of MPS' high-performing schools, with plans to expand to the high school level one grade at a time. But right now, the building is les than 40% utilized.

Callaway says the legislation targets Golda Meir and others like it.

"Our concern is what it would do is it would evict more than 3,500 of our students who are currently enrolled in those schools," Callaway said.

State Sen. Alberta Darling (R - River Hills) has issued a statement saying: "This is the first time they have expressed any concerns regarding displacing children from their schools."

"This legislation was on a very, very fast track. We did not have an advanced copy of the bill. We did not know that this bill was coming forward," Callaway said.

Sen. Darling left the door open somewhat, saying: "I look forward to hearing from them soon. I am more than willing to sit down with them and work on a solution which will keep kids in their schools, protect taxpayers from unnecessary expenses, and improve educational opportunities where they are needed the most."