Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Effective July 1, 2024, this bill dissolves the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and creates in its place four to eight city of Milwaukee public school districts. Each new school district must operate grades kindergarten to 12. Each new school board must consist of seven members elected at large for three-year terms. The initial election of school board members occurs at the 2024 spring election.

The bill creates a Milwaukee Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation Commission consisting of the governor, two members appointed by the governor, the state superintendent of public instruction, the mayor of the city of Milwaukee, and two members appointed by the mayor. No later than October 1, 2022, the commission must determine the number of new school districts and the boundaries of those new school districts and submit to the legislature recommended changes to the statutes necessary to organize and operate the new school districts. The commission must recommend legislation to do all of the following:

1. Transfer school buildings from the city of Milwaukee to one of the new school districts.

2. Address the taxing and borrowing authority of each new school district.

3. Ensure that employees of MPS prior to its dissolution are employed by one of the new school districts after the dissolution of MPS.

4. Provide for the continuation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, under which an eligible pupil who resides in the city of Milwaukee may attend a private school at state expense under certain conditions.

5. Provide for the continuation of any charter school authorized by MPS.

The bill directs the Department of Public Instruction to provide staff support and funding to the commission and to assist each new school district created under the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB963,1 Section 1. Chapter 119 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,2,5 CHAPTER 119 FIRST CLASS CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM SYSTEMS in first class cities other than Milwaukee

SB963,2 Section 2. Subchapter I (title) of chapter 119 [precedes 119.01] of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,2,8 CHAPTER 119

SB963,2,12 SUBCHAPTER I FIRST CLASS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Districts in first class cities other than Milwaukee

SB963,3 Section 3. 119.01 of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,3,2 119.01 Applicability. This chapter subchapter applies only to cities of the 1st class.

SB963,4 Section 4. 119.02 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,3,5 119.02 Definitions. (intro.) In this chapter subchapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

SB963,5 Section 5. 119.02 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,3,9 119.02 (1) “Board" means the board of school directors in charge of the public schools of a city of the 1st class other than those public schools transferred to the opportunity schools and partnership programs under s. 119.33 or subch. II.

SB963,6 Section 6. 119.02 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,3,12 119.02 (2) “City" means a 1st class city of the 1st class other than the city of Milwaukee.

SB963,7 Section 7. 119.04 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,4,2 119.04 (1) Subchapters IV, V, and VII of ch. 115, ch. 121, and ss. 66.0235 (3) (c), 66.0603 (1m) to (3), 115.01 (1) and (2), 115.28, 115.31, 115.33, 115.34, 115.343, 115.345, 115.363, 115.364, 115.365 (3), 115.366, 115.367, 115.38 (2), 115.415, 115.445, 118.001 to 118.04, 118.045, 118.06, 118.07, 118.075, 118.076, 118.10, 118.12, 118.125 to 118.14, 118.145 (4), 118.15, 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, 118.163, 118.164, 118.18, 118.19, 118.196, 118.20, 118.223, 118.225, 118.24 (1), (2) (c) to (f), (6), (8), and (10), 118.245, 118.25, 118.255, 118.258, 118.291, 118.292, 118.293, 118.30 to 118.43, 118.46, 118.50, 118.51, 118.52, 118.53, 118.55, 118.56, 120.12 (2m), (4m), (5), and (15) to (27), 120.125, 120.13 (1), (2) (b) to (g), (3), (14), (17) to (19), (26), (34), (35), (37), (37m), and (38), 120.137, 120.14, 120.20, 120.21 (3), and 120.25 are applicable to a 1st class city school district operating under this subchapter and board but not, unless explicitly provided in this chapter subchapter or in the terms of a contract, to the commissioner or to any school transferred to an opportunity schools and partnership program.

SB963,8 Section 8. 119.04 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB963,4,8 119.04 (2) The board shall exercise the powers, perform the functions, and be entitled to all school aid under sub. (1) insofar as the same are relevant to cities of the 1st class. The board and the schools in cities of the 1st class a school district operating under this subchapter shall be governed in all matters by the general laws of the state, except as altered or modified by express amendments.