GOP state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, is working on legislation that would make it easier for charter schools to buy or lease vacant buildings from Milwaukee Public Schools.
The Milwaukee Common Council voted 15-0 last fall to lobby the state to change the law that allows MPS to prevent the sale of any facility to an “educational competitor.” Darling is proposing taking from the school board the authority over selling the buildings and giving that power to the Milwaukee Common Council.
Willie Hines, the council president, joined Darling this week in backing the change, and Mayor Tom Barrett today reiterated his support. He said he met with Gov. Scott Walker on empty MPS buildings and charter schools in mid-December, and the two agreed they can work on together on the issue. He also said he “laid the groundwork” with legislative leaders the same day.
“We must focus on educating children and not on whose name is on the front of the building,” Darling said. “All of us owe it to the taxpayers to ensure that these schools are used to provide quality education for children.”
MPS countered it continues to oppose the suggestion that its buildings should be provided free to other educational institutions, particularly those operated through the school choice program. The district said its policy has been to avoid sales or leases of building to competing schools because they enroll students who are not counted for state aid going to MPS, increasing the burden on taxpayers.
MPS prefers to repopulate the empty schools with students that count toward district aid when possible or pursue private development, pointing to the planned development of Robinson Middle School into senior and residential housing.
“To those who say the district should work with the City of Milwaukee in the disposition of its surplus property, we say that we have been working with the city, and happily so,” said MPS Superintendent Greg Thornton.
– WisPolitics.com
