MILWAUKEE — The superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools resigned Tuesday, leaving Wisconsin’s largest school district at risk of losing millions of dollars in state funding for failing to submit required financial reports to the state.
Keith Posley, a former teacher who has served as superintendent since 2018, resigned hours after a public hearing in which more than 100 parents, school district staff and community members called for his ouster. Wisconsin Public Radio reports.
In addition to the potential loss of millions to the state due to missing reporting deadlines, millions of dollars in federal funding are also being withheld from the county’s Head Start program after officials discovered abuse and lack of oversight in Milwaukee’s programs Public Schools.
Federal officials cited “shortcomings” such as the inability to supervise students in the early childhood education and nutrition program for low-income children.
The district received $14 million from the federal Head Start program last school year, according to district budget materials.
Milwaukee is the state’s largest school district with approximately 68,000 students.
‘We want you gone. No more playing games,” resident Elizabeth Brown said at Monday’s meeting calling for Posley’s removal.
The complaints went beyond the current crisis and questioned the board and administration’s decisions on spending and staffing, on communications with families, and on students’ poor academic performance.
The school board accepted Posley’s resignation around 2 a.m. Tuesday after a closed session that began Monday around 8 p.m.
The concerns came to light after the Department of Public Instruction released a letter on May 24 showing the district had not provided “key financial data” despite numerous meetings with the state.
The delay in sending the documents makes it impossible for state education officials to calculate aid estimates for other public school districts for the coming academic year.
Gov. Tony Evers, a former state superintendent of education, was asked last week about the district’s problems.
“Am I worried? Yes,’ Evers said. “Honestly, it doesn’t look good.”