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Milwaukee School District committee approves five administrative policy revisions, clarifies asset tracking and aligns patriotic exercises with state law
Summary
A Milwaukee School District committee approved revisions to five administrative policies, including clarifying fixed-asset tracking to include Chromebooks at a $250 threshold, raising gift limits to $50, and aligning patriotic-exercise language with Wisconsin Statute 118.06. All five motions passed on 3–0 roll calls.
A standing committee of the Milwaukee School District Board of School Directors approved revisions to five administrative policies during a meeting held at the district’s Central Services Building. The changes clarify how the district records fixed assets, raise dollar thresholds for allowable gifts, replace the term "principal" with "school leader or designee" in several policies, and align patriotic-exercise language with state law.
The committee’s action affects Administrative Policies 3.06 (fiscal accounting and reporting), 6.06 (gifts and solicitations), 7.40 (patriotic exercises), 8.40 (student gifts and solicitations) and 9.07 (public solicitations in the schools). Each item was presented by district staff, discussed briefly by board members, and approved on recorded roll-call votes that resulted in three ayes and passage for each item.
The most substantive discussion focused on Administrative Policy 3.06, which governs fixed-asset management. Aitcha Sava, the policy presenter for the Milwaukee School District administration, said the revision clarifies what items must be tracked and establishes a monetary threshold: "anything of $250 or more." Sava listed examples added to the policy text, saying the list now explicitly includes "Chrom[e] devices, flat panels, etcetera." President Herndon raised a terminology concern, noting that the draft used the term "Chrome devices," which she said could be read to mean the operating system rather than devices such as Chromebooks. "I just wanted to point out, I looked it up to be sure I was correct … you probably meant Chromebooks or something like that," Herndon said. Sava replied, "That's what we meant." The committee approved the revisions to 3.06 after those clarifications.
Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan told the committee the administration is already working to improve inventory and intake processes so devices are recorded in the district’s fixed-asset and Destiny systems and to avoid deliveries arriving when school staff cannot check them in. Galvan said new monthly financial reports will be brought to the board’s AFP committee the following week to make revenues and expenditures easier for nonfinancial readers to track.
Other policy changes were brief and procedural. Dana Berlin, interim senior talent management, presented the revision to Administrative Policy 6.06, which raises the flat-dollar gift threshold from $25 to $50 to account for inflation. Matthew Boswell, senior director of the Department of Student Services, presented changes to Administrative Policy 7.40 to align district language with Wisconsin Statute 118.06; the revised text requires that the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem be offered in grades 1–12 each school day and removes a redundant provision that had required the pledge at least once per week in high schools. Revisions to Administrative Policies 8.40 and 9.07 replace the term "principal" with "school leader or their designee," remove outdated ticket-sales language, and clarify that school-based fundraisers may proceed if they follow district procedures.
Each motion passed on roll-call votes with Director Gokul Gandhi, President Herndon, and Chair Zombor voting aye. Director Jackson and Director Garcia were noted as not present. No members of the public registered to speak on any of the items.
Votes at a glance
- Administrative Policy 3.06, fiscal accounting and reporting — Motion to approve revisions (moved by President Herndon). Vote: Gokul Gandhi, aye; President Herndon, aye; Chair Zombor, aye. Outcome: approved (3–0).
- Administrative Policy 6.06, gifts and solicitations — Motion to approve revisions (moved by Director Gokul Gandhi). Vote: Gokul Gandhi, aye; President Herndon, aye; Chair Zombor, aye. Outcome: approved (3–0).
- Administrative Policy 7.40, patriotic exercises — Motion to approve revisions (moved by Director Gokul Gandhi). Vote: Gokul Gandhi, aye; President Herndon, aye; Chair Zombor, aye. Outcome: approved (3–0).
- Administrative Policy 8.40, student gifts and solicitations — Motion to approve revisions (moved by Director Gokul Gandhi). Vote: Gokul Gandhi, aye; President Herndon, aye; Chair Zombor, aye. Outcome: approved (3–0).
- Administrative Policy 9.07, public solicitations in the schools — Motion to approve revisions (moved by President Herndon). Vote: Gokul Gandhi, aye; President Herndon, aye; Chair Zombor, aye. Outcome: approved (3–0).
What the board said and what happens next
Board members and district staff described the package as largely technical and aimed at bringing policy language into alignment with current practice and state law. The district will proceed with updated policy text, implement clarified fixed-asset intake and tracking procedures, and present new monthly financial reports at an upcoming AFP meeting, per interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan.
