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MPS superintendent reports mixed test results, progress on lead stabilization and enrollment short of budgeted goal
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius told the Milwaukee Board of School Directors that lead remediation has cleared 50 schools so far, state test results released that day showed mixed results, and preliminary enrollment stands at about 63,951 students against a 66,000 goal.
Dr. Brenda Cassellius, superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools, reported to the Milwaukee Board of School Directors on district operations, saying the district has made progress on lead stabilization, saw mixed results on state tests released that day, and counted roughly 63,951 students in the third‑Friday headcount.
Cassellius said the district has officially cleared lead risks at 50 schools built before 1950, and that work had begun on a second group of nearly 50 schools built between 1950 and 1978. “We officially cleared our first 50 schools of lead risks earlier this month,” she said, and staff are working through the next groups in stages during the fall and into December.
The superintendent framed statewide test results as mixed: math scores rose slightly while English, science and social studies showed no significant change. “These results … reinforce the need that we have so much more yet to do and that our new literacy plan is more important than ever,” she said, adding that district leaders expect it will take “somewhere around two to three years to see real change that is significant.”
Cassellius said the district released its annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) for FY 2024 and continues to work with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and external auditors to align district financial reporting with state systems. She emphasized the district views prior delays as reporting and systems issues rather than an imbalance in district finances.
On enrollment, Cassellius provided the district’s unofficial third‑Friday count: about 63,951 students, roughly 97% of the district’s budgeted goal of 66,000. She cautioned the number is unofficial and that final counts may change as state rules on which students can be officially counted are applied.
Cassellius also gave an overview of food services and nutrition: MPS participates in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program with more than 60 schools participating and said the district was awarded $1,400,000 in grant funds to support it. She said lunch reimbursements are “just under $5” and breakfast reimbursements are “just under $3,” and that the district is expanding production kitchens to reduce reliance on prepackaged meals.
Board members asked follow‑up questions about timing of further lead updates and details of the nutrition and enrollment figures. The superintendent said she will provide a quarterly report next month with fuller data on test scores and enrollment.
The board did not take formal action on the superintendent’s report; the item was presented as informational.
