Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) has begun planning for the 2026–27 budget, a process that comes amid significant financial challenges for the district with tough decisions ahead. While no proposals or recommendations have been made, district leaders are closely reviewing spending, advocating for increased state funding, and preparing to engage staff, families and the community in the months ahead. Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius shared the following message with colleagues to outline the current budget landscape and the steps ahead, including opportunities for input as this work continues.
“Dear Colleagues,
As we begin building the 2026–27 budget, my pledge is to keep our incredible students and amazing staff at the center. At this early stage, no decisions, proposals, or recommendations have been made. At the same time, it is clear that decisions about next year’s budget will not be easy.
Our MPS community must be our priority. Times are hard right now and I know you all feel it.
Unfortunately, after recently finishing audits of the past three fiscal years, we now know how significant our current financial challenges are. We face economic challenges on multiple fronts, from declining birthrates, underinvestment from the state, to the loss of funds that we had from federal pandemic relief, and inflationary increases for costs like healthcare and utilities. Without voters’ referendum support, the picture would be worse, but it’s still incredibly challenging.
As I shared with the Board this week, we are undertaking a careful review of our spending at Central Services, including reviewing all contracts, but this alone will not be enough to address the gap we face. We may need to look at additional steps to control the budget even within the current year, including a potential freeze on hiring positions with exceptions for classrooms and student-facing positions.
I will continue to fight for more revenue — especially with the news that the state has an even bigger budget surplus than expected — but there is no guarantee we will receive additional resources. I ask for your help in that fight. We need to turn our attention to Madison and demand better for our children and workers who give so much to invest in Wisconsin’s future.
Preparing for next year’s budget will span the next several months. In the coming weeks, we will be inviting you and the community to listening sessions on the budget to share your voice. We also look forward to collaborating with our union partners on identifying savings. I want to hear from you in a way that helps us productively navigate the challenge ahead of us.
I am committed to respecting all of the hard work you do every day, showing up for you and our students every day. If we work together I am certain we can put MPS on a track of long-term stability and success for the young people and families we serve.
