10/13/26 Committee on Finance and Operations

The Milwaukee Board of School Directors’ Committee on Finance and Operations met on October 13, 2026. The committee approved the monthly finance matters and the remaining consent agenda items; the recommended administrative appointments, promotions, reassignments, and reclassifications also passed, with two members recused. Administration reported an unaudited Fund 10 deficit of about $12.3 million and said a roughly $5.5 million transfer related to the school nutrition fund contributed to it. An October budget adjustment is planned to account for underbudgeted costs, including nutrition and transportation; the district also cited rising diesel costs. The superintendent described approximately $25 million in staffing and program “stand-ups” intended to support equity across schools. No contract awards, vendor selections, or purchasing approvals were identified.

Discussion also focused on staffing adjustments following the Third Friday enrollment count. Administration reported 47 certified-teacher vacancies, 56 teachers to be reassigned, and about 200 paraprofessional vacancies; it expects certified vacancies to be filled by October 27 and plans to report on staffing at 19 high-need schools. A board member requested a future report on a Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School grant of more than $500,000, including its use for walking school buses and outcomes. The committee also unanimously approved naming the Milwaukee German Immersion School building the Kessler Todd Building. Public commenters raised concerns about classroom disruption and funding and staffing impacts at Milwaukee French Immersion School; no procurement action resulted from those comments.