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Meeting Date:
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8/27/2020 - 6:30 PM
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Category:
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Reports and Communications from the Board Clerk/Chief Officer, Office of Board Governance
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Type:
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Info
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Subject:
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1. Update on Legislative Matters or Related Issues Concerning Milwaukee Public Schools.
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Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
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Goal 1 Academic Achievement Goal 2 Student, Family and Community Engagement Goal 3 Effective and Efficient Operations
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Attachments
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File Attachment:
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Background:
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Where in July, this report included details of increasing legislative activity around essential federal level support to assist citizens, states and schools, as of August 18, 2020, negotiations in Washington D.C. have ground to a halt.
With 5.4 million confirmed Covid 19 cases in the United States, and over 170,000 confirmed Covid 19 related deaths, the country continues to see significant shortages of testing and contact tracing capacity. Federal and state level leadership concerning the pandemic remains disjointed. The unemployment rate remains over 10% and state budget figures have yet to be updated. The common assumption continues to be that, if needed, a state budget repair bill will not be taken up by the legislature until after the November elections, which is also the time period after school districts are required to submit their final adopted budgets.
Current estimates continue to project that, nationally, K-12 public schools will need over $200 billion of federal assistance in order to support and educate students through the pandemic. On May 8, 2020, 43 members of the Wisconsin legislature submitted a letter to Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation, asking them to “reject the multi-trillion dollar bailouts being considered by Congress.” At the federal level, Senator Johnson stated this month that he does not support any additional funding that would add to the federal debt. Referring to negotiations in Washington D.C., he stated, “From my standpoint, the breakdown in the talks is very good news. It's very good news for future generations. I hope the talks remain broken down."
At the state level, school leaders have requested a number of needed flexibility measures from the state in order to help to ensure the stability of the state’s educational system and the smooth operation of schools during the pandemic. MPS, along with our counterparts, is directly involved in moving those policy needs forward.
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Fiscal Impact Statement:
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This item does not authorize expenditures.
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Implementation and Assessment Plan
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The district will continue to pursue appropriate support for students as part of the MPS Legislative Agenda.
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Recommendation:
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Chris Thiel - Legislative Policy Specialist
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Signed By:
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Jacqueline M. Mann, Ph.D. - Board Clerk/Chief Officer
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