Milwaukee Public
ARRA, the new stimulus bill, has $88 million dollars for new schools in Milwaukee-but…?
…does Milwaukee need the money?
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus bill presently before the Senate, has $88.6 million dollars for a school system with a substantial decline in the number of students, and what appears to be a number of closed/closing schools.
See this link for information about the declining enrollment in Milwaukee Public Schools. http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/34184444.html
Granted, even if the city doesn’t need to build additional schools, that’s a better use than neon in Las Vegas or a frisbee park in Florida. But that’s money we will all pay back……..and our children/grandchildren and great-grandchildren will pay back. Come on, Milwaukee residents: what’s the $88 million for?
Overall, the 400-plus school districts across the state would get $729.6 million for those uses, including $317.2 million for construction.
In other words, 28% of the total number would come to Milwaukee.
The U.S. Senate is almost certain to change the numbers when it takes up the economic package this week. Then Senate and House negotiators would need to meet to come up with a compromise bill.
But if the amounts come through even close to where they are now projected, they will provide substantial infusions of money to school districts that are, like so many enterprises, under sharp budget pressure.
Spokeswoman Roseann St. Aubin said Friday, “We’re following it, of course, but we really don’t know what’s going to result in the end. If there were some additional funds that would come toward MPS, certainly they would be spent in consideration of what has been laid out in the (district’s) strategic plan. Beyond that, we’re not able to say anything further. . . . It’s just far too early to be committed to anything.”
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/38762217.html
“That $142 billion is little more than a huge stimulus to the teachers unions and lousy school districts to keep doing exactly what they’ve been doing.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123396676711659061.html
Flash Opera: Milwaukee Public Market: 10-30-2010