Dozens share their thoughts on MPS’s delay in implementing the SRO program

On October 23, 2024By Yukito

MILWAUKEE — After more than 10 months of failing to comply with Act 12, the Milwaukee Public Schools board held a listening session that lasted nearly two hours.

The law, which took effect at the beginning of 2024, requires the district to employ no less than 25 school support staff.

Many of the people who spoke were opposed to the state’s requirements and called on the district to ignore them.

“As a collective, it would be great to show how students view certain things, what impact it will have on those students, what their opposition is and what general knowledge they have about it,” MPS junior Jackson Thao said.

MPS faced public scrutiny and a lawsuit for failing to implement the program this year. In an email to TMJ4 Tuesday afternoon, a district spokesman repeated what he had previously said.

“MPS is ready to implement the SRO program as soon as officers are available.”

Watch: Dozens share their thoughts on MPS’s delay in implementing the SRO program

Parents and students are expressing frustration with the lack of SRO compliance at MPS

They say they are still negotiating a key aspect of who will pay the officers. The City of Milwaukee insists that MPS pay for the SRO.

MPS parent and teacher Ingrid Walker-Henry argues that implementing the SRO program and having MPS pay for it would further worsen the district’s financial situation.

“Instead, we get a law that tells us we have to police our black and brown children in our schools, which infuriates me,” Walker-Henry said.

Retired police officer and parent Malcolm Hunt supports having officers in school buildings to respond if needed.

MPD records show that in the fall of 2022, MPS called MPD more than 700 times.

“Like I said, it’s not going to end if you don’t put them in school,” Hunt said. “They will be calling for officers to come to the school.”

The district still has not provided an answer on the start date of the SRO program, only stating that it is awaiting new guidance from the city attorney’s office before moving forward.

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