Milwaukee Public Schools
Encyclopedia
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is the largest school district
in Wisconsin
. As of 2007, it had an enrollment of 87,360 students, and as of 2006 employed 6,100 full-time and substitute teachers in 223 schools. The Milwaukee Public Schools system is the 33rd largest in the United States
by enrollment. A publicly elected school board, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, provides direction and oversight, with a superintendent heading the organization's administration. The district owns WYMS-FM (88.9), which airs an eclectic selection of music and is programmed by a local non-profit group via an LMA
.
Milwaukee Public Schools previously operated as magnet school
s, with individualized specialty areas for interests in academics, or the arts. Rufus King High School
, Golda Meir School
, Riverside University High School
, Milwaukee School of Languages, Milwaukee High School of the Arts
, Samuel Morse Middle School for the Gifted and Talented
and Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School
are some of the magnet schools in Milwaukee. The district has a budget of $1 billion, a drop out-rate in the top five of America, and some of the worst reading comprehension scores in the nation.
School District officials note declining funding as a catalyst to problems in the district. However, local journalists have cited school officials as lacking in motivation to improve the system.
In 1990, Milwaukee became the first community in the United States to adopt a school voucher program. The program enables students to receive public funding to study at parochial and other private schools free of cost. The 2006-2007 school year will mark the first time that more than $100 million will be paid in vouchers, as 26% of Milwaukee students will receive public funding to attend schools outside the MPS system. If the voucher program alone were considered a school district, it would mark the sixth-largest district in Wisconsin.
Under Wisconsin state law, the Milwaukee school board is one of several entities that can authorize charter school
s in the city. Other authorities that can authorize charter schools are the Milwaukee City Council
, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Area Technical College
Board. The first charter school in Milwaukee was the Highland Community School, a Montessori elementary school
authorized by Milwaukee Public Schools in 1996.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. As of 2007, it had an enrollment of 87,360 students, and as of 2006 employed 6,100 full-time and substitute teachers in 223 schools. The Milwaukee Public Schools system is the 33rd largest in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by enrollment. A publicly elected school board, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors, provides direction and oversight, with a superintendent heading the organization's administration. The district owns WYMS-FM (88.9), which airs an eclectic selection of music and is programmed by a local non-profit group via an LMA
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
.
Milwaukee Public Schools previously operated as magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
s, with individualized specialty areas for interests in academics, or the arts. Rufus King High School
Rufus King High School
Rufus King International School--High School Campus, or Rufus King, is a public magnet high school located on the north side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of the Milwaukee Public Schools district. The school has been consecutively ranked the top public high school in the state of Wisconsin by...
, Golda Meir School
Golda Meir School
The Golda Meir School for gifted and talented students is a Milwaukee Public Schools district elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was renamed in honor of Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, who attended the institution from 1906 to 1912...
, Riverside University High School
Riverside University High School
Riverside University High School is a public high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a college preparatory curriculum. It is a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system.- Pre-1912 :...
, Milwaukee School of Languages, Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Established in 1984, Milwaukee High School of the Arts , formerly West Division Sr. High School, is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system. It specializes in preparation for a profession in the arts.Students receive a minimum of two hours in...
, Samuel Morse Middle School for the Gifted and Talented
Samuel Morse Middle School for the Gifted and Talented
Samuel Morse John Marshall School is a public school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and named after Samuel F.B. Morse. Presently, Morse is made up of grades 6–11, but there are plans to expand the school to accommodate High School students in grade 12....
and Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School
Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1906 as Boys Trade and Technical High School, its name was changed to Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School beginning with the 1975 graduating class, the first to include young women...
are some of the magnet schools in Milwaukee. The district has a budget of $1 billion, a drop out-rate in the top five of America, and some of the worst reading comprehension scores in the nation.
School District officials note declining funding as a catalyst to problems in the district. However, local journalists have cited school officials as lacking in motivation to improve the system.
In 1990, Milwaukee became the first community in the United States to adopt a school voucher program. The program enables students to receive public funding to study at parochial and other private schools free of cost. The 2006-2007 school year will mark the first time that more than $100 million will be paid in vouchers, as 26% of Milwaukee students will receive public funding to attend schools outside the MPS system. If the voucher program alone were considered a school district, it would mark the sixth-largest district in Wisconsin.
Under Wisconsin state law, the Milwaukee school board is one of several entities that can authorize charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
s in the city. Other authorities that can authorize charter schools are the Milwaukee City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College is a two-year vocational-technical college based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MATC offers day, evening, and weekend classes at campuses in downtown Milwaukee, Oak Creek, West Allis, and Mequon. Enrollment is about 60,000...
Board. The first charter school in Milwaukee was the Highland Community School, a Montessori elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
authorized by Milwaukee Public Schools in 1996.
K-8 schools
- Auer Avenue Elementary School
- A.E. Burdick School
- Dr. Benjamin Carson Academy of Science
- George Washington Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science
- Cass Street School
- Luther Burbank Elementary School
- James Fenimore Cooper Elementary School
- Eighty-First Street Elementary School
- Fernwood Montessori School
- Frederick J. Gaenslen School
- U.S. Grant Elementary School
- Grantosa Drive Elementary School
- Greenfield Elementary School
- Hartford Avenue University School for Urban Explorations
- Hmong American Peace AcademyHmong American Peace AcademyThe Hmong American Peace Academy is an elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operated as a charter school under the authority of Milwaukee Public Schools....
- Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School
- Hopkins Street Elementary School
- Humboldt Park School
- Keefe Avenue Elementary School
- Martin Luther King Jr. School
- Robert M. LaFollette Elementary School
- Lee Elementary School
- Milwaukee Sign Language
- Edward A. MacDowell Montessori Elementary School
- Manitoba Elementary School
- Maryland Avenue Montessori School
- McNair Academy Elementary School
- Ralph H. Metcalfe School
- Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts Elementary School
- Craig Montessori Elementary School
- Sherman Multicultural Arts Elementary School
- Sixty-Fifth Street Elementary School
- Albert Story School
- Thurston Woods Campus Elementary School
- Tippecanoe Elementary School for the Humanities
- Townsend Street Continuous Progress Elementary School
- Trowbridge Street Elementary School
- Urban Waldorf Elementary School
- Victory School
- Vieau School
- Westside Academy I & II
Elementary schools
- Academy of Accelerated Learning
- Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes
- Alcott School
- Allen-Field School
- Barton School
- Mary McLeod Bethune Academy
- Brown Street Academy
- Browning School
- Bruce School
- Bryant School
- Carleton School
- Clarke Street Elementary School
- Clemens School
- Clement Ave. School
- Congress School
- Curtin School
- Doerfler School
- Frederick Douglass Elementary School
- Dover St. School
- Elm Creative Arts School
- Emerson School
- Engleburg School
- Fifty-third St. School
- Arthur A. Fletcher
- Forest Home Ave. School
- Franklin School
- La Escuela Fratney
- Garden Homes School
- Garland School
- German Immersion School
- Golda Meir SchoolGolda Meir SchoolThe Golda Meir School for gifted and talented students is a Milwaukee Public Schools district elementary school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was renamed in honor of Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, who attended the institution from 1906 to 1912...
(originally Fourth Street School) - Goodrich School
- Green Bay Ave. School
- Hampton School
- Hawley Road School
- Hawthorne School
- Hayes School
- Young Leaders Academy College Prep School
- Hi-Mount Blvd. School
- Honey Creek School
- Kagel School
- Kilbourn School
- Kluge School
- Lincoln Ave. School
- Lloyd St. School
- Lancaster elementary school
- Longfellow School
- Lowell School
- Maple Tree School
- Milwaukee French Immersion School
- Milwaukee Sign Language
- Morgandale School
- Neeskara School
- Ninety-Fifth St. School
- Parkview Elementary School
- Philipp School
- Pierce Elementary School
- James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School
- River Trail Elementary School
- Siefert Elementary School
- Silver Spring Elementary School
- Sixty-Eighth Street Early Childhood Center
- Frances Starms Discovery Learning Center
- Starms Early Childhood Center
- Stormonth Elementary School
- Gilbert Stuart Elementary School
- Thirty-Eighth Street Open Education Elementary School
- Thirty-Fifth Street Elementary School
- Henry David Thoreau Elementary School
- Twenty-First Street Elementary School
- Phillis Wheatley Elementary School
- Walt Whitman Elementary School
- Wisconsin Avenue Elementary School
- Clement J. Zablocki Elementary School
Middle schools
- Audubon Technology & Communication Center
- Fritsche Middle School
- John Burroughs Middle School
- John Muir Middle School
- Kosciuszko Middle School
- Lincoln Center of the Arts
- Milwaukee Education Center
- Milwaukee School of LanguagesMilwaukee School of LanguagesMilwaukee School of Languages is a 6-12 grade Public school in the Milwaukee Public Schools district of Wisconsin, United States. It was formerly named the Wilbur Wright Multi-Language Middle School....
- Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts
- Rufus King International School - Middle Years Program
- Samuel Morse Middle School for the Gifted and TalentedSamuel Morse Middle School for the Gifted and TalentedSamuel Morse John Marshall School is a public school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and named after Samuel F.B. Morse. Presently, Morse is made up of grades 6–11, but there are plans to expand the school to accommodate High School students in grade 12....
- Thomas A. Edison Middle School
- Wedgewood Park International School
High schools
- Advanced Language & Academic High School
- Alexander Hamilton High School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)Alexander Hamilton High School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)Alexander Hamilton High School is a public high school located at 6215 West Warnimont Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Milwaukee's far southwest side. During the 2010-2011 school year enrollment was about 2,000 students. Hamilton is the largest school in the Milwaukee Public Schools system...
- Bay View High SchoolBay View High SchoolBay View High School is a high school located in Bay View, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is part of the Milwaukee Public Schools. Academic specialties include law, mathematics/science, and construction.Address: 2751 South Lenox St...
- Casimir Pulaski High SchoolCasimir Pulaski High SchoolCasimir Pulaski High School is a public high school located on 2500 W Oklahoma Ave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Casimir Pulaski is part of the Milwaukee Public School system. It is named after Casimir Pulaski, a Polish soldier of the American Revolutionary War. The school had 1600 students during the...
- CITIES Project High School
- Custer High SchoolCuster High SchoolCuster High School is a public high school located on 5075 North Sherman Boulevard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school had 450 students during the 2010-2011 school year. Custer is located on Milwaukee's far north side. Dennis Leonard is the Principal....
- Edison Career Academy
- Foster and Williams Visual Communications Campus
- Genesis High School
- Harold S. Vincent High SchoolHarold S. Vincent High SchoolHarold S. Vincent High School is a public high school located on 7501 north Granville Road in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school is part of the Milwaukee Public School system. The school had 1630 students during the 2004-2005 school year....
- Humanities High School
- International Peace AcademyInternational Peace Academy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)The International Peace Academy is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operating as a charter school, primarily for Hmong American students. It was started in 2008 when the ninth grade was established, and it added an additional grade each year, with twelfth grade scheduled to be added in the...
- John Marshall High School (Wisconsin)John Marshall High School (Wisconsin)John Marshall High School is a public high school located on 4141 North 64th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John Marshall is part of the Milwaukee Public School system. The school had 1097 students during the 2004-2005 school year....
- Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade SchoolLynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade SchoolThe Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1906 as Boys Trade and Technical High School, its name was changed to Milwaukee Trade and Technical High School beginning with the 1975 graduating class, the first to include young women...
- Madison University High SchoolMadison University High SchoolMadison University High School is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system. It changed its name in 1996 to reflect a higher emphasis on meeting academic standards....
- Metropolitan High School
- Milwaukee Academy of Aviation, Science, & Technology
- Milwaukee Community High School
- Milwaukee High School of the ArtsMilwaukee High School of the ArtsEstablished in 1984, Milwaukee High School of the Arts , formerly West Division Sr. High School, is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system. It specializes in preparation for a profession in the arts.Students receive a minimum of two hours in...
- Milwaukee Learning Laboratory & Institute
- Milwaukee School of Entrepreneurship
- Milwaukee School of LanguagesMilwaukee School of LanguagesMilwaukee School of Languages is a 6-12 grade Public school in the Milwaukee Public Schools district of Wisconsin, United States. It was formerly named the Wilbur Wright Multi-Language Middle School....
- New School for Community Service
- North Division Virtual University High School
- Northwest Secondary School
- Professional Learning Institute
- Riverside University High SchoolRiverside University High SchoolRiverside University High School is a public high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a college preparatory curriculum. It is a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system.- Pre-1912 :...
- Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School
- Rufus King International School - High School Campus
- Solomon Juneau Business High SchoolSolomon Juneau Business High SchoolSolomon Juneau Business High School is located at 6415 W. Mount Vernon Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Built in 1932, the school was part of the Milwaukee Public School District. It closed its doors in 2006 after 74 years in operation. The school closure was brought about by decreasing population...
- South Division High School
- Truth Institute for Leadership and Service
- Washington High School
- W.E.B. Du Bois High School
- Wisconsin Conservatory for Lifelong Learning
Milwaukee Board of School Directors
- Tim Petersons, District 1
- Jeff Spence, District 2,
- Michael Bonds, District 3 PresidentPresidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
- Annie Woodward, District 4
- Larry Miller, District 5
- Peter Blewett, District 6, Vice PresidentVice presidentA vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
- David Voeltner, District 7
- Terrence Falk, District 8
- Bruce Thompson, At-LargeAt-LargeAt-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...