MPS struggled to sway voters with kids to support referendum. They want change. | Opinion

As polls closed and results started pouring in on April 2, it became clear, a decision by the electorate on the $252 million Milwaukee Public Schools’ referendum, would be tighter than many anticipated.

When the smoke cleared, a mere 2% margin, just 750 votes, separated the yes and no votes. Despite the outcome (MMAC did not support passage of the referendum), we see silver linings and real reasons for hope.

Just four years ago, MPS passed an $87 million measure with nearly 80 percent of the vote. That measure saw little to no formal opposition. This year’s election night sentiment tells us that voters are looking for change. Long overdue conversations took place and important questions were posed during this referendum campaign. The numbers bear it out.

Majority of voters in Black, Latino wards didn't support referendum

Seventy-eight percent of MPS students are Black or Latino. In wards where both of those demographics make up the majority, the referendum failed – receiving only 48.4 percent approval in majority-Black wards and 49.4 percent in majority-Latino wards, according to analysis released by Marquette University in the days following the election.

That same analysis showed that votes against the referendum were even more prevalent in areas of the city with children. In wards where 20 to 40 percent of households have children, the referendum only received 45.9 percent approval. In wards where 40 to 60 percent of households have children, it only did slightly better, with 46.9 percent approval.

Are MPS leaders listening? Voters sent message with narrow referendum victory.

You can only draw one conclusion while looking at these sets of data: The more touchpoints you have with Milwaukee Public Schools, the more likely you were to vote against the measure. We see that as a sign that families are looking for transformational change in their public schools.

It’s no secret. We face an educational crisis in Milwaukee, one that will only get worse without change. Our city’s school children are failing. Less than one in five students are achieving at grade level in reading and math regardless of the school they attend. These numbers pace well behind the success rate of children throughout the state. If we want to compete as a region, we need to turn the tide.

Critical issues outside of schools must urgently be addressed

There are factors outside of the classroom that exacerbate the challenges we see in our schools. There are large pockets within the community where poverty is the rule. Eighty-one percent of our city’s students are classified as economically disadvantaged. Many students come to school hungry. Absenteeism is a huge issue. Our children are far too familiar with violence and crime in our neighborhoods. These environmental issues also need to be addressed.

At the same time, we need to work toward a viable cost of living for all.  Housing expenses will be rising with the distribution of tax bills at the end of this year. Those costs also contribute to the issues revolving around the pervasive poverty we see.

The time to step up and do something about it is now. Stakeholders from throughout the community – including MPS leadership, teachers, elected officials, employers, parents and others – need to think out of the box and come up with big, bold plans.  The business community supports Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s big, hairy, audacious goal of growing Milwaukee from a 600,000-resident city to one with over 1 million, but this is unattainable with failing schools and high housing costs.

Will these conversations be uncomfortable? Probably. Will there be a need for compromise? Yes. Will many of us need to look inward? Absolutely. Do they need to happen? Most certainly and as soon as possible.

MPS students, which make up half of the all students in the city, are vital in the region’s talent pipeline. Our employers will rely on that talent to fill the jobs of the future. Our community, its families and, most importantly, our children deserve public schools that set students up to succeed. It’s our view that every child, no matter where they attend, is entitled to quality education.

There are changes MMAC can affect in the short term. There is a real need to increase the state’s reimbursement rate for special education students. We will urge state lawmakers to dedicate more funds to this effort in their next state budget.

Milwaukee has a lot going for it. When we come up with and implement solutions to the issues facing our schools, I’m convinced there won’t be a more attractive city in the country to live, work, play and learn.

Dale Kooyenga is president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Reading and math achievement in Milwaukee schools lags behind state