Latest news with #DavidBorowski
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Milwaukee school resource officers; emails shine new light on effort
The Brief A FOX6 News open records request is shining new light on the effort to get school resource officers back in Milwaukee Public Schools. Those emails share information about the debate happening between the city and school district. MILWAUKEE - FOX6 News has a new look at the behind-the-scenes scramble to get police officers back in Milwaukee Public Schools. It is what was uncovered in hundreds of emails. What we know Back in January, a fed-up Milwaukee County judge ordered school resource officers (SROs) to return to Milwaukee Public Schools by Feb. 17. They were not back in buildings until March 17. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What happened in between those two dates? We now have a better answer. Timeline Judge David Borowski issued an order on Feb. 17 that Milwaukee Public Schools and the City of Milwaukee would split the cost of SROs to get them back in schools. After that court appearance, we now have the detailed notes shared internally. That same day, a redacted email shows police were still working on the memorandum of understanding agreement. On Feb. 19, the city attorney was editing and adding comments as the judge's deadline approached. FOX6 News obtained emails through an open records question, filed during the height of the MPD and MPS SRO drama. Police were supposed to be back in schools in January 2024, because of state law. But Feb. 28, 2025, Milwaukee police landed on the organization NASRO to train officers. Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic wanted to know the training plan, where the officers would be pulled from to be at schools, and which schools they would patrol. Milwaukee police did not have all those answers. On March 4, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman received an email from the executive director of the Fire and Police Commission. "Just a heads up, Commissioner Burgos said that he would like you to address the SRO situation during your performance review. He expressed some frustration with the pace at which the situation was addressed in his email to me." The chief responded, "Understood." Norman's review happened March 6. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News By March 10, Milwaukee police officers began training inside the police academy. After a crush of requests, police refused to let media inside the building to see training. At this time, sergeants were putting together a schedule and figuring out where the officers would be placed. They worked down to the wire. Officers returned to MPS buildings on March 17. The FOX6 News records request ends on April 7. Dig deeper During a week 2 SRO report, officers had already deal with vandalism and a battery at a school. In mid-April, Rufus King student athletes approached a school resource officer about a teacher inappropriately contacting them throughout the school year. She was charged with sexual misconduct. The Source The information in this post was produced from emails and other materials recovered after a FOX6 News records request.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With police in MPS schools, judge rescinds contempt order against city of Milwaukee
It's official: As of Monday, Milwaukee Public Schools again has a school resource officer program. Milwaukee Police Department officers have been assigned in pairs to police 11 schools across the city, according to court filings. "Candidly, this only happened because of the, frankly, immense pressure that I put on the city," said Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge David Borowski during a hearing Monday. MPS has been required to have a school resource officer program since Jan. 1, 2024, when the state law known as Act 12 went into effect. A lack of compliance with that law instigated a lawsuit by a district parent and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. 'The message from today is simple: frustrated parents, like Charlene (Abughrin), are fighting back and standing up for what's right," said a statement from WILL associate counsel Lauren Greuel after the Monday hearing. "SROs will provide much-needed safety resources to schools and ensure MPS moves closer to a safer, more productive learning environment.' Also Monday, Borowski purged his prior finding of contempt and the $1,000 in daily fines it carried against the city of Milwaukee. That's because the city met certain conditions to implement the SRO program, including passing a memorandum of understanding in the Common Council, training officers, selecting them and which schools they will work at. Clint Muche, assistant city attorney, told the judge at the hearing that the city had not intentionally disobeyed court orders to implement a school resource officer program. "It was not necessarily as easy as one might imagine," Muche said. The officers assigned to MPS schools completed the required training through the National Association of School Resource Officers on March 14, according to court filings. A total of 38 MPD staff attended that training, including 31 police officers and seven supervising officers. During the Monday hearing, Borowski said he was concerned MPS would place the officers, then "when I'm not looking, or when the case is closed, yank them back out." He agreed to dismiss the case — but only under the condition that if the SRO program were eliminated, the court case would reopen under his watch. "I would trust both lawyers to tell their clients, 'Don't you dare go back on this; don't violate the judge's order or the state law.' But I'm not sure I'm 100% confident in others," he said. As in prior hearings, Borowski showed his support for implementing the SRO program, an issue that is contested in the city. "There is still a narrative out there from some people that putting police in schools is this big, horrible, awful thing," Borowski said. "Well, as others have pointed out recently, the police are in the schools every single day." Across the past 11 school years, Milwaukee police received an average of 3,700 MPS-related calls between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., according to an analysis by the Journal Sentinel. The reasons for those calls are vast, with the most common reason being a vague "trouble" category. Activists against SROs have said they are concerned the call volume is being driven by an understaffed, under-resourced district that is overly reliant on police to manage student behavior. In the past, MPS stopped stationing police in specific schools — and began using "mobile" officer units — in response to concerns that police were becoming too involved in school discipline, and driving up the number of arrests. The newly approved memorandum of understanding for the SRO program attempts to clarify that issue, saying officers will only be involved in law enforcement and will leave school discipline to staff. On Monday afternoon, students poured out of Rufus King High School to hop on buses or get into their families' cars to head home for the night. Students and parents the Journal Sentinel spoke with said they were pleased with police officers being added to the school. Tavia Keyes, whose daughter freshman Jasmine Hurd attends Rufus King, grew up with officers in her high school, she said. Now, she thinks it a good thing the officers will be in place to respond to incidents her daughter said occur, such as weapons being sneaked inside. 'It gives a sense of security and safety,' Keyes said. Jessica Harris has two children, a senior and a junior, who attend the high school. Her daughter senior Jatoria Harris said having SROs in the schools is a 'good thing.' The mother, Jessica, was also in favor of the addition, citing the ability of school resource officers to respond faster to issues in the schools than other officers. She understood concerns of potential overpolicing of youth, but believed it was largely parents' responsibility to address that. Even if a student were wrongfully cited by police, she said, the court system would be a balancing factor. 'If you're raising your child right, you shouldn't be concerned,' she said. After the Monday court hearing, lawsuit plaintiff Charlene Abughrin told reporters the placement of SROs in schools will take stress off teachers, parents and staff. Abughrin said she felt "slighted" that her 12th-grade son's school did not receive SROs, but she still believes it's a "win," and a "step in the right direction" to put police in schools at all. She said she would revisit the case if officers were withdrawn. "I'm not entirely satisfied with the schools where they placed them at, because there are some schools with greater needs, that have greater violence," she said. "I think they probably should be redistributed." Abughrin specifically mentioned a need for police at the Wisconsin Conservatory for Lifelong Learning, where one of her children previously attended. WCLL is the school where students from Trowbridge Street School of Great Lakes Studies were temporarily relocated while their building was cleared of lead-based paint hazards. As a parent of six children who attended MPS, Abughrin said she's been through the process "a very long time" of filing complaints, attending school board meetings and attempting to improve safety issues in the district with no redress. Asked about criticisms of SROs, Abughrin said it's necessary to "walk in my shoes." "Most of (these schools) are a breeding ground for the prison system, because there's so much crime that is happening within the Milwaukee Public Schools system," she said. According to court filings, 11 schools have school resource officers. They are: Riverside University High School Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School North Division High School Milwaukee High School of the Arts Hamilton High School Washington High School Vincent High School Madison High School Rufus King High School Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education Milwaukee Marshall High School Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@ or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@ This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Immense pressure' put police back in MPS schools, judge says
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MPS school resource officer deadline; will city be in compliance?
The Brief The deadline for school resource officers to return to MPS was Saturday, March 15. The city could pay $1,000 each day until it is in compliance with state law. Mayor Johnson said he's confident the city is on track to comply with a court order. MILWAUKEE - The court-ordered deadline for resource officers to return to Milwaukee Public Schools was Saturday, March 15. Whether the city is in compliance when students return on Monday remains to be seen. The backstory The city failed to comply with Judge David Borowski's previous deadline, which required school resource officers – or SROs – to return by Feb. 27. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "I expect my orders to be followed. You don't have to like them, but they need to be followed," he said last month. Borowski ordered the city to deploy school resource officers, or show proof of progress, by March 15. If the city fails to do so, it must pay $1,000 each day until it is in compliance with the law. What they're saying Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he's confident the city is on track to comply with a judge's order, and everything will be in place by the time students return on Monday. "It's what's in the bill, so given that it's what's in the bill, I wanted to get it accomplished," he said. "That's exactly where we are now." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "What I know is SROs and some of our security staff are in training, and we are excited to see this moving forward," said Michael Harris, MPS interim chief school administration officer. The National Association of School Resource Officers told FOX6 News it has trained 38 officers, each of whom has completed 40 hours of SRO training as of Friday. What's next The case is back in court on Monday for a hearing. Big picture view A state law, passed in 2023, helped municipalities with their budgets. For Milwaukee, it required at least 25 school resource officers to return to MPS by Jan. 1, 2024. When that didn't happen, a parent sued. In a statement to FOX6, the attorney for the MPS parent show sued said "they are waiting for MPS and the city to comply with the law." The Source Information in this report is from the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools and prior FOX6 News coverage of the order for school resource officers to return to MPS.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fact check: Yes, MPS does indeed have a larger tax levy than the City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Public Schools has been making recent headlines as a judge on Feb. 18, 2025, said the school board overseeing MPS and the city of Milwaukee must split the cost of a school police program down the middle and put police in schools with a deadline of Feb. 27, according to a Feb. 19, 2025, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article. On deadline day, a judge held the city of Milwaukee in contempt of court for failing to comply with his previous order to have school resource officers in Milwaukee Public Schools by Feb. 27. Milwaukee Circuit Judge David Borowski stayed that order, however, giving the city until March 15 to get the officers in schools or face a $1,000-per-day fine, according to a Feb. 27, 2025 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel news report. In the run-up to the earlier court decision, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson discussed his January meeting with GOP legislative leaders at the Capitol during a Jan. 12, 2025, appearance on WISN-12 News 'UpFront' program. Johnson spoke of his support for getting 25 Milwaukee police officers back into Milwaukee Public Schools. 'Well, you have to have the funding in order to get the officers,' Johnson said. 'When you go to a restaurant and you order a meal, the chef doesn't prepare your meal and then pick up the check. That's what MPS is asking. I think that's wrong for taxpayers in the City of Milwaukee, especially given the fact that presently, right now, after the referendum, Milwaukee Public Schools has a larger tax levy than the City of Milwaukee.' The deadline is the latest development in a lawsuit seeking to force the MPS school board and city of Milwaukee to comply with a state law known as Act 12. Since Jan. 1, 2024, the law has required the presence of 25 police officers in MPS during school hours, among other things. In April, Milwaukee voters narrowly approved a referendum that will increase property taxes to prevent major budget cuts at Milwaukee Public Schools, according to an April 3, 2024 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article. The referendum was crafted to allow MPS to gain an additional $140 million for the next school year, then ramp up to $252 million annually by the 2027-28 school year, according to the Journal Sentinel report. Without the referendum money, MPS projected that it would face a $200 million budget shortfall in the next school year because of rising costs. Those costs include: inflationary raises for staff, filling vacant positions and retaining staff who were funded by sunsetting pandemic-relief aid. The mayor's claim that Milwaukee Public Schools has a larger tax levy than the City of Milwaukee after the referendum, piqued the interest of PolitiFact Wisconsin, so let's take a look. When asked to support the mayor's statement, Jeff Fleming, Johnson's communications director, expanded on the statement. 'The mayor's point was, with the school referendum passed last year, MPS has more budgeting flexibility than city government,' Fleming said in an email to PolitiFact Wisconsin. 'The statement was not offered as a criticism of MPS.' A chart prepared by the office of City of Milwaukee Comptroller Bill Christianson shows the total citywide tax levies for 2023 at $855.5 million and 2024 at $963.7 million, an increase of 12.6%. A breakdown of the citywide tax levies divided into five units of government: Milwaukee Public Schools $320.2 million in 2023; $414.8 million in 2024, increase of 29.5% City of Milwaukee $317.7 million in 2023; $324.2 million in 2024, increase of 2.0% Milwaukee County $132.1 million in 2023; $136.3 million in 2024, increase of 3.2% Sewerage District $51.8 million in 2023; $53.7 million in 2024, increase of 3.7% Milwaukee Area Technical College $33.7 million in 2023; $34.7 million in 2024, increase of 3.0% Breaking it down into a share of a one dollar bill, here's how much each entity received in 2024: Milwaukee Public Schools, 43 cents City of Milwaukee 34 cents Milwaukee County 14 cents Sewerage District 5 cents MATC 4 cents Andrew Reschovsky, Professor Emeritus of Public Affairs and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in an email, said 'the mayor's statement is true,' and attached a table illustrating data that includes property tax revenue of the city government and the Milwaukee Public School District for the years 2000 through 2021. The data shows that in 2009 and 2010 and again in 2024 and 2025, school property tax revenue (or levies) exceeded city property tax revenues, Reschovsky said in the email. Johnson said 'After the referendum, Milwaukee Public Schools has a larger tax levy than the City of Milwaukee.' Data from the City of Milwaukee Office of the Comptroller shows citywide tax levies divided into five units of government with Milwaukee Public Schools at $320.2 million in 2023; $414.8 million in 2024, an increase of 29.5% and the City of Milwaukee at $317.7 million in 2023; $324.2 million in 2024, an increase of 2.0%. An independent economist backs that up. For a statement that is accurate and there's nothing significant missing, our rating is True. 'UpFront,' Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Jan. 12, 2025 Email, Jeff Fleming, mayor's office spokesman, Jan. 13, 2025 Email, Andrew Reschovsky, UW-Madison, Feb. 18, 2025 Email, City of Milwaukee, Office of the Treasurer, Jan. 14, 2025 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 'Voters narrowly approve MPS referendum, preliminary results show,' April 3, 2024 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 'Judge orders MPS and city of Milwaukee to equally split cost of school police program,' Feb. 17, 2025Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 'City will pay $1,000 a day if it can't name police who work in MPS schools by March 15,' Feb. 27, 2025 This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mayor Cavalier Johnson says MPS has larger tax levy than City of Milwaukee
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School resource officers in Milwaukee; city leaders edge plan forward
The Brief There's progress, but it's slow-going in the effort to get school resource officers in Milwaukee Public Schools. On Friday, Feb. 28, Milwaukee leaders took action to move the process forward. A committee will debate a plan on Monday. If all goes well, the full Common Council will take action on the SRO plan on Tuesday. MILWAUKEE - The City of Milwaukee is 14 months late in having school resource officers. Then it missed a judge's deadline. Now, there's a new ultimatum to get trained school resource officers (SROs) in Milwaukee Public Schools. What we know On Thursday, Feb. 27, Judge David Borowski slammed the city and the school district – and he set a new mid-March deadline. On Friday, the Milwaukee Common Council held an unusual special meeting. It was merely procedural – to introduce the proposal for the school resource officers. Alders will debate it in committee on Monday – and then the full council will vote Tuesday to approve the agreement with MPS. Judge Borowski's fine of $1,000 a day could be wiped away if the school resource officers program starts by his new March 15 deadline. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Now, the National Association of School Resource Officers told FOX6 News, it will train in Milwaukee starting March 10. What they're saying "Why not at least do the training in 2023 or even 2024?" asked FOX6's Jason Calvi. "When we were discussing this with MPS, there's certain rules of engagement that we want to get outlined. So until that MOU is formally signed and we can work off that document, that's where all the debate and negotiation was going on. So that's where we're at until now. This MOU is working its way through the process," answered Assistant Chief Steve Johnson. "But the training is a standard curriculum. It doesn't change based on an MOU. Why not do the training last year? The judge says there's lack of urgency on behalf of the city," Calvi said. "So the training component of the NASRO, we were discussing that with our partners. So in conjunction with when that process was being debated, MPS was, you know, they were agreeing to the selection process. So all that had to be worked out," Johnson replied. "There were some hiccups, certainly, but I'm glad that we're finally here," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. What we know Milwaukee police are still looking for officers to volunteer to be SROs. FOX6 News obtained the police department's internal job posting for the SRO program. It is states the officers "will not be assigned solely to one school, but will be mobile to reach more schools and students, however the officers will collaborate regularly at schools agreed upon between MPS and MPD." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Milwaukee police say 21 of its officers applied by Friday for the 25 spots. All applications are due on Monday, March 3. What's next Sources inside the city say the original deal with MPS had MPS representatives in on the hiring process. So the city says it had to wait for an agreement before moving forward. The Source The information in this post was produced from FOX6 News coverage, along with information from Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Police Department.
