Latest news with #MilwaukeePublicSchools
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
As Milwaukee leaders come to her support, MPS aide may not have to leave US immediately
As members of the Milwaukee Common Council stood in the council chambers for 14 minutes on June 3 — one for each year Yessenia Ruano has lived in the United States — news broke that her imminent departure from the country could be delayed as her visa application for trafficking victims is processed. The news was the latest twist in Ruano's public effort to fight her deportation. The Milwaukee Public Schools teaching aide was ordered on May 30 by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement to return to her home country of El Salvador. Before her self-deportation order was delayed, her flight was scheduled for the evening of June 3. Ruano, who has a pending visa application for human trafficking victims, previously said that if ICE ordered it, she'd leave the country with her daughters, who are both U.S citizens. The 14 council members who stood together flanking a photo of Ruano asked that she be able to stay in the country while her T-Visa is being processed. "It's about due process,' said council President José G. Pérez, who organized the action along with Alds. JoCasta Zamarripa and Marina Dimitrijevic. Pérez said he hoped the unanimous show of solidarity would demonstrate to Milwaukee's immigrant community that the council doesn't believe Ruano's treatment is fair. Zamarripa called Ruano the "kind of person that makes Milwaukee a better place." "She is one of millions of people who are suffering at the hands of a broken immigration system and whose American dream is now turning into a nightmare," Zamarripa said. Dimitrijevic said Ruano's case is one of many nationwide, and she hopes the council's action would point to the larger issue. "This city was built on the backs of immigrants, and that's why we stood in solidarity today, and we're not going to back down," Dimitrijevic said. The council action came one day after U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement expressing 'deep concern' over Ruano's deportation order despite her pending visa application. Calling Ruano a 'pillar in our Milwaukee community,' Moore wrote that deporting her 'will not make our country safer.' Ruano had a plane ticket out of the Chicago O'Hare airport for the evening of June 3. She was packing suitcases in the morning when she learned she may have at least a bit more time in the U.S. Ruano and her attorney, Marc Christopher, requested a 'stay,' or a pause, on her deportation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on May 30 said she had to self-deport and return to her home country of El Salvador. The request for a stay has been received and is being considered by ICE, Ruano said. Her understanding is that she can remain in the U.S. while the request is being processed. But it was not clear how long it would take to be processed. A big caveat is that ICE is not prevented from carrying out the deportation while the request is being processed, Christopher said. Also, it was not immediately clear how much longer Ruano could stay in the U.S. if the request for a stay were granted. 'Ms. Ruano and her legal advocates remain hopeful that ICE will take into account the humanitarian gravity of her case,' Christopher said in a statement. ICE officers had said they would not wait for Ruano's open application for a trafficking victims' visa to be processed by a different immigration agency. Processing times for those visas can be two years or more. 'All we ask is that she be allowed to stay – at least until her T visa is decided – so she is not sent back into the very danger she fled,' Christopher said. Alison Dirr of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MPS aide Yessenia Ruano learns she may get more time in US
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MPS financial reports: deadline past, state funding at risk
The Brief Milwaukee Public Schools had a Friday, May 30 deadline to turn in financial reports to the state. Last year, the state held back $16.6 million when the 2023 reports were tardy. Millions of dollars for the school district could be on the line. MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Public Schools had a Friday, May 30 deadline to turn in financial reports to the state. Millions of dollars for the school district could be on the line. The deadline has passed, but now neither MPS nor the state are talking. What we know MPS' 2024 audited financial report was originally due in December. MPS missed that. In January, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction gave MPS an extension. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android But then, in May, it gave two hard deadlines: May 16 to turn in the 2024 annual report – which it missed – and May 30, to turn in the audited financial statements. What they're saying "Families, residents, taxpayers in the city of Milwaukee, across the state of Wisconsin, quite frankly, deserve more responsible stewardship," said Colleston Morgan, Jr., City Forward Collective leader. "We are now more than a year into this financial fiasco at Milwaukee Public Schools. And we're yet again failing to meet deadlines, putting tens of millions of dollars more in funding at risk." The superintendent answered questions on Wednesday. "The team is continuing to work around the clock to be able to meet the timeframe that was laid out by the state, so we just continue to plug away," Dr. Brenda Cassellius said. And Thursday: "We're still cautiously optimistic, but we'll have more for you tomorrow," she said. That deadline passed. "We expect to be able to share more information next week," an MPS spokesperson said. Dig deeper Now, on Saturday, May 31, the parking lot at MPS is fairly empty, except for a few cars. It is unknown if it was people working inside, or people playing in the next-door park. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News If MPS missed the Friday deadline, the state hasn't said how much MPS could lose. But, last year, it held back $16.6 million when the 2023 reports were tardy. The state still holds that money. Last year, Gov. Tony Evers ordered an audit of MPS. In February, it found the computer systems are partially to blame, with finance systems different from hr and payroll, which slows things down. It also found DPI and MPS' financial reporting software don't communicate well with each other – again causing complications and delays. The Source The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
MPS financial reports: Friday deadline, state funding at risk
The Brief MPS has one more day to get financial reports to the state or risk losing money. FOX6 News asked several times at Thursday's meeting if the deadline would be met. MPS has missed multiple previous deadlines to report financial data to the state. MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Public Schools has one more day to get financial reports to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction or risk losing money. What they're saying Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said the school district has been working to try to meet the deadline of Friday, May 30. FOX6 News asked several times on Thursday night if that would happen. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "We're still cautiously optimistic, but we'll have more for you tomorrow," said Cassellius. There are no clear answers about the latest critical deadline. "We're still working toward the deadline and working with the state. We meet with them regularly throughout the day to get them what they need to be able to run their calculations. The backstory Last June, the Department of Public Instruction did not send MPS $16.6 million meant for special education. The state held it back due to missed deadlines on 2023 financial reports. Those reports are in, but 2024 reports are now late. The original deadline was last September. MPS missed that deadline and then missed the May 16 deadline for an extension. Dig deeper Cassellius said the biggest hurdle for the state's largest school district had been using an accounting system that didn't align with the state's. "It's the correction of the errors for the two systems talking to one another. And just the manual power to get that done," she said. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News At a meeting on Thursday, the superintendent told the school board she had moved the district's finance office into her suite. "We are working constantly with collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction really to overcome challenges as they're identified," said Matt Chason with the MPS Office of Accountability and Efficiency. The Source The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News using information gathered on Thursday, May 29 and including previous FOX6 News coverage.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As work continues to clear Milwaukee Public Schools of lead hazards, Starms Early Childhood Center gets a green light
As Milwaukee Public Schools works to repair lead paint hazards at buildings citywide, it announced May 21 that Starms Early Childhood Center is clean and safe. 'The MPS facilities team is making good progress in clearing schools of lead dangers,' MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said in a statement. 'Our students and families have navigated these disruptions with patience, and for that we are grateful. I'm encouraged that we have been able to clear another building of lead dangers and that there is a clear plan moving forward for all our schools.' Students have been displaced from the building since March 17 — over 10 weeks — in response to lead issues. The building was built in 1893. They moved to the nearby, but separate, Starms Discovery Learning Center. "While the building is now ready for occupancy, the school community has asked to remain at the Starms Discovery Learning Center building for the remainder of this school year to limit disruptions to teaching and learning," the district said in a statement. According to a visual inspection report, inspectors found lead dust hazards on floors, horizonal surfaces within kids' reach and class supplies at Starms Early Childhood Center. Chipping and peeling paint was present in classrooms for kids with disabilities, and areas where kids 6 years and younger learn. Between 10% and 50% of paint in the building was in decay, the inspection report said. Starms Early Childhood Center was a top-priority school for lead work, according to a spreadsheet of schools included as part of MPS' Lead Action Plan. MPS said it's weighing several factors when deciding which schools should be remediated first: building age and condition, student population, whether any cases of lead poisoning are associated with the school, and the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning cases in the school neighborhood. As of May 13, MPS said it had inspected 48 schools for lead hazards. The district's lead plan said it will assess 107 schools and correct the issues identified. Starms is among six schools that have closed temporarily this school year due to lead hazards. Those schools together educate about 1,800 kids, 2024-25 state data shows. Students and staff at Brown Street Academy, Westside Academy and LaFollette Elementary School are still displaced as their schools undergo lead remediation. Trowbridge School of Great Lakes Studies and Fernwood Montessori both closed temporarily but have since reopened. More: Milwaukee Public Schools says 48 schools already inspected for lead hazards, with more to come 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 This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: An MPS school built in 1893 cleared of lead hazards, district says
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MPS lead crisis; RFK Jr. pressed on prevention effort cuts
The Brief The federal government said its program to address and prevent childhood lead poisoning continues to operate, which came as a surprise to Milwaukee leaders. City of Milwaukee health commissioner Dr. Michael Totoraitis said he's concerned to hear the federal government thinks it's helping, though it's not. LaFollette School, Brown Street Academy and Westside Academy remain closed for lead remediation work. MILWAUKEE - The federal government said its program to address and prevent childhood lead poisoning continues to operate. That came as a surprise to leaders in Milwaukee, who asked for its help during the Milwaukee Public Schools lead crisis, but were denied. That denial came in April because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services eliminated the program altogether. City of Milwaukee health commissioner Dr. Michael Totoraitis said he's concerned to hear the federal government thinks it's helping, though it's not. What we know Before U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. even said a word during Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, vice chair and Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin criticized Kennedy over his handling of the department. "Your decision to fire staff and eliminate offices is endangering children, including thousands of children in Milwaukee," Baldwin said, in reference to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Kennedy testified to it later in the hearing. "We're continuing to fund the program, and in Milwaukee, we have a team in Milwaukee and we're giving laboratory support to the analytics in Milwaukee," Kennedy said. "And we're working with the health department in Milwaukee." Local perspective Totoraitis is helping lead the response to the MPS lead crisis. LaFollette School, Brown Street Academy and Westside Academy remain closed for lead remediation work. FOX6 News: Has the Milwaukee Health Department received funding at all from the CDC on addressing the lead issue? Totoraitis: No, we have received zero funding from the CDC on addressing the lead issue, and the formal support has ended with the termination of the childhood lead team. The city asked the CDC for help back in March. In April, an employee denied the request due to the "complete loss of the lead program." Dig deeper Totoraitis said their expertise would have helped more than MPS. "It came as a pretty big surprise to myself and my team," he said. "There's a very real reality that now, our country is less safe, because there is no one looking for those patterns of potential poisonings at the federal government." Kennedy has said he hopes to restore the lead prevention program. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News On Wednesday, May 21, MPS announced Starms Early Childhood Center had passed inspection and is now deemed safe. The school district plans to clean 54 other schools before classes start in the fall. The Source The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
