What We Have Heard

Here's how we've engaged the MPS community

Stakeholder Surveys

~11.5k responses from students, staff, families/community members 

Town Halls 

Hosted 8 in-person and 4 virtual meetings

Student Focus Groups & Workshops

School-based engagement with middle and high school students

Community Events  

Attended National Nights Out, Black Arts Fest MKE, HAFA's Back to School Fair, Mexican Fiesta & MPS' Run Back to School

MPS Departmental Interviews 

Interviewed 20+ MPS department leadership team members

Fall 2024 Stakeholder Survey

The project team conducted an online survey to understand the factors the MPS community values most when shaping school planning strategies. A total of 3,069 responses were gathered from students, staff, families, and community members. The survey invited participants to share their perspectives on four strategy candidate groups identified by the project team.


Here is a summary of what we heard:

If MPS were to enhance its schools by making building upgrades or renovations, which factors are the most important to consider?

If MPS were to enhance its schools by adding more specialty programs, which factors are the most important to consider?

If MPS were to expand its schools by adding space through building additions, which factors are the most important to consider?

If MPS were to optimize its schools by closing or merging school buildings, which factors are the most important to consider?

Fall 2024 Student Focus Groups

The project team facilitated focus groups with MPS high school students from various schools across the district. The purpose was to share updates on the LRFMP, gather feedback on strategic priorities, and explore best practices for including and amplifying student voices in the process. Discussions centered on two key questions:


1. What are the most important factors to consider for each potential LRFMP strategy option (e.g., building investment, programmatic investment, building addition, closure/merger)? 

2. How can MPS ensure that students' voices are heard and included in the decision-making process? 


Here is a summary of what we heard: 

Communication & Student Engagement

Access to Information

Teachers, Curriculum & Student Experience 

Utilization & Classroom Capacities


Programmatic Investment Strategy

Building Investment Strategy

Closure / Merger Strategy

Fall 2024 Town Halls

The project team hosted a series of town halls to share updates and gather feedback on potential LRFMP strategy options. These events, held both in-person at various schools and virtually, created opportunities for families, students, staff, and community members to share their perspectives on the proposed decision-making framework for identifying candidates for school investments, mergers, and closures.


Here is a summary of what we heard:

Transparency and Trust

Equity in Planning

Impact on Students and Teachers

Specialty and Programmatic Investments

Building Conditions and Repurposing

Summer 2024 Student Workshops

The project team facilitated a series of student workshops with MPS middle and high school students from schools across Milwaukee. These workshops aimed to introduce the LRFMP and gather students' perspectives on their school buildings and experiences within these spaces. Discussions focused on how students feel about their schools, how school buildings can better support their education, and what the future of MPS schools should look like.


Here is a summary of what we heard: 

Comfort and Safety

Academics and Student Support

Athletics

School Design and Layout

School Selection

Summer 2024 Community Events

Two individuals stand behind a table with a Milwaukee Public Schools banner. A large map of the city is displayed on an easel beside them, showcasing various school locations and boundaries.
A group of people, including an adult and two children, are seen looking at a large map of Milwaukee displayed on an easel outdoors. The setting appears to be a public event in a park.

The project team attended the National Night Out events, Black Arts Fest MKE, Mexican Fiesta, the Hmong American Friendship Association Back-to-School Fair, and the MPS Run Back to School event to connect with community members about their thoughts on MPS and tell them about the LRFMP.

Departmental Leadership Interviews

The project team conducted interviews with leaders from various MPS departments to understand specific space needs within schools, learn about their initiatives and challenges, and identify opportunities for alignment and collaboration. We spoke with staff from the Office of Academics, the Office of School Administration, Facilities and Maintenance, the Office of the Chief of Staff, Human Resources, Finance, and the Office of Communications and School Performance. Additional conversations included teams from Curriculum and Instruction, Transportation, Maintenance, Equity & Inclusion, School Nutrition Services, and Technology.


Our questions focused on both past and future needs, including:

Spring & Summer 2024 Stakeholder Survey

The project team conducted an online survey during the spring and summer of 2024 to understand what the MPS community values most in schools, why families choose MPS, and their thoughts on current school buildings. A total of 8,587 responses were gathered from students, staff, families, and community members.


Here is a summary of what we heard:

What Our Community Values in Schools

The survey showed that different groups in the MPS community have unique priorities:

Physical Features of School Buildings

Respondents shared what they feel are the most important physical features of school buildings: 


Reasons for Choosing MPS

Community members and families identified several reasons for choosing MPS and specific schools within the district. Common factors included specialty programs (e.g., arts, bilingual, college prep, STEM), a positive school culture, proximity to home, and the opportunity to attend school with friends and/or family members.

Support for Specialty Programs

There is strong support across all groups for expanding specialty programs, particularly in arts and career and technical education. Students expressed a desire for more college preparatory programs, while staff and community members prioritized the expansion of STEM programs.

School Building Quality Ratings

Respondents were asked to rate the quality of MPS’s buildings and overall maintenance on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “needs improvement” and 10 being “excellent.”

Overall, respondents shared a mid-range rating for MPS buildings, with average scores of:


Improvement Priorities

When asked about areas for improvement, all groups emphasized that MPS buildings need better maintenance. Other common priorities included reducing overcrowding, expanding specialty programs, and increasing extracurricular activities.

Spring Town Hall Meetings

Spring Town Hall Meetings: Takeaways

What was appreciated about MPS?

Specialty Programming 

Diversity of Students

Belief in Public Education

School Reputation 

Community members highly value the specialty programming offered by MPS, such as Montessori, arts, and career & technical education programs.

MPS is valued for its diverse student body, community, and staff.

The MPS community expressed a strong belief and trust in public education.

Community members choose MPS for its outstanding schools, known for strong reputations and academic performance.

What opportunities are there for MPS? 

Build trust with the MPS community

Continue to prioritize safety

What we heard: “Safety is a huge concern. How do you protect the children and the community?”



Provide clear, complete, and easily accessible information for school selection

What we heard: “There is little information for incoming parents. I relied on asking for information in Facebook groups. Everything just seemed overly complicated.



Improve financial transparency

What we heard: “What has MPS done with the funds to improve?


Improve ties with the MPS community

Highlight goals and positive developments within MPS

What we heard: “Help us see what all MPS is focused on and achieving.



Facilitate greater community engagement by opening doors to the broader community

What we heard: “If parents and families are more involved, schools are better.



Serve as a hub for community services through partnerships

What we heard: “MPS cannot do everything by themselves. They can provide better services by partnering with the community.



Identify gaps in space and programming 

Expand Early Childhood Education programming

What we heard: “Childcare is the top issue across the city that is important to improve.


Expand before- and after-school programming and childcare

What we heard: “Kids need structure to keep them from getting into trouble outside of school… there are a real lack of opportunities.



Introduce new green spaces and improve existing ones

What we heard: “Add more green space, which will be more inviting for the community.



Prioritize mental health support services

What we heard: “Mental health and social emotional learning supports are important in selecting a school.



Due to the dynamic and live nature of this website, content is subject to regular updates or corrections. 

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