Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is seeking to recruit his own auditors to investigate Milwaukee Public Schools, which is unsurprising. However, Republican lawmakers are expressing disappointment in this choice.
In a recent development, Evers has disclosed his intentions to conduct an independent audit of the financial and operational challenges faced by MPS.
In a statement, Evers emphasized the importance of both MPS and the wider Milwaukee community showing support for any endeavors aimed at getting the district back on track. He acknowledged receiving widespread backing for his proposal to conduct two more audits of MPS and has thus directed his administration to hire independent auditors with the requisite educational background and expertise to carry out these audits in a thorough and efficient manner.
Majority leader Devin LeMahieu, who holds the top Republican position in the Wisconsin Senate, believes that the governor is failing to seize the chance to implement genuine reforms in the state’s biggest educational institution.
According to LeMahieu, the failure of Milwaukee Public Schools has a significant impact not only in Milwaukee but across the entire state of Wisconsin. He believes that the people of Wisconsin deserve complete transparency and accountability, rather than a private audit commissioned by the former DPI superintendent who played a role in creating this educational crisis. LeMahieu expressed disappointment in Governor Evers’ decision to proceed with an external audit and urged his administration to carefully select an auditor with no ulterior motives or other entanglements.
Although LeMahieu suggested the governor to utilize the Legislative Audit Bureau for the audit, the governor refused and mentioned that the independent auditors he appointed have the support of local leaders in Milwaukee and the city’s school board.
According to the governor, it is crucial to note that the qualifications and expertise of auditors may differ significantly. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to assign independent auditors who possess a substantial background and experience in auditing school districts, classroom settings, and instruction. This is particularly essential if we aim to identify issues that will help us initiate constructive dialogues and formulate effective solutions for the future.
In the near future, auditors will be sought by the governor, but no specific timeline has been provided beyond that.
