The Milwaukee School Board approved Superintendent Brenda Casselius’ plan to cut 260 non-classroom positions to help close a $46 million budget gap.
Facing a $46 million budget shortfall of its own making, the Milwaukee School Board on Monday approved a plan to eliminate about 260 non-classroom jobs at Milwaukee Public Schools, a necessary step to restore fiscal discipline after years of overspending.
The 5-2 vote allows Superintendent Brenda Cassellius to proceed with reductions projected to save roughly $30 million next school year. The cuts target assistant principals, deans, support staff and central office positions — not classroom teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists or nurses. About 45 of the positions are already vacant, and roughly 180 affected employees hold certifications that guarantee them classroom teaching spots if they choose to stay.
Cassellius, who proposed the plan just days earlier, said the district had no alternative after discovering last year’s $46 million overspend.
“Every single one of the people in our schools is important. I don’t want to lose not one person but we are going to have to cut,” she told the board.
She later urged members to act decisively: “We absolutely need to be courageous as a board and do these adjustments so that we can give every single person the respect and the dignity they need to move into other positions in the district.”
Union leaders from the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association protested the lack of detailed position lists and called for more time, but the board moved forward to give laid-off staff the best chance to secure other district openings posted later this month. Board President Missy Zombor required Cassellius to share additional budget data with unions by Friday.
The reductions come after repeated warnings that Milwaukee Public Schools remains overstaffed in administrative and support roles compared with peer districts. Cassellius has insisted on protecting frontline classroom instruction while trimming bureaucracy — a common-sense priority for taxpayers weary of chronic deficits.
Further savings may depend on ongoing contract talks, where the superintendent has proposed delaying inflationary raises. The full budget proposal is due for board approval in May.
