Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students will not be in class Friday. The district announced Thursday morning that all MPS schools and district offices will be closed Friday, October 30 for the Brewers’ championship parade and rally.
The Brewers won the first World Series in franchise history Wednesday night, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5.
In an email to the MPS community, the district wrote, “As you may know, a parade is planned for downtown as well as a celebration at the lakefront. Due to impacts on operations and safety, all MPS schools and district offices will be closed Friday, October 30.”
The district said it reviewed transportation, staffing, food delivery, safety and other factors before determining there would be “operations and safety impacts” from the celebration.
“We join our entire community in celebrating this historic moment for the World Champion Milwaukee Brewers and the City of Milwaukee,” Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said in a statement. “At the same time, we recognize this may present a challenge for families. Please know we considered all options before making this decision.”
According to the full district email, all school sites are closed and staff should not report. There will be no classes and no before- or after-school activities. Schools were told to reverse previously submitted absences, as they would during an inclement weather closure. Essential facilities staff will still report.
Milwaukee Recreation activities and programs are also canceled, except high school postseason athletic events.
The district’s message does not say whether the day will be made up, and it does not mention meals or child
care options for families who still have to go to work Friday.
The Brewers’ Parade of Champions begins at 10 a.m. at N. 4th Street and W. Wisconsin Avenue and travels through downtown to Henry Maier Festival Park, where gates open at 8 a.m. and festivities run until 3 p.m. Road closures begin at 7 a.m.
The lost day comes in a district where Forward Exam results released October 1 showed 25.1 percent of MPS students in grades 3 through 8 proficient in English language arts and about 20 percent in math. MPS is also working through a $46 million deficit.
This is not the first schedule change MPS has made for the Brewers’ run. Last week the district moved its next Great Schools committee meeting to November 4 to “avoid conflicts with the World Series.”
This story will be updated.
