Milwaukee Public Schools have recently come under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education over their discipline practices and their efficacy.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into MPS this week over allegations that race may be considered when determining student discipline. Federal Officials have collected past statements from leaders in the MPS system describing race-neutral policies as supposedly reflecting systemic “whiteness.”
Following an earlier federal civil rights investigation, the district expanded programs including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, commonly known as PBIS. MPS describes restorative practices as an approach centered on building relationships, repairing harm and creating stronger school communities.(RELATED: David Crowley’s Chaotic Path to the Democratic Nomination)
However, those lofty goals seem to have not come to fruition, as discipline numbers have barely fallen. A 2026 report on the program found that, among schools receiving support from the MPS restorative practices department, suspension rates declined by only about 5% over three years, according to department estimates.
An MPS School Board discipline report showed that through Dec. 31, 2024, 5,485 students had accumulated 8,767 suspensions totaling 22,084 days out of school. Black students accounted for approximately 48.6% of enrollment but 75.1% of suspensions. A 2018 Office for Civil Rights review examined hundreds of disciplinary incidents, and identified more than 100 times in which black students were expelled while white students with similar situations were suspended for comparable behavior. (RELATED:Tom Tiffany Wins Landslide victory in Republican Primary for Wisconsin Governor)
A state-ordered independent instructional audit released in 2025 produced 38 recommendations and found shortcomings involving instructional leadership, teacher support, curriculum implementation, reading instruction and family engagement. The audit came only one year after David Crowley and Mayor Cavalier Johnson endorsed a $252 million referendum for MPS schools. An endorsement that came after MPS published a $46 million budget deficit in the 2024-2025 school year.
