Giving public testimony to the Milwaukee Public School Board of Directors is a challenge, said Amber West, high school manager for Leaders Igniting Transformation, a nonprofit that works to build political power for youths of color.
Board rules say the public can only comment at committee meetings, not its main regular board meetings. West said this makes the public comment process more confusing and frustrating for the students and families she works with.
“We’ve heard from young people; they don’t understand how the board works already,” West said. “To try to jump through all of these hoops to give public comment, that’s pretty daunting for a teenager who already barely wants to speak up.”
Still, the board offers several options for public comment outside its regular board meetings.
Here’s what you need to know to have your voice heard at your next committee meeting.
Why can’t I comment at a regular board meeting?
Missy Zombor, president of the Board of School Directors at MPS, said it’s customary to only allow public comment at committee meetings because that’s when directors talk in depth about each subject. This has always been a board policy, she said.
Under Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law, government bodies like the Board of School Directors are not required to host public comment, said Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council Executive Board President Bill Lueders.
Like the Board of School Directors, most governing bodies choose to offer public comment to some extent, and it is generally up to those bodies to decide their own rules, Lueders said.
What are “committees”?
The Board of School Directors has several committees that discuss and recommend certain actions that eventually come to the full board.
While all directors of the board are expected to appear at the regular school board meeting, only the directors that serve on a committee are required to be present during those meetings, Zombor said. She added that she does go to some committee meetings when she has comments to make.
The board has four committees, each of which cover different topics. The meetings for each committee are held at the Central Office, 5225 W Vliet St.
Student Achievement and School Innovation
This is considered the board’s academic committee, Zombor said.
Board directors discuss recommendations on emerging issues and new ideas in education such as proposals and contracts for charter and partnership schools, graduation standards and curriculum reform.
This committee meets on the second Thursday of each month.
Legislation, Rules and Policies
Directors on the Legislation, Rules and Policies committee discuss proposed legislation that affects the district.
Zombor said the board has been doing a lot of policy work, so the committee meets on a more frequent basis. The board typically meets on the third Tuesday of every month.
Accountability, Finance and Personnel
Zombor said this committee discusses matters related to school leases, contracts, salaries and wages. Directors meet on the third Tuesday of every month.
Strategic Planning and Budget
All directors are part of this committee, according to Zombor. They usually only meet if the chair, which is currently Zombor, calls for a meeting, with the exception of budget season when they schedule meetings ahead of time.
Other opportunities to comment
Outside of committee meetings, the board offers two additional places to provide public comment, as well as budget hearings.
Family and Community Engagement
Often referred to as FACE, parents are able to participate in roundtable discussions about issues important to them. This committee meets in person on the second Tuesday of each month.
District Advisory Council
The District Advisory Council allows families and community members to share thoughts and ideas on Milwaukee Public Schools. Translation services are always available.
The council meets on Zoom on the first Thursday of every month. More information here.
Budget hearings
When budget season comes around, typically in June, the board hosts budget hearings so residents can give their input on the superintendent’s proposed budget.
What can I comment on?
You can’t bring general comments to committee meetings. You will need to address a specific line item in that meeting’s agenda. Instructions on that below.
Do I have to go in person?
The board allows public comment in person and virtually.
Those attending in person will fill out a card with the committee you’re addressing, your first and last name, address, agenda item you want to address, and whether you want to make a comment. You will also note whether you agree or oppose the line item, or if you are presenting information to the board.
From there, you’ll be called to the lectern when it’s your time to speak. A red light on the microphone will flash to green when it’s your time to speak.
If you want to make a comment but don’t want to speak to the board, you can check a box on the same card indicating you don’t want to give public testimony and write your comment on the card.
To comment virtually, you will need to register by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting by calling 414-475-8200. From there, you will get a special phone number to call with an entry code.
Be sure to call into the meeting with the same phone number you registered under, as you will otherwise not be let into the meeting.
What if I can’t make it to a committee meeting?
You can leave a comment over email. Send your comment to governance@milwaukee.k12.wi.us. Emails sent to governance go to all school board directors.
Zombor said emails with online petitions often get sent to the board’s spam, so she recommends including both the governance email and director emails. You can find your board director here or by using the map below.
Where do I find the meeting schedule?
You can receive notifications of meetings and links to the agenda over email by signing up for the City of Milwaukee’s E-Notify system.
To manually find the schedule, the Board has an online portal with the meeting schedule, agendas and past meeting minutes.
Go to the calendar in the upper right-hand corner – dates that are blue and underlined are days the board hosts meetings.
In the event that there are two meetings in one day, the portal will give you an option to look at either of the meetings hosted that day.
How do I know what agenda items the committee will discuss?
Since commenters must address a specific agenda item, it helps to know what’s on the agenda.
Most agendas will have an “items of business” portion with several “line items” the public can comment on.
If viewing the agenda through the online portal, items can be hyperlinked and, therefore, underlined in blue. These links sometimes contain extra documents or information about that line item.
Line items about contracts between the district and different companies usually contain copies of the contract that include how much the district is paying the company for whatever service is outlined in the contract.
Can I ever make public comments at a regular board meeting?
The board allows public comments during regular meetings during the month of July.
Under rare circumstances, Zombor said, the board may waive the rules and open public testimony. If two-thirds of the board agrees and there are items on the agenda that have gotten a lot of feedback or emails to the board, it can open public comment.
How can I make a good public comment?
Zombor said testimonies are most memorable when people share how a policy or board decision affects them. The board doesn’t allow hostile comments toward any of the directors.
Residents have two and a half minutes to give their comment. Zombor doesn’t like to cut people off, but they’re firm about the time limit to be fair to all speakers.
Anything else?
The board allows students to read public comment procedures at each committee meeting. If your child is interested in reading for the Board of School Directors, they can email governance@milwaukee.k12.wi.us and work with their teacher to read at an upcoming meeting.
Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.
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