Milwaukee Public Schools will take more time to review a new School Resource Officer Program policy after concerns that community groups were not consulted.
The policy came up for a board vote on April 30, when the decision was made to hold off on a final action.
The delay comes as MPS navigates ongoing tensions related to the role and authority of police officers at schools following their return in March 2025.
Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said the proposed policy was developed after a board resolution in January that aimed to establish clear boundaries between MPS teachers/leaders and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Neither the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association nor Youth Empowered in the Struggle, the youth arm of Voces de la Frontera, were notified the policy would come to a full board vote, MPS art teacher and community organizer John Fleissner told the board.
“There needs to be students here if this is going to be passed before the board,” Fleissner said.
Both groups have been active in discussions regarding school resource officers at MPS.
Students previously shared concerns with NNS about the presence of police officers in their schools – including overstepping their authority by enforcing school rules.
A review of calls for service showed that MPS contacted police nearly 900 times over a three-month period.
Of those calls, 155 were classified as official incidents.
Krissie Fung, a member of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, said the discrepancy shows a lack of clear guidance for school administrators.
Policy establishes guidelines for officers
The policy reiterates what the district has said about school resources officers — that they are only to handle legal matters, and only school employees should handle discipline for school rule violations.
Still, some students have seen police involve themselves in enforcing school rules.
Riverside University High School student Payton Bone said an officer once stopped her asking for a hall pass.
Bone’s concern, along with other students who spoke to NNS in February, was that officers could involve students in the criminal justice system for school rule violations.
Other highlights of the proposed policy include familiarizing school resource officers and employees with district policy and notifying a student’s parent or guardian if they are questioned, searched or arrested by an officer.
The policy also establishes quarterly data publishing guidelines, which will make statistics publicly available.
In addition, the district will notify families each year of students’ legal rights when engaging with school resource officers.
Policy subject to change
The policy up for the board’s vote isn’t final – the district will revise the policy after incorporating feedback from the intergovernmental agreement between the district, city and Police Department, MPS Board President Missy Zombor said.
Cassellius said there’s no rush on approving the policy.
“We just want to make sure that there’s clear guidance for our administrators and staff who are interacting,” she said.
Thoughts on school resource officers mixed
Talking to students with ankle monitors, MPS Board Director Darryl Jackson said he hears that students have a great relationship with school resource officers.
He said the conversation should not just be about school resource officer relationships with students who do great things, but it should also look at students in alternative programs.
“We never talk about those students,” Jackson said.
Some students have more mixed thoughts on officers in their school.
Riverside student Imran Clark understands why officers are in the school but isn’t sure if they are accomplishing what they’re hoping to.
“Schools are supposed to be a safe place – even though sometimes they’re not,” Clark said. And them being there can amplify the feeling of it not being safe – like you’ll see their guns when you walk around.”
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
