Milwaukee Public Schools Begin Summer Enrollment Drive

Milwaukee Public Schools is kicking off an enrollment drive Wednesday, led by interim Superintendent Keith Posley. He’ll join canvassers as they head out to neighborhoods on buses to tout the merits of the district, door-to-door.

It’s a summer-long campaign that comes after years of declining enrollment, meaning less state funding for the district.

In the 2010 fiscal year, there were more than 82,000 students enrolled. By 2015, enrollment dropped to just over 77,000 students. According to the district, enrollment is dipping at about 1,000 students per year.

Officials say part of the decrease is due to a decline in the number of school-age children in the district — more than 10,000 since 2006.

Still, families are also choosing to take their children elsewhere because of the number of choices they have available to them.

Posley has made enrollment one of his first main priorities with the summer drive being the first of its kind, according to a district spokesman.

Jim Bender is the president of School Choice Wisconsin. He said he’s also seen other districts feel the need to adapt in order to compete with private schools.

“And if that is what gets done between the schools where they start to create new programs and be more responsive to parents, then that’s a good thing,” Bender said.

But competing with these schools might be difficult for MPS. Even though graduating Milwaukee high schoolers earned more than $86 million in scholarships, the district met few expectations in the 2016-2017 district report card.

Across the country, other school districts have also adopted innovative approaches to bring families back into their fold.

Detroit Public Schools Community District recently solicited the help of rapper Big Sean in a marketing video and St. Paul Public Schools leaders plan on knocking 10,000 doors over the next six weeks.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, to include comments from Jim Bender