Wisconsin students head back to school

Summer break officially came to an end over the weekend and most of Wisconsin’s students returned to school on Tuesday.

At South Division High School in Milwaukee, more than 800 students were welcomed back by their teachers, district employees and state dignitaries. 

South Division is the largest bilingual high school in the state. About 53 percent of students are Hispanic or Latino, 27 percent are Black and 16 percent are Asian.

Destinny Thomas, who is starting her junior year, said that diversity is what she likes most about South Division. 

“People are just so nice to each other, we’re learning more about culture and all different kinds of stuff,” Thomas said. “I’m just looking forward to having fun and focusing on my classes, since I have a lot of APs (advanced placement classes).”

Sophomore Mohaada Akas also had grades on his mind the first day of school. 

“I’m looking for good grades, because I need a lot of credit to graduate,” Akas said. “Last year I only had one month. I just moved here. I think I will do college if I can.”

Milwaukee Public Schools ended last school year in turmoil. The district failed to file audits with the state Department of Public instruction, resulting in a loss of millions of dollars and the resignation of former Superintendent Keith Posley. 

Gov. Tony Evers has since called for operational and instructional audits of the school district.

Interim MPS Superintendent Eduardo Galvan said this school year was starting in a better place than the district has been in a long time. 

After years of teacher shortages, the district now has the highest staffing levels it has had four years. 

“The work is not done, we will continue to welcome new people into our buildings throughout the year, to make sure that our classrooms have the support they need every single day,” Galvan said. “A lot has happened in these last few months, in the face of all these challenges, we are still here, and we are MPS proud.”

Michael Harris, MPS chief school administration officer, said after the pandemic, the district was starting school years with up to 200 teacher vacancies. This year, there are about 78 teacher vacancies and the same amount of open positions for paraprofessionals, Harris said. 

Wisconsin, national dignitaries welcome students back

While school started for some charter and choice schools in August, current law prohibits public schools in Wisconsin from starting before Sept. 1. 

More than 100 school districts have asked DPI to move back the start date, but the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin has long been against the change, saying repealing the Sept. 1 date for public schools would lead to a loss in revenue for Wisconsin’s businesses.

Tuesday’s kickoff brought out dignitaries including Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Evers and State Superintendent Jill Underly. 

“It’s normal to feel a little nervous on the first day, but students, remember you’ve got this,” Underly said. “To our students, know that you are accepted and welcomed just as you are, we’re all here to learn. No matter our age, we each have our strengths and our challenges, and that’s what makes us unique.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona launched his own 2024 Back to School Bus Tour in Wisconsin. 

Cardona made stops at public schools in Green Bay, the Oneida Nation and Madison.