2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
February 8, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Wittke, Thiesfeldt, Brandtjen,
Gundrum, Knodl, Kuglitsch, Macco, Magnafici, Murphy and Vorpagel,
cosponsored by Senators Darling and Roth. Referred to Committee on
Education.
AB966,1,6 1An Act to renumber 119.9000 (1); to amend chapter 119 (title), subchapter I
2(title) of chapter 119 [precedes 119.01], 119.01, 119.02 (intro.), 119.02 (1), 119.02
3(2), 119.04 (1), 119.04 (2) and 119.50 (3); and to create 119.9000 (1e) and
4119.9000 (1m) of the statutes; relating to: reorganizing the Milwaukee Public
5School System into four to eight school districts and creating a Milwaukee
6Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation Commission.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Effective July 1, 2024, this bill dissolves the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
and creates in its place four to eight city of Milwaukee public school districts. Each
new school district must operate grades kindergarten to 12. Each new school board
must consist of seven members elected at large for three-year terms. The initial
election of school board members occurs at the 2024 spring election.
The bill creates a Milwaukee Public Schools Redistricting and Implementation
Commission consisting of the governor, two members appointed by the governor, the
state superintendent of public instruction, the mayor of the city of Milwaukee, and
two members appointed by the mayor. No later than October 1, 2022, the commission
must determine the number of new school districts and the boundaries of those new
school districts and submit to the legislature recommended changes to the statutes
necessary to organize and operate the new school districts. The commission must
recommend legislation to do all of the following:

1. Transfer school buildings from the city of Milwaukee to one of the new school
districts.
2. Address the taxing and borrowing authority of each new school district.
3. Ensure that employees of MPS prior to its dissolution are employed by one
of the new school districts after the dissolution of MPS.
4. Provide for the continuation of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program,
under which an eligible pupil who resides in the city of Milwaukee may attend a
private school at state expense under certain conditions.
5. Provide for the continuation of any charter school authorized by MPS.
The bill directs the Department of Public Instruction to provide staff support
and funding to the commission and to assist each new school district created under
the bill.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB966,1 1Section 1. Chapter 119 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,2,52 CHAPTER 119
3FIRST CLASS CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM
4SYSTEMS in first class cities
5 other than Milwaukee
AB966,2 6Section 2. Subchapter I (title) of chapter 119 [precedes 119.01] of the statutes
7is amended to read:
AB966,2,88 CHAPTER 119
AB966,2,129 SUBCHAPTER I
10FIRST CLASS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
11Districts in first class cities
12 other than Milwaukee
AB966,3 13Section 3. 119.01 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,3,2
1119.01 Applicability. This chapter subchapter applies only to cities of the 1st
2class
.
AB966,4 3Section 4. 119.02 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,3,5 4119.02 Definitions. (intro.) In this chapter subchapter, unless the context
5clearly requires otherwise:
AB966,5 6Section 5. 119.02 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,3,97 119.02 (1) “Board" means the board of school directors in charge of the public
8schools of a city of the 1st class other than those public schools transferred to the
9opportunity schools and partnership programs under s. 119.33 or subch. II.
AB966,6 10Section 6. 119.02 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,3,1211 119.02 (2) “City" means a 1st class city of the 1st class other than the city of
12Milwaukee
.
AB966,7 13Section 7. 119.04 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,4,214 119.04 (1) Subchapters IV, V, and VII of ch. 115, ch. 121, and ss. 66.0235 (3) (c),
1566.0603 (1m) to (3), 115.01 (1) and (2), 115.28, 115.31, 115.33, 115.34, 115.343,
16115.345, 115.363, 115.364, 115.365 (3), 115.366, 115.367, 115.38 (2), 115.415, 115.445,
17118.001 to 118.04, 118.045, 118.06, 118.07, 118.075, 118.076, 118.10, 118.12, 118.125
18to 118.14, 118.145 (4), 118.15, 118.153, 118.16, 118.162, 118.163, 118.164, 118.18,
19118.19, 118.196, 118.20, 118.223, 118.225, 118.24 (1), (2) (c) to (f), (6), (8), and (10),
20118.245, 118.25, 118.255, 118.258, 118.291, 118.292, 118.293, 118.30 to 118.43,
21118.46, 118.50, 118.51, 118.52, 118.53, 118.55, 118.56, 120.12 (2m), (4m), (5), and (15)
22to (27), 120.125, 120.13 (1), (2) (b) to (g), (3), (14), (17) to (19), (26), (34), (35), (37),
23(37m), and (38), 120.137, 120.14, 120.20, 120.21 (3), and 120.25 are applicable to a
241st class city school district operating under this subchapter and board but not,
25unless explicitly provided in this chapter subchapter or in the terms of a contract, to

1the commissioner or to any school transferred to an opportunity schools and
2partnership program.
AB966,8 3Section 8. 119.04 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,4,84 119.04 (2) The board shall exercise the powers, perform the functions, and be
5entitled to all school aid under sub. (1) insofar as the same are relevant to cities of
6the 1st class
. The board and the schools in cities of the 1st class a school district
7operating under this subchapter
shall be governed in all matters by the general laws
8of the state, except as altered or modified by express amendments.
AB966,9 9Section 9. 119.50 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB966,4,1310 119.50 (3) The superintendent of schools shall keep separate accounts of all
11money raised and apportioned for 1st class city purposes of a school district purposes
12operating under this subchapter. The money shall be disbursed in accordance with
13this section and s. 66.0607 (5) and shall be paid from the proper funds.
AB966,10 14Section 10. 119.9000 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 119.9000 (1s).
AB966,11 15Section 11. 119.9000 (1e) of the statutes is created to read:
AB966,4,1616 119.9000 (1e) “Board” has the meaning given in s. 119.02 (1).
AB966,12 17Section 12. 119.9000 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB966,4,1818 119.9000 (1m) “City” means a 1st class city.
AB966,13 19Section 13 . Nonstatutory provisions.
AB966,4,2120 (1) Definition. In this section, “commission” means the Milwaukee Public
21Schools redistricting and implementation commission created under sub. (3) (a).
AB966,4,2522 (2) Dissolution of MPS; creation of new school districts. The Milwaukee
23Public School System is dissolved. The territory comprising the dissolved school
24district is divided into new school districts as determined by the commission under
25sub. (4) (a).
AB966,5,1
1(3) Milwaukee Public Schools redistricting and implementation commission.
AB966,5,52 (a) There is created a Milwaukee Public Schools redistricting and
3implementation commission that consists of the governor, 2 members appointed by
4the governor, the state superintendent of public instruction, the mayor of the city of
5Milwaukee, and two members appointed by the mayor of the city of Milwaukee.
AB966,5,76 (b) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation or
7reimbursement for their services or expenses.
AB966,5,98 (c) The department of public instruction shall staff and provide funding for the
9commission.
AB966,5,1010 (d) The commission terminates upon the earlier of the following:
AB966,5,13 111. The date the commission makes the determinations under sub. (4 ) (a) or the
12date the commission submits the recommendations under sub. (4) (b ), whichever is
13later.
AB966,5,14 142. October 1, 2022.
AB966,5,1615 (4) Commission; powers and duties. No later than October 1, 2022, the
16commission shall do all of the following:
AB966,5,2217 (a) Determine the number of public school districts, which shall not be less than
184 nor more than 8, created in the city of Milwaukee under sub. (2) and the boundaries
19of the school districts. To the extent practicable, the commission shall make the
20population in each school district roughly equal. The commission shall consider the
21location and capacity of school buildings when drawing the boundaries under this
22paragraph.
AB966,6,523 (b) Submit to the legislature recommendations on legislation needed as a result
24of the creation of the city of Milwaukee public school districts under this act, on any
25other legislation required to implement this act, and on related matters deemed by

1the commission to be desirable or necessary to organize and operate the school
2districts created under this act, including the appropriate allocation of assets and
3liabilities under s. 66.0235 (2c) to each of the school districts created under this act.
4The commission shall recommend legislation under this paragraph to do at least all
5of the following:
AB966,6,8 61. Transfer each school building and grounds and each school site from the city
7of Milwaukee to the public school district created under this act within which that
8school building and grounds or school site is located.
AB966,6,10 92. Address the taxing and borrowing authority of each public school district
10created under this act.
AB966,6,13 113. Ensure that persons employed by the Milwaukee Public School System on
12June 30, 2024, are employed by one of the public school districts created under this
13act on and after July 1, 2024.
AB966,6,14 144. Provide for the continuation of the program under s. 119.23.
AB966,6,16 155. Provide for the continuation of any charter school authorized under s. 118.40
16by the board of school directors in charge of the Milwaukee Public Schools.
AB966,6,2017 (5) Responsibilities of the department of public instruction. The
18department of public instruction shall provide assistance to the city of Milwaukee
19public school districts created under this act, including planning for the operation of
20the school districts.
AB966,6,2121 (6) Members of new public school boards.
AB966,6,2522 (a) Each of the city of Milwaukee public school districts created under this act
23shall be governed by a school board consisting of 7 members elected at large as
24provided in s. 120.42. The initial members of each school board shall be elected at
25the 2024 spring election and shall take office on July 1, 2024.
AB966,7,6
1(b) The initial terms of 4 of the initial members of the school board for each city
2of Milwaukee public school district created under this act shall be 2 years. The initial
3terms of 3 of the initial members of each school board shall be 3 years. For the initial
4election, in filing nomination papers and a declaration of candidacy, each candidate
5shall specify whether the candidate seeks office for a 2-year or a 3-year term.
6Successors to the initial board members shall serve for 3-year terms.
AB966,7,97 (7) Unified school district laws apply. Each city of Milwaukee public school
8district created under this act shall be a unified school district under subch. II of ch.
9120 and shall operate grades kindergarten to 12.
AB966,14 10Section 14. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
11except as follows:
AB966,7,1412 (1) The treatment of ss. 119.01, 119.02 (intro.), (1), and (2), 119.04 (1) and (2),
13119.50 (3), 119.9000 (1), (1e), and (1m), subch. I (title) of ch. 119, and ch. 119 (title)
14and Section 13 (2) and (7) of this act take effect on July 1, 2024.
AB966,7,1515 (End)
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