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FACT BRIEF

Did the state's score for Milwaukee Public Schools drop in 2021-22?

By Hope Karnopp
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YES

Milwaukee Public Schools fell from a three-star "meets expectations" rating to a two-star "meets few expectations" rating between 2020-21 and 2021-22. 

This year, the district received an overall score of 56.8, compared to 58.1 the previous year.

The state Department of Public Instruction is required to publish accountability report cards for schools and districts. 

MPS was among 84 school districts that received a lower ranking than the previous year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The department encouraged caution when interpreting the rankings as the COVID-19 pandemic may continue to impact scores. 

Some of the data used in the report cards go back multiple years, including absenteeism scores.

Republican lawmakers cited low scores in a push to dissolve Milwaukee Public Schools and create smaller districts, a proposal that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed earlier this year.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Wisconsin state report cards give schools lower marks, despite some recovery
Wisconsin Department Of Public Instruction Resources for 2021-22 Report Cards
State of Wisconsin School & District Report Cards
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Gov. Tony Evers vetoes Republican plan to break up Milwaukee Public Schools into smaller districts
DocumentCloud Report Card, 2021-22 Public report
DocumentCloud Milwaukee District Report Card
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.