On April 4, Milwaukee voters will elect five school board directors to the nine-member MPS Board. Four of the races are contested.
MPS Board members are elected to represent eight geographic districts. There is one at-large member representing the entire city.
MPS Board President Bob Peterson (At-Large) and Vice President Sequanna Taylor (District 3) are not running for re-election. Once the new members are seated, the board will elect officers.
Five of the candidates (Marva Herndon, Erika Siemsen, Gabi Hart, Megan O'Halloran and Missy Zombor) are endorsed by the Milwaukee Teacher's Education Association, the union representing teachers and other school workers.
One distinguishing issue between the MTEA-endorsed candidates and those not endorsed by the union: police contracts. At a forum hosted by Leaders Igniting Transformation, candidates were asked to give a yes or no answer on whether they supported the MPS Board's 2020 decision to end contracts with the Milwaukee Police Department.
The union-backed candidates said yes. Hendricks Reaves, Holmes, Jackson and Spence said no, indicating they may be open to revisiting contracts with police.
The MPS Board oversees the school district's $1.3 billion annual budget, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in federal COVID relief that needs to be spent by September 2024. The board also has power to set policy and hire and fire the superintendent.
MPS is the largest school district in Wisconsin, serving nearly 70,000 students, most of whom are economically disadvantaged students of color. MPS is struggling with poor academic achievement and falling enrollment — two challenges that worsened during the COVID pandemic.
The MPS Board is beginning a strategic planning process to guide the district's future decisions. One question members may consider is whether MPS should consolidate schools due to low enrollment.
District 1: Marva Herndon (incumbent)
Background
Marva Herndon is a retired computer programmer. She was elected to the board in 2019, as part of a slate of candidates backed by the teachers union.
Why she's running
Herndon says she has work left to do in her position on the board, including seeing through MPS' spending of federal COVID relief funds.
Issues
Herndon helped lead the charge to fund more art, music, and physical education classes in MPS. A taxpayer referendum passed in 2020 is helping to fund those additional positions.
Herndon is a vocal critic of publicly-funded private choice schools, as well as independent charter schools. MPS authorizes several independently-run charter schools, and the students count toward the district's enrollment.
Find more info on the candidate here.
District 1: Shandowlyon Hendricks Reaves
Background
Shandowlyon Hendricks Reaves is a former education assistant, teacher, principal and district administrator. In 2021, she was a candidate for state superintendent. In that race, she was seen as a more school choice-friendly candidate. She worked recently for the state Department of Public Instruction.
Why she's running
Hendricks Reaves says she is running because of low test scores in MPS. She has a 20-point "Student Bill of Rights" aimed at improving education.
Hendricks Reaves also says her experience as a mother of a child with disabilities is motivating her to seek this position.
Issues
Hendrick Reaves notes MPS' low reading and math achievement scores on standardized tests. She wants to make changes to raise academic achievement.
Find more info on the candidate here.
District 2: Erika Siemsen (incumbent)
Background
Erika Siemsen retired after teaching at Neeskara, an MPS elementary school. She was elected to the board in 2019.
Why she's running
Siemsen says she wants to see every MPS school have the resources it needs, including small class sizes, a school social worker, and art, music and physical education classes. She says some of that has been accomplished but there is still work to do.
Issues
Siemsen says, if reelected, issues she plans to work on include: a food justice task force to improve school meals, increasing student voices in district decisions, and putting caps on class sizes beginning with the early grades.
Find more info on the candidate here.
District 2: Pamela Holmes (write-in)
Background
Pamela Holmes is a retired Milwaukee Police sergeant.
Why she's running
Holmes was encouraged to run by current board member Aisha Carr. Holmes says she wants to help prevent youth from getting involved in the criminal justice system.
Issues
Holmes says mental health and safety would be her top priorities on the school board. She is open to revisiting MPS relationship with the Milwaukee Police Department, especially in the case of "problem schools." But she notes that police should be accompanied by mental health professionals and youth advocates.
Holmes also wants to address bullying, saying her daughter was bullied at Milwaukee School of Languages, which prompted her to enroll in the Wauwatosa School District instead.
Find more info on the candidate here.
District 3: Darryl L. Jackson
Background
Darryl Jackson is co-owner of a construction company.
Why he's running
Like Pamela Holmes, Jackson was encouraged to run by current board member Aisha Carr. He says he's dismayed that some students who have apprenticed with his company lack basic skills.
Issues
Jackson says workforce engagement, pathways to careers, and engaging men and fathers in the school system are his top priorities. He wants to create more opportunities for students to get into the trades rather than pushing all students to go to college.
Find more info on the candidate here.
District 3: Gabi Hart
Background
Gabi Hart describes herself as a community and youth advocate. She is co-founder of Program the Parks in the Sherman Park neighborhood. Hart works for Milwaukee Turners.
Why she's running
Hart says she wants to help prevent systems from failing young people: "This was the next step in my journey as a youth advocate."
Issues
Hart wants to work with student advocacy groups, teachers and parents to find a holistic approach to safety in schools that doesn't involve more suspensions or criminalization of students.
Hart says as a school board member, she would seek input on decisions from students, teachers and parents.
WUWM has requested more information from Hart on her specific priorities if elected.
Find more info on the candidate here.
District 8: Megan O'Halloran (incumbent)
Background
Megan O'Halloran is an MPS parent who works in communications at Walker's Point Youth and Family Center. She was elected to the MPS Board in 2019.
Why she's running
O'Halloran says there is still work to do to expand art, music and gym and reduce class sizes. She also wants to be part of MPS strategic planning process, which is currently underway.
Issues
O'Halloran is a vocal advocate for increased state funding for public schools.
In her second term, she hopes to develop a plan for MPS' aging facilities. The district has a backload of deferred maintenance and its building footprint is too big for enrollment.
Find more info on the candidate here.
At-Large: Jeff Spence
Background
Jeff Spence served on the MPS Board from 1999 to 2015. He is currently a senior fellow at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Why he's running
Spence says there is a broken governance system in Milwaukee, where governmental bodies don't work together to serve children. He proposes adding seats to the MPS Board for the mayor and county executive.
Issues
Spence says his top priorities are increasing student achievement and improving organizational culture.
He also wants to ensure fiscal stability, saying MPS is heading toward a fiscal cliff. Spence believes MPS should right-size its facility footprint instead of holding onto more buildings than it needs.
Find more info on the candidate here.
At-Large: Missy Zombor
Background
Missy Zombor is an MPS parent and works as marketing director for Rethinking Schools. She used to work in communications for the MTEA.
Why she's running
Zombor says she's seen the impact of increased funding for art, music and physical education on her child's school. She wants to make sure all MPS students have access to well-resourced schools.
Issues
On her website, Zombor lists small class sizes, reliable transportation, nutritional meals and ending the school-to-prison pipeline as some top priorities.
She opposes publicly-funded private school choice programs.
Find more info on the candidate here.
This story will be updated.
Need help learning how to vote on April 4? Our voter guide has the information you need on the voting process and how to participate.
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