Milwaukee, WI
50 electric school buses to transport MPS kids starting this fall
Mayor and Superintendent Celebrate New Green & Healthy Schoolyard
Milwaukee Mayor and MPS Superintendent Celebrate New Green & Healthy Schoolyard at Riverwest Elementary
Beginning this fall, thousands of students will catch rides to and from Milwaukee Public Schools by electric bus.
At an event June 8, MPS unveiled the arrival of the new electric buses, 50 of which will transport about 6,000 students starting this September. MPS officials said its transportation partners will add another 100 electric buses to service by the 2028-29 school year.
Once all 150 electric buses are on the road, about 22% of buses used to transport MPS students will be electric, according to figures provided by David Fifarek, MPS senior director of transportation services.
The initiative is fully funded through federal pandemic relief aid and about $40 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a district spokesperson said. The district’s transportation providers are constructing charging infrastructure and will cover the cost of electricity, which district leaders said will help MPS save money.
MPS officials said the initiative is meant to cut costs amid rising fuel prices and to help reduce the city’s childhood asthma rates. The electric buses will additionally push MPS closer toward achieving its goal of reducing the district’s carbon emissions by 45% over the next four years, said Superintendent Brenda Cassellius.
According to the EPA, diesel exhaust is a significant contributor to climate change, as well as childhood asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
In 2024, Milwaukee had the nation’s highest rate of asthma-related emergency department visits, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reported. Across the U.S., public school children are about twice as likely to have asthma as their school-aged peers.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are particularly studying the link between air pollution and asthma-related visits to school nurses in MPS.
Cassellius said each electric bus will replace a diesel bus, resulting in “fewer emissions at bus stops, near our schools and in the communities our families call home.”
Ben Schutzman, CEO of Highland Electric Fleets, which provides the vehicles, said “replacing just five diesel school buses with electric buses can reduce the risk of pediatric asthma for approximately 1,500 students.”
“In a city where asthma remains a huge concern, that is a very meaningful step forward,” Cassellius said.
There are also financial benefits as MPS seeks to tighten its budget amid broader fiscal challenges, Cassellius added. With fuel prices soaring nationwide, school districts have incurred extra transportation costs.
From March to June, the district said in a statement, MPS spent about $800,000 in diesel surcharges, which are additional fees that bus contractors charge districts to offset higher gas prices.
“That kind of volatility makes it harder to budget and harder to invest where it matters most,” Cassellius said. “This initiative is helping us change that and will allow us to bring more stability to our transportation costs.”
At a School Board meeting in May, MPS interim Chief Operating Officer Michael Turza said the district expects to save money by making the switch, with daily operating costs decreasing because electric buses do not rely on fuel.
The district does not own the buses. MPS Chief Financial Officer Aycha Sawa told board members that the district’s bus vendors instead purchase the buses, and MPS reimburses them under the federal grant.
Contractors who receive the funding must operate in the district for five years, Fifarek said. The companies are also installing charging infrastructure at local bus terminals, which he said creates a long-term investment that could support further expansion of electric buses.
MPS now joins a growing number of school districts in Wisconsin and across the country that are transitioning to electric transportation.
Fifarek said MPS may seek additional EPA grants to increase the number of electric buses in the future.
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla Huynh‘s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.
Ashes, dog stolen in Milwaukee break-in
A Milwaukee woman is asking for help after she said her puppy and a red heart containing her sister’s ashes were stolen during a May 27 apartment break-in.
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee woman is asking for help after she said someone broke into her apartment and stole several items, including her puppy and her sister’s ashes.
What we know:
The break-in happened May 27 at a first-floor apartment near 45th and Hampton.
Treneicia Baker said she got her puppy to help her grieve after her older sister, Keisha, died of heart failure in early March. Baker said she and her sister lived together and never spent a day apart.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
She said the puppy, a teddy bear bichon, had become a major source of comfort.
“I got her because the house was too quiet. I was lonely,” Baker said. “She kept me company, and she kept my mind at ease when things were rough when I was missing my sister.”
Baker said the person who broke into her apartment stole several items, including a laptop, towels, credit cards, a gaming system and food from her kitchen.
The Milwaukee Police Department said no one is in custody.
What they’re saying:
“They tore up the whole house literally from the front door to the bathroom was tore up,” she said.
But Baker said the biggest losses were her puppy and a red heart containing her sister’s ashes.
“I just want my sister’s ashes back and my puppy,” Baker said. “What would you want with someone’s ashes? That’s irreplaceable. You can’t get that back.”
As Milwaukee police investigate, Baker is asking for help getting back what she says cannot be replaced.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
“It would mean everything to me,” she said. “Literally everything.”
Baker said she believes the break-in was random.
What you can do:
Anyone with any information is asked to contact MPD at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
Johnson pleas for “something” to be done about gun violence
Mayor Cavalier Johnson makes a plea for “something” to be done about gun violence after a Milwaukee shooting that left police and suspect injured.
One person was injured in a shooting Tuesday morning, June 9, near a day care center and two schools, Milwaukee police said.
The shooting occurred just before 8 a.m. on the 2700 block of North 44th Street. A 31-year-old suffered unspecified injuries in the incident and was transported to a local hospital, police said.
No additional information about the victim was immediately available. Police are seeking unknown suspects.
The location of the shooting is blocks away from Washington High School of Information Technology, Milwaukee Math and Science Academy and Gregory’s Little Helpers child care center.
Washington High School did not go into lockdown, according to a WISN-TV (Channel 12) report. However, principal Jose Frias sent a note to families saying the school was safe and classes would continue normally, the news station reported.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued by city, Common Ground
MILWAUKEE — Leaking ceilings, cracked walls and big holes are the conditions Carolyn Ferguson has been living in for years at the home she rents from Highgrove Holdings, LLC.
READ ALSO | Milwaukee tenants, Common Ground push city leaders for more landlord accountability over nuisance violations
“It rains in here, it rains in the dining room in there,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson is one of several tenants working with community nonprofit Common Ground and the city of Milwaukee to sue her landlord over alleged neglect, code violations, vacancy and unpaid property taxes.
The mother of 17 is raising her last daughter and is fighting cancer. The condition of her home is another burden.
“I’ve got to worry about that, and worry about the surgery, and all this other stuff and I mean he’s just making it even worse for me than it is,” Ferguson said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
On Monday, during an unrelated press conference by Common Ground, Highgrove Holdings owner David Tomblin made a surprise appearance and faced questions from TMJ4 chief investigative reporter Jenna Rae. While he didn’t answer many of them, he did say the group has made progress.
Watch: Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued by city
Milwaukee tenants react after landlord makes first public remarks since being sued
When asked about the city of Milwaukee’s lawsuit over issues at his properties that he is not addressing, Tomblin responded.
“Well, we are addressing them, but in the proper time,” Tomblin said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
Ferguson said she has not seen any of those fixes.
“He hasn’t fixed anything, like I said, out of the nine years I’ve been here, he’s had at least seven years and nothing, nothing at all,” Ferguson said.
The issues are impacting multiple generations of the Ferguson family. Carolyn’s daughter used to live at the property until she moved out after poor conditions were never addressed. More than a year later, that unit is still boarded up.
“When is he going to fix my momma’s ceiling? When is he going to do something about the roof? When are you going to do something about that basement downstairs? I would ask him a lot of questions,” Edwina Ferguson said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
TMJ4 reporter Brendyn Jones called Tomblin Monday night. He picked up and requested to know the names of the tenants who were interviewed. Jones said that information would be available after the story was published, so he declined to answer questions.
While Tomblin said there will be a press conference with tenants soon, he did not commit to a date or time.
Common Ground’s Kevin Solomon said the pressure on Tomblin is working.
“It’s political, and it shows that our pressure is clearly getting under his skin. The lawsuit will play out; Common Ground will stay on it,” Solomon said.
The next court date for the lawsuit is at the end of July.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoLos Angeles High School locked down as police search for armed juvenile
-
Detroit, MI2 hours ago‘Diarra From Detroit’ sets date for second season on Paramount+
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSan Francisco police release video of shootout that critically wounded officer
-
Dallas, TX2 hours ago3 Dallas educators among FIFA World Cup volunteers
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoMiami Gardens man arrested after fleeing Florida Keys deputies at 125 mph, sheriff says
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBoston gives update on plans for 3 a.m. last call at bars, outdoor drinking areas during World Cup
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoOne Invitation Can Change a Life: Called By Name Campaign Inspires Future Priests For a Second Year in Denver
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSurvey: What’s the toughest game to start the Seahawks’ season?
