Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee schools face a $46M budget deficit
The Milwaukee Public Schools board of directors will consider several mid-school-year cuts Tuesday after auditors found the district spent $46 million more than it budgeted in 2024-25.
After completing three financial audits in 13 months — two of which had been significantly overdue—the district now has a clearer picture of its current financial position, Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said in a statement Friday evening.
“The audits have identified an estimated $46 million gap between revenues and expenditures,” Cassellius continued. “MPS is working to reduce that imbalance by June 30 to lessen the need for future cuts.”
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To do this, the district will:
- Review unspent funds set aside in the budget
- Freeze non-essential new positions and contracted services
- Increase participation in federal nutrition programs
- Conduct a study on transportation costs
- Review existing district contracts
- Seek additional reimbursements for high-cost special education services
- And fully leverage state and federal grant opportunities to accelerate initiatives
“These decisions are not easy,” Cassellius wrote. “They reflect our unwavering commitment to putting students first, protecting classrooms, and ensuring the long term wellbeing of Milwaukee Public Schools.”
MPS has to continue to look at spending in the next fiscal year, plus the cost of negotiated wage increases.
Cassellius said one way MPS plans to address the shortfall is by reducing staffing at the central office.
This week, an updated capital improvement budget will be presented to the school board.
But Cassellius said students will remain at the center of the proposal.
The plan will limit class sizes at elementary schools to 28 students, with smaller classes in K3-K5 and a middle school cap of 32.
“Our budget is a reflection of our values, and for us that begins with students and classrooms,” Cassellius wrote. “Even as we confront significant financial challenges, we are making deliberate choices to protect teaching and learning, invest in our staff, and ensure resources are directed where they are needed most.”
Colleston Morgan Jr., who leads City Forward Collective, a nonprofit and advocacy group in Milwaukee, says even if the school board agrees to Cassellius’s planned cuts, the long-term financial outlook for MPS is concerning.
“The district projects a cumulative deficit of $420 million by the end of the 2030-31 school year if it continues on its current trajectory,” Morgan said.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
Milwaukee, WI
Brewers opener arrives amid I-94 construction delays, traffic concerns
MILWAUKEE – With Milwaukee Brewers baseball returning to American Family Field, fans and officials are preparing for heavy traffic tied to ongoing freeway construction near the stadium.
What we know:
American Family Field sits in the center of the I-94 East-West freeway project, where lane closures and traffic shifts have been in place since November 2025 as crews work to address deteriorating road conditions, traffic demand, high crash rates, and aging bridge design.
With thousands of fans expected for Thursday’s home opener, March 26, both state transportation officials and team leaders say delays will likely increase.
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Officials say traffic patterns around the stadium may take time to adjust as construction and the baseball season overlap.
Local perspective:
“You always get stuck in traffic around this place,” said Max Larsson, a Brewers fan. “Go earlier. There’s always traffic with the construction going on and with it being Opening Day, it’s going to be even worse.”
“It’s going to be a mess. There’s no doubt about that,” said Mike Fleming, a Brewers fan. “It’s going to be a lot worse when the games are on.”
What they’re saying:
“Reopening some of that access around American Family Field. If you are going to the games next week or beyond – just add some extra time,” said Jason Roselle of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “There is a little bit of traffic shifting out there so it is going to take a little bit longer to get in and out of the stadium.”
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Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger said the team is taking additional steps to help keep traffic moving, including hiring three sheriff’s deputy crews and a tow truck to quickly clear disabled vehicles from the freeway.
“We’ve got three additional sheriff’s deputy crews that we hired who are going to help with traffic,” he said.
The team says it will be a learning process throughout the season as fans and drivers adjust to changing traffic patterns.
What you can do:
The Brewers also have a dedicated page outlining traffic routes and detours. More can be found at WisDOT’s website as well.
The Source: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Milwaukee Brewers provided information in this report.
Milwaukee, WI
Large police presence on Water Street following reports of a fatal shooting
MILWAUKEE — A large police presence was seen on late Saturday night on N Water Street in Milwaukee after police received reports of a deadly shooting in the popular nightlife area.
The Milwaukee Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to TMJ4 that they were called to the seen.
TMJ4
TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have not heard back.
This is a developing story.
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Milwaukee, WI
Phoenix Suns Reveal Starting Lineup vs Milwaukee Bucks
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are hoping to stop a four-game losing skid against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, and they’ll have to do so short-handed.
Phoenix is down all of Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, Haywood Highsmith, Mark Williams and Dillon Brooks tonight due to injury. While the Bucks are also without Giannis Antetekounmpo, the Suns certainly aren’t near a full slate of healthy players.
In order to get back in the win column, Suns head coach Jordan Ott is banking on this starting five:
Suns Reveal Starters vs Bucks
- Devin Booker
- Jalen Green
- Collin Gillespie
- Jordan Goodwin
- Oso Ighodaro
Opening tip is slated for 7:00 PM AZ time.
With so many injuries, Ott says plenty of young guys can step up.
“It’s an opportunity for the guys that’ve been working, it was similar on the end of that road trip, same thing. We trust in their development. We see them work every day. Teammates see them work every day. So great opportunity for those guys and coming off the road trip, it’s good to be home,” Ott said. Names such as Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach have gotten more run due to injuries as of late.
“It’s good to be home, playing, again, meaningful games here in March. I do think we’re playing better. So I think there’s a lot of positives we can take from that road trip. And these guys have some confidence, even the guys that got some minutes there to tail end of the road trip. They were in those big games, playing in big moments into the fourth quarter. So excited for all that to come together tonight and to be home.”
The Suns lost their prior four games all by eight points or less.
“You don’t want to lose four games straight. I think if you go into that road trip knowing it’s a tough road trip in March, it’s a six-game trip,” Ott said.
“The back-to-back from Boston to Minnesota is as bad as you’re going to get in the league, regardless of the quality of opponents, Boston was playing well. Minnesota was desperate, and then to play great with them. So I’m not going to say that we’re that far off. We looked at the schedule in September and saw that four game stretch.
“I think you would say it was a tough stretch. I think it’s we’ll take it as a positive that we were there in the fourth quarter in multiple games, and we got to find a way to close it out. I think it’s on both sides of it. It’s offensively and defensively in the fourth quarter. We got to be better. But there’s a tremendous growth on that road trip, even though it was 2-4 and I think where we’re heading is exciting — these last 12 games playing some of the best basketball we have all year, but there’s no doubt that fourth quarter got to be better.”
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