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A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge has ruled that the Social Development Commission’s property corporation defaulted on mortgage payments for its North Avenue buildings and faces foreclosure in the coming months.

This judgment, which was issued Monday, Oct. 6, is the latest development for the Social Development Commission as the anti-poverty agency attempts to reconcile its budget and secure funding amid lawsuits, board tensions and government reviews.  

The properties will now enter a redemption period for three months before the court can take further action, including selling the properties at auction. 

“I can tell you that (SDC) is working tirelessly to be able to secure and redeem the properties,” said Evan P. Schmit, an attorney with Kerkman & Dunn representing SDC and SD Properties. 

Millions owed

Forward Community Investments, a community development financial institution, filed a foreclosure lawsuit in March against SD Properties Inc., the tax-exempt corporation that owns SDC’s buildings. The lawsuit claimed SD Properties defaulted on mortgage payments in 2024 and lists SDC as a guarantor.

On Monday, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge J.D. Watts granted a summary judgment for Forward Community Investments, which included a judgment of foreclosure against SD Properties and SDC and declared that Forward Community Investments is entitled to a money judgment. 

This judgment allows the foreclosure process to advance, according to Ryan Zerwer, the president and CEO of Forward Community Investments.

The total judgment amount owed by SD Properties was just over $3.1 million, as of June 16, according to court records. 

The lender’s complaint outlines that this includes $2.42 million in principal, interest and other costs for a construction mortgage SD Properties entered into in 2020 and $687,000 for an additional mortgage started in 2023. 

Additional accrued interest and other costs may be added to the tally before the properties are redeemed or sold. 

SDC moves out

SDC voluntarily vacated the 1730 W. North Ave. office and removed personal property, said Laura Callan, an attorney with Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, which is representing Forward Community Investments. William Sulton, SDC’s attorney, confirmed the agency moved out of both the office and the warehouse building at 1810 W. North Ave. 

SD Properties still owns a property on Teutonia Avenue that is not included in the lawsuit. 

Watts said that both parties have been cooperative. 

“This is, of course, a major event in the community, so I’m aware of the importance of this case,” Watts said.  

What’s next?

Wisconsin foreclosure laws require a redemption period, which will be for three months in this case. 

During this period, SD Properties has the chance to redeem the mortgaged premises by paying the total amount of the judgment and other attorney fees, costs and interest. 

“The board is gonna have to decide whether they want to try and redeem the building or not,” Sulton said.  

SDC is awaiting responses from the federal government on its status as a community action agency and Wisconsin departments on their audits. This is preventing the board from making decisions on the agency’s future direction and services, Sulton said. 

If the properties are not redeemed after three months, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office will arrange a public auction or sale.

Schmit said a hearing to confirm the sale will be held after the redemption period, which would be the final opportunity for SD Properties to maintain the buildings.

“We will wait for the procedure for the confirmation of the sheriff’s sale, just to be clear,” Watts said.

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Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Social Development Commission buildings in Milwaukee face foreclosure is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Although President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” offers new tax deductions and credits across different income levels, low-income households – the bottom 20% of income earners – are largely excluded from any significant tax benefits. 

“It’s particularly shocking because the law is so big,” said Elaine Maag, a senior fellow at The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. “Typically, when trillions of dollars are spent, you see it really spread across the income distribution.”

The bill was signed into law over the summer.

Benefits that people with low incomes do receive may be outweighed when considered alongside other provisions in the bill, said Andrew Reschovsky, professor emeritus of public affairs and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This is especially true of cuts to safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, Reschovsky said.

“This is the dilemma – if you count those things in with the tax side, the net will be that a lot of people are going to be worse off.”

Credits and deductions

A credit is an amount subtracted directly from the tax you owe while a deduction reduces the amount of income that can be taxed. Both can help keep more money in taxpayers’ pockets. 

The bill establishes new credits and deductions. 

The bill increases the: 

• Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per qualifying child to $2,200.  
• Child and Dependent Care Credit, which allows taxpayers to subtract certain costs associated with caring for children under 13 or dependents incapable of self-care. 

The bill introduces new deductions for:

• Workers in jobs where tips are common, allowing them to deduct up to $25,000 of tip income. 
• Individuals who work overtime, allowing them to deduct up to $12,500 of overtime pay. 
• People 65 and older, allowing them to deduct $6,000. 

Limitations

These changes may appear to help people who are financially struggling. But the bill affects federal taxes, so its new deductions and credits apply only to income taxable by the federal government. 

People with low income generally owe little or no federal income tax. 

Older low-income adults, for example, often rely primarily or entirely on Social Security benefits and are generally not subject to federal taxes. This means that a new $6,000 deduction would not benefit them, Rechovsky said.   

Rechovsky noted other reasons the new deductions are misleading or extremely narrow. 

“Yes, you’re a waiter and you benefit from not paying taxes on your tips,” he said. “But take someone in the same income range who works as a home health care worker – they don’t benefit at all.” 

Reschovsky also questions how those with low incomes would benefit from reducing the amount owed on overtime pay. 

“One of the reasons some people are low-income is that they’re lucky to get a 40-hour workweek,” he said. 

The same limitation applies to the new credits. 

An analysis by Maag estimates that in 2025 about 17 million children under 17 – or one in four – will receive less than the full value of the Child Tax Credit because their parents earn too little.

The bill also changes which families qualify based on citizenship status.  

The Child Tax Credit will be limited to children who are U.S. citizens and have at least one parent with a valid Social Security number. 

About 2 million U.S. citizen children will lose their Child Tax Credit because of this new requirement, Maag wrote, citing an analysis from the Joint Committee on Taxation. 

Safety nets

One benefit to people with low incomes from the bill is that it makes permanent many provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including lower income tax rates and larger standard deductions. 

“It’s true across the board that if taxes go down, your income after taxes goes up,” Reschovsky said. 

But for those with low incomes, the increase is minimal and will likely be outweighed by changes to Medicaid, premium subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act and changes to SNAP. 

For example, the lowest 10% of earners may see a $1,600 reduction in annual income and benefits, mainly due to cuts in Medicaid and SNAP, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. 

“It’s just that classic view … that, ‘Well, these people are just sucking on the teat of the federal government, so we’re going to just make it as hard as possible for them to do that, because they’re just freeloaders,’” said Anthony Myers, program director of the Riverworks Financial Clinic.

Where to get help

For people with incomes under $67,000, free tax assistance is available through programs such as the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA. 

VITA sites can be found using the IRS Free Tax Prep Help website. 

Maag and Myers recommend making appointments as soon as possible. 

In addition to serving as a VITA site, Riverworks Financial Clinic operates year-round as the City of Milwaukee Financial Empowerment Center. 

Residents of the city who are 18 years and older can get free one-on-one financial counseling there. 

“Anyone that’s struggling with any of these (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) provisions, we can assist them with navigating through this,” Myers said. 

Here’s how Trump’s new tax law affects people with low incomes is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, opened for new and returning college and university students on Oct. 1. Students typically have until June 1 to apply for the best chance of receiving aid.

The form connects students with loans, grants and scholarships through the U.S. Department of Education and your higher education institution. 

Students considering attending a two- or four-year college or university should fill out the FAFSA form, even if they haven’t committed to a school or are unsure whether they will pursue higher education. 

Getting started

Carole Trone serves on the board for College Goal Wisconsin, an organization that hosts FAFSA completion events around the state. She said the FAFSA process usually runs smoother when parents let their student take the lead. 

“It works best if the student starts their part of the application and then hands it over to the parent,” Trone said.

Students should first make an account, called a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. If a student is a dependent, at least one parent or guardian will need to make a Federal Student Aid ID and contribute to the form.

The Department of Education requires students to provide a Social Security number to fill out the FAFSA form. Contributing parents without a Social Security number can make an account but will need to check a box certifying they don’t have a Social Security number.

When creating a Federal Student Aid ID, Trone said, it’s important to double check that all information, including names and dates of birth, are correct. The Department of Education won’t be able to verify your information if these details are incorrect, which Trone said complicates the process.

If students or parents already have a Federal Student Aid ID, Trone said the ID stays with them forever and they should use the same account.  

Filling out FAFSA

What do I need to fill out the form

FAFSA requires certain information from students and parents to verify income, assets and financial need. 

The Department of Education will use applicants’ Social Security numbers to access their income with the Internal Revenue Service. Parents and students must give consent for the IRS to access information on their tax returns, even if an applicant doesn’t have tax returns to supply. 

The Department of Education recommends still having the most recent tax returns for information that isn’t imported from the IRS. 

The form also asks about assets – the current balance of cash, checking and saving accounts – and the net worth of any businesses and investments. 

Students will also need to provide a list of schools they’re interested in attending. Students should list all schools even if they aren’t committed. 

“The options that FASFA gives you is not just for four-year college, it’s for two-year college, it’s for a number of certification programs,” Trone said. “It doesn’t obligate you to anything.”

Types of aid

The types of federal aid you receive can be split into two main groups: loans and grants. The biggest difference is you need to pay back loans but not grants. Filling out your FAFSA form also helps you become eligible for need-based scholarships through your higher education institution.

Loans

You can make payments while enrolled at least part time (six credit hours, usually about two classes) in school but are not required to until after you graduate or go below six credit hours. After you do either of these, it triggers a six-month grace period before you’re required to make payments. 

The federal government offers several types of loans in two categories: Direct and Direct PLUS. 

The amount of interest on these loans depends on the year you take them out. The interest rate changes each year on July 1. 

Direct loans

Students can receive two kinds of Direct loans: subsidized and unsubsidized.

Subsidized loans mean no interest accumulates on the loan while in school or during your grace period, saving the student money in the long run. 

Unsubsidized loans accumulate interest beginning when the student takes out the loan. 

Direct PLUS

The Department of Education also offers Direct PLUS loans, which are federal loans that parents of dependent undergraduate students, graduate or professional students can use to help pay for school.

Parents of dependent students can take a Parent PLUS loan to support additional education costs that aren’t covered by other financial aid. 

This loan originally did not have a cap, but as a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Parent PLUS loans are now capped at $20,000 per year or $65,000 over the course of an undergraduate school career.

Graduate PLUS loans, which were used to support graduate school education, will be eliminated starting in the 2026-27 school year. 

A new unsubsidized loan program is replacing Graduate PLUS. Students can borrow up to $20,500 annually, up to $100,000 over the course of graduate school. Students attending professional schools like medicine or law will be eligible to take out higher loans. 

Grants

Pell grants: Students in need of a lot of financial aid might qualify for a Pell grant. Unlike loans, these do not have to be repaid. 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act expanded Pell grant eligibility to shorter workforce training programs. 

Financial need

The amount of aid you receive depends on your financial need. 

After a person submits a FAFSA form, the Department of Education considers several factors like income and other assets and generates a Student Aid Index that determines your financial need. The lower your Student Aid Index, the greater chance of receiving more aid. 

Colleges and universities look at factors like a student’s Student Aid Index, how many credits are being taken and tuition costs to decide how much aid a student will receive. 

Private loans?

Universities and advocates alike caution against using private loans whenever possible because of concerns about predatory lending, potentially high interest rates and a lack of repayment options and forgiveness.

Interest rates and other conditions of the loan often vary on factors like credit scores. If you need to take out a private loan, try to look at offers from several lenders to pick the best one. 

Where can I go for help?

College Goal Wisconsin is hosting events virtually and in several Milwaukee high schools to help students and parents complete the FAFSA form. Any students looking for help with a FAFSA form can attend, even if they don’t attend MPS. 

Trone said each student who attends is eligible to win one of 15 $1,000 scholarships.

Families who can’t make it to a help session can use resources on the College Goal Wisconsin website or the FAFSA YouTube page, Trone said.

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Upcoming events in Milwaukee

Veritas High School: Monday, Oct. 13

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Veritas High School, 3025 W. Oklahoma Ave. Register here.

Riverside University High School College and Career Center: Tuesday, Oct. 14

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Riverside University High School, 1615 E. Locust St. Register here.

Virtual FAFSA Completion Event: Wednesday, Oct. 15

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. virtually. Register here.

Virtual FAFSA Completion Event: Wednesday Oct. 22

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. virtually. Register here.

South Division High School College and Career Center: Thursday, Oct. 23

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at South Division High School, 1515 W. Lapham Blvd. Register here.

Milwaukee School of Languages College and Career Center: Wednesday, Oct. 29

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Milwaukee School of Languages, 8400 W. Burleigh St. Register here.

Virtual FAFSA Completion Event: Wednesday, Oct. 29

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. virtually. Register here.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Everything you need to know about FAFSA applications is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Although all can agree that a fatal car crash in Milwaukee on Sept. 16 was a tragedy, there is less consensus on how to prevent similar incidents in the future. 

That day Pler Moo, 50, and her two sons, Moo Nay Taw, 21, and Kar Lah Kri Moo, 15, were killed and two other children seriously injured when their car was struck at North 35th and West Vliet streets by another vehicle fleeing police. 

Since the crash, some have called for changes to police pursuit policies, while others blame the crashes on those who flee police. 

“It is a very complex issue,” said Ruth Ehrgott, whose pregnant daughter, Erin Mogensen, was killed in 2023 when a reckless driver fleeing police crashed into her car. 

“I will always stop anybody that says, ‘Well, you know, the problem is … .’ These problems are too complex for that.” 

Ehrgott takes a nuanced approach to reckless driving through the nonprofit she founded in honor of her daughter, Enough is Enough – A Legacy for Erin.

She believes the entire community has a part to play in reducing deaths and injuries from reckless driving. 

Ongoing trend

The crash that occurred Sept. 16 likely would not have happened a decade ago, when the Milwaukee Police Department restricted vehicle pursuits to violent felonies.

In 2017, then-Police Chief Edward Flynn expanded the department’s policy to allow pursuits in cases involving drug dealing and reckless driving.

The following year, police pursuits rose 155%  – from 369 instances to 940 – with about two-thirds of the chases initiated because of reckless driving, according to a report from the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. In 2024, there were 957 police pursuits in Milwaukee, and just under one-third ended in a crash, according to another Fire and Police Commission report. 

There have been five deaths caused by crashes during police pursuits in Milwaukee since July. On July 29, El Moctar Sidiya was killed when a man fleeing officers crashed into his car on West Brady Street. On Aug. 23, Hasan Harris died after his car was struck by an individual who was fleeing police on West Center Street. 

The increase of pursuit-related deaths in Milwaukee is often cited as evidence of a link between looser pursuit policies and greater traffic risks, said Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and an expert on police pursuits. 

MPD acknowledges the widespread effects of these pursuits. 

“Police pursuits present significant challenges due to the physical, emotional and financial impact on officers, the public and fleeing suspects,” an MPD spokesperson told NNS.  

Change to pursuit policy

Alpert said if the goal is to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, pursuits should be limited to cases involving violent crimes. 

He also said it is a myth that limiting police chases to violent crimes causes an increase in other offenses, such as drug dealing. He cited a study in Virginia that found more narrow pursuit policies did not lead to higher crime rates.

There were calls to change MPD’s pursuit policy from members of the public during a Fire and Police Commission meeting on Sept. 18. 

Kayla Patterson put it bluntly in her public comment. 

“Committing crimes and traffic stops should not be death sentences,” she said.

Others weigh in

Mayor Cavalier Johnson, while speaking at a news conference on Sept. 18, addressed reckless driving and high-speed pursuits. 

He said that traffic-calming measures had reduced reckless driving in the city, but high-speed chases involving police remain a serious problem. 

Johnson said the city is considering different options, including using technology to warn people about pursuits.

But the primary responsibility for stopping chases is on those who flee, Johnson said. 

“I believe that one of the most effective things we can do in order to eliminate these chases … is to listen to officer commands to pull the vehicles over and not proceed with the chase,” Johnson said. 

Ald. Peter Burgelis, vice chair of the Milwaukee Common Council’s Public Safety and Health Committee, agrees. 

“Criminals fleeing from police contribute to injuries and deaths,” Burgelis said in an email to NNS. 

Calling the Sept. 16 crash “particularly devastating,” Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern said police must be involved in the response to reckless driving. 

“It is important to keep in mind that reckless driving has injured and killed a number of innocent people in our community, without any police pursuits involved,” Lovern said. “Police cancel pursuits where the public safety concerns indicate that is the appropriate course of action.”  

Drea Rodriguez, global program officer at WomenServe, suggested that police get more training, including on ideal routes to take. 

In this way, she said, residents can be a part of the solution and “easily share some hot spots to be aware of.” 

A spokesperson for MPD said the department is committed to making sure its training, policies and risk mitigation strategies reflect national best practices. 

Ehrgott said in addition to proper training for police, there should be strong repercussions for those who flee from police in addition to greater awareness of its dangers.

“These problems are societal,” Ehrgott said. “It’s happening to all of us.”

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Milwaukee residents and officials weigh in on police pursuit policy after fatal crash is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Those who utilize FoodShare and Medicaid may see some changes soon, the result of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” 

Here is what you need to know. 

Changes to FoodShare (SNAP)

Nearly 700,000 Wisconsinites receive food and nutrition assistance through FoodShare. 

Reno Wright, advocacy director for Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, said that while no changes have been enacted yet, the bill calls for a series of modifications. 

Some include: 

• Expanded work requirements. The age range for adults required to meet work requirements will increase from 18-54 to 18-64. Parents of children age 14 and older will now also need to meet work requirements.
• Restrictions for new legal immigrants: Before the bill, many immigrants like those with refugee status were exempt from the five-year waiting period that some legal permanent residents face to qualify for FoodShare benefits. The new law removes these exemptions, effectively making many new immigrants ineligible for the food assistance program. 
• Stricter exemption rules: Some people like veterans, people who are homeless and former foster youths aged 18-24 are exempt from having to meet work requirements in order to receive SNAP benefits. The bill removes those exemptions. 

These changes will only be implemented once the Wisconsin Department of Health Services receives further guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Wright said current FoodShare recipients should ensure their contact information is up to date to receive future updates.

Changes to medical benefits

Approximately one in five Wisconsinites (or 1 million people) receive health care coverage and services through Wisconsin’s Medicaid programs. Almost half of Wisconsin Medicaid members are children.

The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee Minority released a statement indicating that 276,175 Wisconsinites will lose health care coverage under both the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid because of the new law over the next decade.

In Milwaukee County, 19,951 people are at high risk of losing health coverage. 

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and a webinar from the National Press Foundation helped explain what’s going to change. 

Some changes include: 

• Expanded work requirements: Recipients will now have to do 80 hours a month of qualifying activities like work, school or volunteering. 
• Restrictions for new legal immigrants: Refugees and other people in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons are generally exempt from the standard five-year waiting period to receive Medicaid benefits. The bill removes that exemption.  
• Recipients have to be requalified for coverage and services every six months. 
• Cost-sharing requirements will expand. 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, these changes will force working people off the program because of red-tape work reporting requirements; increase medical debt and uncompensated care; increase Wisconsin’s uninsured population; and prevent Wisconsin from innovating and designing the best program for the state. 

These changes are set to take effect in late 2026. 

What’s being done to help

Alyssa Blom, a communications manager with the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, said that while the full impact of the Medicaid cuts is still unclear, the department is supporting those impacted. 

“We are concerned about how they may affect access to programs and services, especially for the most vulnerable in Milwaukee County,” she said. “Our priority is to continue supporting Medicaid recipients and ensuring continuity of care, while preparing for potential changes ahead.” 

Wright said the Hunger Task Force has an advocacy group called Voices Against Hunger. It is a statewide platform where information is sent out to let people know about things that are going on at the state and federal level, including federal nutrition programs like FoodShare. 

You can sign up for the group here.

What you need to know about changes to FoodShare (SNAP) and Medicaid is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Milwaukee Public Schools has rolled out a new emergency protocol designed to standardize and simplify responses to emergencies.  

Staff, families, students and the broader community were tragically reminded of the need for such protocol when, just weeks ago, a gunman opened fire during a student Mass at a Minneapolis school, killing two children and injuring more than a dozen others. 

Shannon Jones, MPS director of school safety and security, said shooting incidents like these prompt staff to reflect and assess.

“I think after every incident that has happened nationwide, actually worldwide, we kind of look at where we are and try to take in consideration the ‘what ifs,’” Jones said. “Overall, it’s about the safety of the kids.” 

What’s new?

On Sept. 2, the first day of the school year at most MPS schools, students were introduced to the Standard Response Protocol, said Kevin Hafemann, emergency operations manager for the district. 

The protocol was developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides free safety resources to schools. 

Posters explaining each response are displayed in classrooms at MPS’ roughly 150 schools. 

Those responses are: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter. 

Five emergency responses

Here’s what each response entails for students and teachers. 

• Hold: Students remain in their room or area, while hallways are kept clear. While holding, normal activities can continue. 
• Secure: Teachers lock outside doors to protect people inside buildings. Although awareness should be heightened, normal activities can continue. 
• Lockdown: Teachers clear hallways, lock doors to individual rooms and turn off the lights. Students hide and keep quiet. 
• Evacuate: Students move to an announced location, leaving personal items if necessary. 
• Shelter: Depending on the hazard announced by the teacher, students respond with the relevant strategy. For example, if there’s an earthquake, students should drop, cover and hold.

Easier in an actual emergency

“The neat thing about the SRP (Standard Response Protocol), it’s very simple. There’s only five, so it’s an all-hazards approach,” Hafemann said. 

The posters replaced a much more detailed flipbook. 

“This is where we came from,” Hafemann said, holding up the flipbook. “Very great, excellent information. But during a crisis, you lose your fine motor skills. You’re not going to have time when you’re scared to be able to read what to do.” 

Many community partners were involved in bringing the new protocol to MPS, Hafemann said. This includes the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee Fire Department.

Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said the collaboration has helped MPS avoid “reinventing a wheel on something that might not work in the real world.”   

For example, he said, it’s important for staff to know that during a fire, one of the safest areas of a building is the stairwell. 

“Through good incident command and communication with folks at the building, that gives us time for them to go, ‘Hey, we got a kid in a motorized wheelchair on the west stairwell, third floor.’ That becomes a major priority for us,” Lipski said. 

Some emergency protocol details cannot be shared publicly for safety reasons, but families are informed whenever changes directly affect school procedures, said Missy Zombor, president of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors.  

What’s the same?

Although the Standard Response Protocol is new for the district, it is part of the district’s ongoing Emergency Operations Plan.

The plan is an overarching safety framework mandated by state law, requiring school districts to coordinate prevention, mitigation, response and recovery efforts across the district. 

A range of emergency drills are also mandated: monthly fire drills; at least two tornado or hazard drills annually; one “school violence” or “lockdown” drill annually. 

MPS also conducts defibrillator drills and, for younger students, bus evacuation drills each year.

What steps can be taken now?

Families should review the Standard Response Protocol poster with their schoolchildren, Hafemann said. 

“Just have those discussions with children about these and that they’re aware of what to do,” he said.

Lipski advised reviewing “the basic stuff” as well. 

“They probably do well to review basic ‘stranger danger’ stuff,” he said. “Yes, we want you to follow instructions that your teachers are telling you, but if you need to leave the building because there’s an emergency and you get separated, make sure you find an adult that you are familiar with.”

As children get a little bit older, Lipski added, it would be helpful for them to get CPR training and some basic first aid. 

“It just reinforces that, ‘Hey, you know what – helping people is a thing you can do,’” Lipski said.

For more information

Families can update their contact information in the online Parent Portal to effectively use SchoolMessenger, the district’s emergency communication tool.

If families have safety and security-related questions, students can reach out to their respective teachers first, while parents can contact Jones or Stephen Davis, media relations manager for MPS, Davis said. 

Jones can be reached at 414-345-6637. 

Davis can be reached at 414-475-8675 and davis2@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.

MPS also provides some opportunities for input from families through school-based councils, district surveys, board meetings and community listening sessions, Zombor said. 

The Wisconsin Department of Justice maintains a statewide portal for reporting safety concerns. People can also call the tipline at 800-697-8761.

Families and students can access key safety and security documents on the MPS website.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Milwaukee Public Schools rolls out new emergency protocol is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Rochelle Nagorski thought her son was all set to go to Burdick, his neighborhood elementary school, this year. 

“I got an email stating that he was enrolled, but we weren’t getting anything stating who his teacher was,” she said.

Nagorski later learned Burdick, 4348 S. Griffin Ave., Milwaukee, was at capacity and that her son was placed on the school’s waitlist.  

“Why wouldn’t he get into his neighborhood school? It’s literally two and a half blocks from our house.”

She is not alone. Others also have reported similar challenges. 

Steve Davis, media relations manager at Milwaukee Public Schools, explained in an email to NNS that the school district is working to make sure not to exceed maximum class sizes at schools. 

“This means more schools are at capacity and cannot accept new students, even if it is a family’s neighborhood school,” Davis wrote.

Capacity and other issues related to the enrollment process have forced Nagorski and others to scramble to find alternatives.

Frustration with central services

Citlali Torres said she already had enough on her plate after her uncle, Vincent Torres, was killed in front of his home this summer. Then, someone stole her wallet with her ID. 

While she dealt with those challenges, she decided to enroll her 4-year-old daughter at Morgandale Elementary, 3635 S. 17th St. 

“Morgandale is a great school. I went there all the way from K4 to eighth grade,” Torres said.

She tried to enroll her daughter but was told she needed to wait for the year to start to see if the school had space. 

Once the school year started, Torres called MPS central services but was told a picture of her ID wasn’t enough to enroll her. She needed a physical ID card, which was stolen along with her wallet. 

Torres said the staff at Morgandale have been helpful and supportive, but she has struggled to get help from central services.

“All I want is for, you know, to get my daughter enrolled in school.” 

Nagorski also had trouble with central services. When she called, the employee told her she should have put other schools on the list in case her son didn’t get into Burdick.

Nagorski didn’t know it was possible for her neighborhood school to fill up, so she only put Burdick on the list. 

Staff at central services said she’d have to come to the office and enroll her child in another school. Nagorski, who is on medical leave from ankle surgery, asked if there was another option but was told there was none. 

The district has since reached out to her to schedule a home visit.  

Scrambling for alternatives

Since her son was waitlisted, Nagorski has considered whether to re-enroll him in Wisconsin Virtual Academy, where he went last semester. She said online learning didn’t work well for him – she noticed him become disengaged – but it’s better than nothing. 

“I’d rather get them on online learning so he’s at least got some kind of schooling going on and get some kind of structure,” she said.

Nagorski said she wished the district notified her sooner that her son was on the waitlist at Burdick. 

“If I would have been notified a week prior to school starting, even if he was on a waitlist,” she said. “Give me something to work with.” 

Torres was finally able to enroll her daughter in school after NNS connected her with Davis. 

She began classes on Sept. 10 at Morgandale. 

How to enroll your student

Davis said parents will get the fastest service by coming in person to the central services office at 5225 W. Vliet St. 

Parents can apply to enroll their students by checking out this online portal. 

For families who can’t come in person or navigate the online portal, Davis said they can call 414-475-8159 and ask a canvasser to visit. 

The district requires identification when enrolling your student. If you don’t have a government-issued ID card, call the number above. 

According to Davis, one way to help avoid parents’ school of choice reaching maximum capacity is by applying during the regular enrollment period. 

“We appreciate that full classes and schools may present challenges for families,” Davis wrote in an email to NNS. “We do hope they can understand that a classroom filled above its maximum capacity can present a challenging experience for all the students, their families and the teacher.”

Parents face challenges navigating the Milwaukee Public Schools enrollment process is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Elizabeth Brown faced five years of housing troubles, homelessness and other barriers. But she can now say she’s a homeowner. 

Brown, 51, always wanted to be a homeowner but said it just hadn’t happened for her. Just a few years ago, Brown was choosing between feeding her children and paying her rent. After moving into a home in Milwaukee near North 20th Street and West Auer Avenue that quickly fell into disrepair, she decided it was time to make a dream a reality. 

“I just couldn’t do that anymore,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want to deal with landlords anymore.” 

Brown purchased her home through Acts Housing and moved in June 27.  

Brown is a mother of nine children, four of whom she still takes care of. She is a community organizer and the current president of Amani United, a neighborhood group.

“I love that she has this house now,” said Doris Brown, Elizabeth’s mother. “It feels like she’s reached the beginning of being settled, like she deserves to be.” 

The journey

Brown’s homebuying process took about two years. But she spent even longer preparing for it.

“It was hard because one day I was trying to survive,” she said. 

Two of Brown’s children are school-aged and two more are in college. As she prepared to buy a home, she was working to support her children and serving her community through her work as a leader for Amani United. 

Brown has spent significant time giving back to the community. She said when it came to the process of buying a home, it was that same community that supported her. 

Amanda Clark, housing coordinator for the Dominican Center, which often works in partnership with Amani United, has known Brown for eight years. She said she was excited to witness Brown become a homeowner. 

“I don’t think anyone is more deserving than Elizabeth,” she said. “Elizabeth acted as a pilot so that we can, as a community, help other residents access homeownership without as many barriers.” 

Overcoming barriers

Brown said there were many days when she just wanted to give up on becoming a homeowner. 

One challenge, she said, was simply saving the money needed to purchase her home. 

“When you are working with programs and following steps toward your goal, life is still happening,” she said. “I was homeless for six months during this process because the home I was living in just became unlivable.” 

She said there were times when she’d have to rent hotel rooms to meet her and her children’s hygiene needs or rent other places to cook for them. 

“There is always something else you need to do,” Brown said. “You think you’ve taken all the steps, then a coach will say, ‘oh you need to do this and this.’ ”

While she bought the home through Acts Housing, she said other supports, like staff from the Community Development Alliance, Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church, Northwestern Mutual and LISC, were helpful in her journey.

A fresh start

Brown said buying a home feels like the beginning for her. 

“I’m happy, and my children are so proud of me,” she said. “But there is so much more I want to do.” 

Brown said homeownership is possible for anyone who wants to achieve it, so long as communities care. 

“It was a long fight,” Brown said. “But I’m a firm believer everything happens for a reason, and I had my experience so that I can help others do what I did.” 

A Milwaukee woman’s long journey to homeownership is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, the nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering the city’s diverse neighborhoods, has promoted veteran journalist Edgar Mendez to managing editor following a national search. 

Mendez, a Milwaukee native and one of the newsroom’s founding reporters, will guide the award-winning newsroom into its next chapter of community-driven journalism.

Mendez’s promotion marks a moment of growth as NNS expands its staff. Alex Klaus joins as an education reporter focused on accountability and solutions in Milwaukee’s K-12 schools, while Jonathan Aguilar, a bilingual multimedia journalist, brings reporting and photojournalism expertise to the team.

‘Trust and respect in the community’

A resident of Milwaukee’s Clarke Square neighborhood, Mendez has long grounded his work in the needs of the community. “I’m beyond excited to lead NNS through its next chapter of growth, as we continue to build on a strong foundation of trust and respect in the community,” Mendez said. “Our focus is going to be guided by their needs as we map out our future.”

Ron Smith, executive director of NNS, said the newsroom’s national candidate search confirmed what Milwaukee already knew: Mendez’s leadership, track record and connection to the city make him uniquely suited for the role.

“It’s funny how the national search for managing editor led us to a local treasure who was already in our newsroom,” Smith said. “Edgar has been with us since our beginning and has built trust in our community through his rigorous, people-centric reporting. He’s not only a champion of great journalism, he’s also a champion of the great journalists who do the work.”

A distinguished career

Mendez has built a career telling the stories of his Clarke Square neighborhood and beyond. His award-winning reporting has earned him a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and multiple Milwaukee Press Club honors.

He has reported on critical community issues ranging from taverns and marijuana law enforcement to lead in water service lines and the opioid epidemic. Notable stories include an examination of families of homicide victims fighting for justice in Milwaukee’s hundreds of unsolved murder cases; an investigation into the city’s drug crisis, revealing how older Black men are dying of overdoses at staggering rates; and a look at Sherman Park three years after unrest, probing whether reforms improved police-community relations.

With Mendez’s appointment and the additions of Klaus and Aguilar, NNS is strengthening its capacity to deliver fearless, fact-based reporting to communities of color in Milwaukee. 

Mendez’s deep roots in Milwaukee and his reputation for editorial excellence align with NNS’s mission to elevate local voices and cover stories that matter to the people who live, work and serve in city neighborhoods. As part of Wisconsin Watch, NNS continues to expand its impact and rebuild local news in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin.

“We want to give Milwaukee the newsroom it deserves,” Smith added. “The hiring of Edgar gives us the momentum we need to serve our neighbors at a time when fearless, community-centered journalism is needed more than ever.”

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service names Edgar Mendez managing editor following national search is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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As immigration enforcement increases in Milwaukee, some community members want to better document the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.  

Comité Sin Fronteras, an arm of Voces de la Frontera, is training people to serve as “community verifiers,” who confirm or deny reports of ICE actions and document incidents when they do happen. 

A key element of the project, dubbed “La Migra Watch,” is to raise awareness about the hotline anyone can use to report possible ICE activity, said Raul Rios, an organizer with Comité. 

“That is how, statewide, we can get involved and get on the ground to help each other,” Rios said. 

In the video above, Rios explains how the verification process works, and we follow a verifier after a call to the hotline is made. 

Video: How ‘community verifiers’ work to inform residents about ICE is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Every time third-year Milwaukee Area Technical College student Devin Hayden comes to the Office of Multicultural Services, student service specialists welcome her with open arms.

“It’s literally just nothing but ‘hi Devin, how are you doing? How’s your parents?’ ” she said. “I felt like I could talk to them about anything that was going on.”

Now, students like Hayden are wondering where they’ll find support once the office closes on Sept. 18. 

In August, MATC announced it is restructuring the office into a new Office of Community Impact and eliminating four student service specialist positions to comply with federal recommendations to end race-based practices.

Some are questioning whether the decision aligns with the message the college sends regarding inclusivity and diversity. 

‘Safe space’

Walter Lanier remembers students walking through the doors of the Office of Multicultural Services saying, “this is different when I walk in here.”

Lanier, who ran the department until 2020 and left MATC in 2022, said many students of color consider the office their “home base.” He thinks it will be almost impossible to fill the gap left by eliminating four student support specialists.

They specialize in serving the needs of Black, Indigenous, Asian and Hispanic students but also work with students from other backgrounds.

The office also rescued leftover food from the cafeteria and gave it out to students free of charge, Hayden said. She said some students came to the office for food every day.

“I would cash in on that because sometimes I don’t have enough money for lunch,” Hayden said.

Crystal Harper, a student who’s taken classes at MATC for nine years, said the office is her “safe space.” She credits the office for supporting her growth in school, even connecting her with an internship and supporting her candidacy for MATC governor.

“When eagles fly, they don’t have to move their wings. They’re just soaring. So they told me to be like the eagles — continue to soar,” Harper said. “That’s what my plans are, to continue to soar.”

Hayden, who identifies as a Black queer woman, said she didn’t just feel like a number at the Office of Multicultural Services like she does in other spaces on campus. 

Eliminating that space contradicts the college’s message of “community and inclusivity,” Hayden said. 

“The message that (the college is) spreading that yes, we promote students, we promote students of different walks of life but then at the same time we’re going to eliminate this entire department is ridiculous to me,” Hayden said. “None of us are trusting that. None of us think that that decision is right.”

MATC to ‘champion holistic support for all students’

The four student service specialists received an email on Aug. 19 informing them that the Office of Multicultural Services will be restructured into the Office of Community Impact and their positions would be eliminated.

The office will “champion holistic support for all students,” MATC told NNS in a statement.

The decision comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke federal funding from colleges and universities that use “race-conscious practices” in programs or activities. 

MATC leaders said they restructured the office to align with the administration’s guidance because the office solely serviced students who identify as a specific race or ethnic group. 

“Fulfilling our mission to serve all students in our community while adjusting to this guidance from the U.S. Department of Education has been challenging,” read the statement from MATC. “We want to continue to stress our commitment and focus on supporting each and every one of our students, providing them with the resources they need to succeed.” 

In August, U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland determined that the way the Trump administration attempted to threaten revoking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs was unconstitutional. 

MATC leaders said they are equally committed to supporting the employees whose positions were eliminated.

In the email, Michael Rogers, vice president of student engagement and community impact, invited support specialists to apply for two new positions within the Office of Community Impact: one that focuses on “specialized training and student events” and another for “mentorship programs,” if they wished. 

Additional concerns

In an Aug. 26 MATC District Board meeting, student service specialist Floyd C. Griffin III, who worked in multicultural services for four years, asked the board why the college eliminated his position. 

“I’m living through the indignity of working day after day knowing that my service, my dedication and my livelihood have already been dismissed by leadership,” Griffin said. “After years of commitment, this is how the college treats its employees of color — rushed, silenced and discarded.” 

The four service specialists are people of color. 

Tony Baez, the former MATC vice president of academic affairs, implemented bilingual programs at MATC in the 1990s. He said MATC President Anthony Cruz should rethink eliminating support specialists.

“MATC is an institution that is so large that with each (support specialist), you can ease them into other kinds of positions to help those students that need the support systems,” Baez said. “He had options.”

Milwaukee tech college’s multicultural service cuts prompt pushback is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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When Kristen Payne learned her child’s classmate at the Golda Meir Lower Campus tested positive for lead poisoning earlier this year, she said Milwaukee Public Schools had underestimated the amount of lead dust in the school. 

“We have come to find out that Golda Meir had one of the highest levels of lead dust of any of the schools tested,” said Payne, founder of the advocacy group Lead Safe Schools MKE. 

After MPS replaced the windows at Golda Meir in the 1990s, she said, district officials thought they eliminated a major hazard. But after starting remediation work earlier this year, they realized the problem was worse than they thought, she said. 

Payne said the experience broke her trust with the district. She’s one of several advocates calling for MPS to be more transparent with its lead action plan. 

As the school year approaches, lead safety groups want the district to share more documentation, open up about the money being spent on the plan and keep an eye on subcontractors doing remediation. 

Advocates urge transparency

As of Aug. 29, the Milwaukee Health Department had cleared 39 MPS schools, meaning lead hazards have been removed and it is safe for children to return. 

The district has posted full health department clearance reports for six schools and interim clearance reports for three schools, including Golda Meir. 

An interim clearance report means all indoor lead hazards have been addressed, even if there are still lead hazards outside, said Caroline Reinwald, marketing, communications and public information officer for the Milwaukee Health Department. 

“Some schools receive interim clearance reports because completing all exterior work can take months or even years,” Reinwald wrote. “In these cases, the buildings are still considered safe to occupy.” 

As of Aug. 29, the district had sent letters to families at 28 schools saying the Health Department cleared their school for occupancy, yet few of the full clearance reports are available online. 

“Trust is not going to be rebuilt if they continue to withhold information,” Payne said. “There’s many of us who aren’t clear or sure that truly these schools are safe.”

Richard Diaz is the co-founder of Coalition On Lead Emergency, which works to prevent and respond to lead poisoning in Milwaukee. 

He said he wants to know how much money MPS is spending on abatement efforts and how long the cleanup keeps students safe from lead exposure. 

Lead hazards can reappear after abatement, so the district will need to monitor schools for future lead risks, according to the Milwaukee Health Department clearance reports. New lead hazards can also appear as the building deteriorates, the reports read. 

“Because these aren’t full-fledged abatements, these are, you know, kind of just Band-Aids on a solution that will need to be addressed in years to come,” Diaz said. 

Contractor concerns

JCP Construction, the company MPS hired to assist with lead remediation, started the work with about 150 painters, but about 30 painters have since left due to difficult work conditions and high temperatures, MPS Interim Chief Operating Officer Mike Turza said in the July 31 school board meeting. 

Turza said JCP Construction hired Illinois-based Independence Painting to fill the void, a decision that raised concerns among advocates and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. The district currently has 172 painters working across buildings.

Andy Buck, political affairs director with the painters’ union, said safety is a big concern. He said people want to know and ensure contractors doing lead remediation have the necessary qualifications.

“How’s that being documented?” Buck asked.

MPS media relations manager Stephen Davis said the district holds the contractor, JCP Construction, accountable for ensuring subcontractors are compliant with state regulations and licenses. 

When the public raised concerns about out-of-state contractors like Independence Painting, the district worked with JCP to ensure it had all the necessary qualifications, Davis said.

There are generally no restrictions on the use of contractors from outside the area or state, but the district mandates that any staff meet the qualifications of state and building code requirements, Davis said.

Payne said the situation is another example of why she struggles to trust the district. Like Buck, she wants to see the documented qualifications of the subcontractors. 

During the July 31 school board meeting, Turza said a district staff member was always monitoring each worksite and that certified lead stabilization staff or Wisconsin Department of Health Services workers were always present. 

“It’s not clear to me who is correct,” Payne said. “I would want to see actual data on that before coming to any conclusion.”

What’s next

The first day of class for most Milwaukee Public Schools was Sept. 2. As of Aug. 29, there were still 11 schools that had not been cleared by the Milwaukee Health Department. 

Remediation efforts are ongoing with clearance of all schools expected by the start of the school year, according to the district’s most recent lead action plan report.

You can check on the progress of lead remediation efforts on this website. 

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.  

Advocates want more transparency in Milwaukee Public Schools lead action plan is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Jesús Daniel Ruiz Villamil wanted to be proactive, so before he started his junior year at Milwaukee’s South Division High School, he asked his counselors about courses beyond normal high school classes. 

They suggested dual enrollment, where Ruiz Villamil could get college credit for taking university-level courses like Latin American and Caribbean studies and advanced Spanish taught by his high school teachers.

Now a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Ruiz Villamil credits the dual enrollment classes he took at South Division for the success he’s experienced so far in college. 

“I think those college classes … helped me to improve my writing and reading skills to be prepared for my English classes, psychology classes and political science classes,” he said.

Dual enrollment gives students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. South Division is one of several Milwaukee Public Schools that offer dual enrollment in the school – MPS teachers teach college classes in the classroom.

MPS high school students at any school can also take advantage of dual enrollment on a college campus – where students can earn high school and college credit at the same time for taking college classes – through the district’s M-Cubed partnership with UWM and the Milwaukee Area Technical College. 

Participation in dual enrollment is growing in Wisconsin, but Milwaukee lags behind many other districts in the state, a Wisconsin Policy Forum report found. 

In Milwaukee Public Schools, 2.8% of high school students participated in dual enrollment, the study found using 2023-2024 state report card data. The report card data is based off enrollment data from the previous school year. 

In Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, the rate is 47%, while at Racine Unified, the dual enrollment participation rate is 40%.

Concerns with state funding

Vicki Bott, UWM outreach program manager, said she thinks dual enrollment could grow at MPS, but limits in state funding force schools to weigh the benefits of increasing access with other pressing district needs.

The district covers nearly the entire cost of programs like M-Cubed or in-classroom courses like those at South Division, MPS postsecondary engagement coordinator Hannah Ingram said. Wisconsin does not give school districts funding to help cover these dual enrollment costs. 

For each UWM course that a high school teacher teaches, MPS pays $330 per student at no cost to the student. For this coming school year, the district is paying a little over $3,200 per student to participate in the M-Cubed program, Ingram said.

“It’s too much of a burden on school districts and high schools, so that’s where we’ve got some inequity,” Bott said. “If it’s a matter of like, you know, repainting to prevent lead poisoning or providing tuition for dual enrollment, they’re going to choose the lead poisoning prevention.”

Other hurdles

Some schools don’t have dual enrollment courses inside the classroom because no teachers have the necessary qualifications to teach a college-level course, MPS career and technical education manager Eric Radomski said. Teachers also don’t get incentives to teach dual enrollment courses. 

South Division can offer several courses in the high school because several teachers already had the necessary qualifications, including master’s degrees, Principal José Trejo said. 

Trejo said not many South Division students participate in M-Cubed. He said students tend to just participate in the courses within the high school.

Most dual enrollment courses across Wisconsin are similar to South Division’s program, where high school teachers get credentialed to teach courses for college credit in the classroom, Wisconsin Policy Forum researcher and report author Don Cramer said. 

South Division is one of 10 MPS schools that offer classes through UWM in the high school, Ingram said. Radomski said 15 high schools have career and technical education classes, eight of which offer dual enrollment career and technical education courses. 

Despite the financial constraints, Radomski said, “We have seen a gradual trend in the right direction with more and more (career and technical education) teachers offering dual enrollment courses over the past several years.”  

The district adds about one to two career and technical education dual enrollment courses in the high school each year, he said. 

Different schools, different priorities

Another reason dual enrollment access varies, according to Ingram, is because some MPS schools choose to prioritize other programs over dual enrollment in the classroom, like Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, the Rising Phoenix program through the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, or Early College Credit Program and Start College Now, Wisconsin’s two dual enrollment programs. 

At Pulaski High School, for example, three students dual-enrolled during the 2022-2023 school year, but 84% of students completed AP or IB courses. 

Not all students who take AP courses take the exam, and not everyone who takes the exam receives college credit. Students need to take and score high enough on an AP exam to earn college credit. 

AP exams are graded on a scale of one to five. Students typically need to score three or higher depending on the course and the requirements of the university to which the student is transferring. Students can check what AP scores their prospective college accepts using the College Board’s AP credit policy search.

Radomski said despite the benefits of advanced courses like AP and IB, a lot of MPS students see greater success in dual enrollment courses because they need to pass an entire class to receive college credit, not just a test. 

“We have over a 75% pass rate, for example, in Career Tech Ed, but the number is not nearly that high for students getting a three or four on their (AP) test in order to get that credit,” Radomski said. 

Ruiz Villamil said the rigor of AP courses helped him prepare for college classes, but he preferred dual enrollment. He said he failed two AP exams and didn’t earn credit despite taking the classes for a year. 

Helping students find their path

At South Division, principal Trejo has seen dual enrollment courses help students gain better clarity about what they want to do after graduation. With this clarity, Trejo said, students can avoid pursuing a college degree only to realize they don’t like it.

“It’s a really good experience in terms of understanding ‘maybe that’s not what I want to do’ and it’s OK,” Trejo said. “But at least you found that out early enough so that you’re not spending so much money in college.”

For example, students interested in becoming a teacher can learn how they like working in a classroom by taking college-level education classes and participating in an internship at an MPS school — an opportunity Trejo said students might not have if they didn’t start their education career until college. 

Ruiz Villamil said his dual enrollment courses helped expose him to new pathways of study. 

“That’s one of the reasons that I’m doing a Spanish minor, probably major,” Ruiz Villamil said. “Nowadays, I can look back to it and appreciate that I took those classes.”

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Dual enrollment helps Milwaukee Public Schools students prepare for college success. Why are participation rates low? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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The federal government has extended its lease on a downtown Milwaukee property used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to federal lease records and the building’s owner. 

The property at 310 E. Knapp St. is owned by the Milwaukee School of Engineering but will remain in use by the federal government through at least April 2026, with options to extend through 2028, said JoEllen Burdue, the college’s senior communications director. 

“We do not have immediate plans for the building and will reevaluate next year when we know whether or not the government wants to extend the lease,” Burdue said.

The lease was originally scheduled to expire in April 2025. 

With a new ICE facility under construction on the city’s Northwest Side, the downtown lease extension raises the possibility that the federal government is expanding local immigration infrastructure or enforcement. This would be consistent with other forms of expansion in immigration enforcement, statewide and nationally. 

“I’m upset and concerned about what this means for my immigrant constituency. For my constituents, period,” said Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, who represents the 8th District on the South Side.

Immigration infrastructure

The Knapp Street property is used by ICE as a field office for its Enforcement and Removal Operations, according to ICE. 

This includes serving as a check‑in location for individuals under ICE supervision who aren’t in custody and a processing center for individuals with pending immigration cases or removal proceedings.

According to a Vera Institute of Justice analysis, the number of people held at the Knapp Street location has been increasing. 

The Vera Institute is a national nonpartisan nonprofit that does research and advocates for policy concerning incarceration and public safety. 

The most people held by ICE at a given time at that Knapp Street location during the Biden administration was six. On June 3, 22 people were held there – also exceeding the high of 17 during President Donald Trump’s first administration, according to data from Vera Institute. 

The office generally does not detain people overnight but can facilitate transfer to detention centers that do. 

The functions carried out at the Knapp Street office mirror those planned for the Northwest Side facility.

City records show the West Lake Park Drive property will be used to process non-detained people as well as detainees for transport to detention centers.

The records also state that the property will serve as the main southeastern Wisconsin office for immigration officers and staff.

The U.S. General Services Administration, the federal government’s real estate arm, initially projected the new site would open in October. However, a spokesperson said there was no update and did not confirm whether that timeline still stands.

Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, responded to NNS’ requests for comment. 

Rise in immigration enforcement

As local immigration enforcement grows, so does enforcement throughout the state and the rest of the country. 

Nationally, the number of immigrants booked into ICE detention facilities increased in less than a year – from 24,696 in August 2024 to 36,713 in June 2025, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. 

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse is a nonprofit at Syracuse University that conducts nonpartisan research. 

Not only are more people being detained, but they are being detained for longer, said Jennifer Chacón, the Bruce Tyson Mitchell professor of law at Stanford Law School. 

A July 8 internal memo from ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons instructs agents to detain immigrants for the duration of their removal proceedings, effectively eliminating access to bond hearings. 

Eighty-four of 181 detention facilities exceeded their contractual capacity on at least one day from October 2024 to mid-April 2025, according to a July report from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. 

The Dodge County Jail, which ICE uses to detain people apprehended in Milwaukee, is one of the facilities that exceeded its contractual capacity. On its busiest day, it held 139 individuals – four more than its 135-bed limit.   

In addition to Dodge County, Brown and Sauk county jails have also entered into agreements with ICE to house detained immigrants, according to records obtained by the ACLU of Wisconsin. 

ICE’s unprecedented budget

Noelle Smart, a principal research associate at the Vera Institute, notes that it remains unclear whether increased immigration enforcement drives the need for more detention infrastructure or expands to catch up with more infrastructure. 

But, Smart said, with ICE’s unprecedented new budget, the question of which one drives the other becomes less relevant.

Trump’s proposed ICE budget in 2025 was $9.7 billion – a billion more than ICE’s 2024 budget. An additional $29.85 billion was made available through 2029 for enforcement and removal as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” 

“We know this administration intends to vastly increase the number of people subject to arrests and detention, and we expect to see increases in both given this budget,” Smart said.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

Federal government extends lease at downtown Milwaukee building used by ICE is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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In 2023, Arian Rice became a private pilot at age 18.

Now 20, he’s working toward his goal of flying commercial planes and encouraging Black children to explore their dreams. 

“After getting the news about getting my license, I can look back and say that I didn’t sit and wait for somebody to do it for me,” Rice said. 

Currently, Rice is participating in the aeronautics program at Gateway Technical College to fly commercial planes. 

While there, he will complete 125 hours of training to receive his Airline Transport rating, the highest level of pilot certification issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

First time in a cockpit

Rice was 11 when he was first introduced to aviation. His nana, Isha Kinard, took the family to Burlington to experience the Young Eagles flight program, eat breakfast and explore airplanes. 

There, Rice was given the opportunity to fly a plane for the first time.

“I wasn’t scared at all, and when we took off, it felt exhilarating,” Rice said. 

During the one-on-one flight, the pilot allowed Rice to take control of the plane, teaching him how to steer and turn. 

“I remember we were by a pole, and the pilot tells me to turn around it,” Rice said. 

Rice’s aviation journey had just begun.

“I saw a sense of purpose in his eyes as he shared his experience,” Kinard said. 

Not old enough for flight school

Rice said his biggest challenge was finding additional flight training. He wanted to train at Spring City Aviation at Milwaukee’s Timmerman Airport, but the minimum age to fly an aircraft solo is 16. 

“It was hard, but I didn’t let my dream of aviation die out,” he said.  

From ages 13 to 14, he participated in free aviation training through the Young Eagles Sporty’s Learn to Fly course. There he learned the fundamentals of aviation. 

In addition, he watched videos on YouTube. 

Rice’s mom, Dahneisha Gavin, home-schooled Rice and said he’s good at being a self-learner. 

“He can see something and adapt to it,” Gavin said.

Rice mowed lawns and sold fireworks during the summer to pay for the training. 

“When we were at the breakfast that day, there was a man that spoke life into not only my son, but us as a unit. He said if we wanted him to fly, we would all have to work together,” Gavin said. 

Kinard, Gavin and Rice’s dad, James Sims Robinson, searched for scholarships, pitched in financially and provided other support.

Winning a scholarship

In 2023, mentor and former flight instructor Sean O’Donnell encouraged Rice to apply for a $10,000 EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship, which he won.

“Sean understood my limitations with getting training, and in his spare time, he saw an opportunity for me and forwarded the information to me,” Rice said. 

Rice said he was the only Black applicant, which motivated him to work harder. 

According to the Bureau of Labor of Statistics, only 4% of aircraft pilots and flight engineers are Black.

“Most of the applicants already had the experience and come from families with pilots,” Rice said. “They saw I had worked to do the 10 hours of training, and that stood out to them.”

A generational trailblazer

After passing written exams and completing training hours, Rice received his official private pilot license at 18. He is the first pilot in his family. 

Gavin said flying with her son for the first time was one of the proudest moments of her life. 

“Arian showed me that he belongs to the sky. It’s not just about flying airplanes. It’s about breaking barriers and creating a legacy to show other young people in Milwaukee that anything is possible,” Gavin said. 

Rice said he has moments when he thinks about his first experiences leading up to now and thanks his nana for it. 

“My nana invested in my future just by bringing me to that breakfast,” Rice said. 

Rice said he believes that Black people aren’t exposed to other careers enough. 

“Blacks are always being pushed into music or sports. My license gave me a freeing feeling because some families become too complacent when there isn’t a push,” he said. 

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For more information

For children looking to go into aviation, Rice suggests reading books about planes at a library and researching resources.

“It’s out there, but you just need to read what’s in front of you,” he said. 

Kinard encourages parents to start small. “Break the dreams down into smaller achievable steps and support their efforts to learn and grow along the way,” she said. 

Click here to stay updated on Rice’s aviation journey.

How this Black pilot in Milwaukee earned his license to fly at age 18 is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Last week’s storms destroyed Sabrena Henderson’s Milwaukee home, leaving her family displaced. 

Not only did the basement of her Garden Homes rental unit flood, destroying her washer, dryer and freezer, but the heavy rains collapsed her ceiling.

While she does have renters insurance, she said, it’s been a long process of trying to apply for assistance, file claims and figure out next steps. 

“It’s only thanks to my family that we are not homeless,” she said. “But we can’t stay in our house, and we are waiting for the landlord to do their part.” 

Additionally, Henderson is a breast cancer survivor who is still in cancer care and should not be anywhere near her home. Mold buildup could be dangerous for her immune system, she said, making cleanup another major concern.

Henderson’s family is one of thousands trying to put their lives back together.  

Impact

Two American Red Cross shelters have been set up in Milwaukee at Holler Park, 5151 S. 6th St., and Washington Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St., to assist temporarily displaced individuals.

Jennifer Warren, the regional communications director with the Red Cross, said on Sunday, Aug. 18, the shelters housed 39 people. 

She said since the shelter has been set up, the Red Cross has served over 1,400 meals and snacks. Workers handed out 3,400 emergency relief supplies.

Vickie Boneck, the director of marketing and communications with IMPACT 211, a central access point for people in need, said her organization is supporting local emergency management offices by collecting reports of property damage caused by flooding.

Days after the storm, calls for flood-related assistance continue. 

As of the afternoon of Aug. 18, over 16,500 flood-related service requests had been made to 211 from Milwaukee County and the surrounding counties of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington. About 85% of those requests originated from Milwaukee County alone.

According to 211 data, the highest concentration of service requests came from Milwaukee County’s Northwest Side and the West Milwaukee area, particularly from ZIP codes 53218, 53209 and 53216.

ZIP code 53218, where Henderson’s home falls, reported the most significant impact, with 1,851 damage reports. It also led in utility disruptions, with 2,562 reports, and had over 850 reports of structural damage.

Of the data collected, approximately 6,000 referrals were for storm-related assistance, helping connect residents to county emergency services, disaster food programs, cleanup supplies and other recovery resources.

What’s next

Milwaukee County’s disaster teams are assessing damage. The Salvation Army has teams out handing out water and snacks to those impacted. 

Benny Benedict, the emergency disaster services director for the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County, said people are still trying to understand the full impact of the floods. 

“It takes a while to figure out basically what you’re dealing with, and it seems that this flood is definitely very significant,” Benedict said. 

Teams from partner agencies are also on site to help residents clean homes and basements. 

Both the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are accepting monetary contributions to help those impacted as on-site donations are too much to manage at the moment. 

“Today it might be the masks that everyone needs, and then we get thousands of them, and next thing you don’t know, the need is baby formula, and all we have are masks,” he said. “So the monetary donation, we don’t have to sort it, it’s very fluid, and the Salvation Army takes great care in making sure that we’re just meeting the critical needs.” 

Benedict said in his experience, this will be a case of long-term recovery for many of those impacted. 

“Preliminary numbers are showing that there is a significant number of destroyed homes,” he said. “So, we know that the unmet needs are going to be quite large. 
That could be everything from just cleanup kits, flood kits, help getting the house mucked out, basically rebuilding, and then there’s going to be needs for household items that were destroyed.”

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How to get help

Residents who wish to report property damage may contact IMPACT 211 and speak to a community resource specialist. That is also the best way to access information and referral to programs and services that may help in the aftermath of this storm. If people just want to report property damage, the best way is to complete the online form 211 Wisconsin.

Thousands of Milwaukee residents still feel effects of storm wreckage is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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The Milwaukee Police Department is still undecided about whether to expand its use of facial recognition technology, an MPD spokesperson said. 

“We are in continued conversations with the public related to FRT (facial recognition technology) and have not made any decisions,” the spokesperson said.

MPD has been in discussions with the company Biometrica, which partners with police agencies and others to provide the technology. 

Meanwhile, opposition to the technology continues to grow. 

In July, the Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission unanimously passed a resolution opposing MPD’s use of facial recognition. The Equal Rights Commission is a city body working to promote equality in the city’s institutions and the broader community. 

Tony Snell, chair of the commission, sent a letter to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman urging him to reject the technology. Copies were also sent to the Milwaukee Common Council, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission.

The resolution cited the risk of error, which it said disproportionately affects historically marginalized groups, as a major reason for opposition.

The Equal Rights Commission’s overall goal is to help the city limit the risk of discrimination against people, Snell said. 

The resolution also noted a lack of publicly available data on positive outcomes in other cities that have adopted the technology. 

In May, 11 of the 15 members of the Milwaukee Common Council sent a letter to Norman opposing facial recognition, citing the risk of misidentification – particularly for people of color and women – and the potential for harm to the community’s trust in law enforcement. 

Additional concerns raised in public testimony to the commission – by community members and civil groups – included the potential sharing of immigration-related data with federal agencies and the targeting of individuals and groups exercising their First Amendment rights. 

What MPD says

MPD has consistently stated that a carefully developed policy could help reduce risks associated with facial recognition.

“Should MPD move forward with acquiring FRT, a policy will be drafted based upon best practices and public input,” a department spokesperson said. 

Facial recognition technology is a potent investigation tool to quickly and effectively generate leads, said Heather Hough, MPD’s chief of staff, during the Equal Rights Commission public meeting about the technology. 

But Hough emphasized facial recognition’s role as one tool among many used by MPD.

“The real work is in the human analysis and additional investigation by our detectives, by our officers,” Hough said.  

She also presented case studies, including a March 2024 homicide, in which facial recognition from a neighboring jurisdiction helped identify suspects.

More recently, MPD said it used facial recognition to identify a suspect in a July 20 homicide on Milwaukee’s North Side after accessing footage from a residential camera near North 55th Street and West Custer Avenue.

What Biometrica says

Biometrica, the company MPD is considering partnering with, stressed how facial recognition’s potential errors can be reduced. 

Kadambari Wade, Biometrica’s chief privacy officer, said the company is constantly evaluating and re-evaluating how it does its work, looking for ways to ensure it is more accurate. 

She said she and her husband, Biometrica CEO Wyly Wade, are aware of concerns about racial bias and work to address them.

“Wyly is a white man from Texas. I’m a brown-skinned immigrant,” she said.

Kadambari Wade said they want to make sure their services would work as well on her as they do on him. 

Wade also denied any current or future plans to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“We do not work with ICE. We do not work in immigration,” she said. 

What’s next?

Since the passage of Wisconsin Act 12, the only official way to amend or reject MPD policy is by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Common Council, or 10 members. 

However, council members cannot make any decision about it until MPD actually drafts its policy, often referred to as a “standard operating procedure.” 

Ald. Peter Burgelis – one of four council members who did not sign onto the Common Council letter to Norman – said he is waiting to make a decision until he sees potential policy from MPD or an official piece of legislation considered by the city’s Public Safety and Health Committee. 

Snell’s main concern is for MPD’s decision to be fair and just.

“Regardless … you want to be part of the process in order to eliminate, or to the extent possible, reduce risk of discrimination to people,” Snell said.

Milwaukee police still weighing expanding use of facial recognition technology is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In a county where one in four adults read at or below a third-grade level, Literacy Services of Wisconsin is doing what it can to help break down adult literacy barriers. 

“We are here to provide educational opportunities for those who maybe either didn’t feel engaged in traditional classrooms or are just looking to improve their skills now,” said Holly McCoy, executive director of Literacy Services of Wisconsin.

On July 16, the organization opened its new headquarters, at 1737 N. Palmer St., in the Brewer’s Hill neighborhood. Literacy Services provides free help to Milwaukee-area adults looking to continue their education, including GED prep, help in the transition to college and more.

More space brings bigger opportunities

The organization’s new headquarters includes several classrooms, space for virtual learners and a lounge. 

Students can learn directly from Milwaukee Area Technical College professors teaching on site in the new dedicated MATC classroom.

MATC works with Literacy Services to help students transition from “community to college,” McCoy said. Classes typically build the necessary literacy and numeracy skills to succeed in college courses. Last year, 63 students transitioned from Literacy Services to a post-secondary school.

“We are kind of known for GED, whereas, like when people think of MATC, they think college,” McCoy said. “We kind of create the bridge.”

Literacy Services is also raising funds to develop a GED testing room with four stations. As the organization works to raise funds, it did receive good news recently as a $235,000 freeze in federal funding was lifted. 

Frozen funds had presented major challenge

Literacy Services was one of many adult education programs waiting on federal funds frozen by the Trump administration. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, which supports adult education programs, covers about 10% of Literacy Services’ budget.

The Trump administration had frozen nearly $7 million in federal funding for adult education programs in Wisconsin, impacting Literacy Services of Wisconsin and MATC. It was announced Friday, July 25, that the Trump administration had released $6.8 billion in frozen federal education funding.

McCoy said before the funds became available that losing them would have a “tremendous impact” on her organization’s programming.

“We’ve thought about these things and we definitely don’t want to see a disturbance to our students,” McCoy said.

‘Open to the community’

As the headquarters moves from downtown to Brewer’s Hill, McCoy looks forward to growing roots in a more accessible and centralized location. 

“I love the fact that we are in a neighborhood,” McCoy said.

Ray Hill, executive director of Historic King Drive Business Improvement District 8, is excited the new center is in her district. 

“This location matters. It’s not tucked away. It’s in one of Milwaukee’s most historic and visible neighborhoods. It’s accessible, it’s walkable, and, most importantly, it’s open to the community,” Hill said. “Having invested in partners like LSW here creates an effect.”

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the new location opens doors for Milwaukee adults who want to grow, learn and thrive. 

“Here in our city, we believe that it’s never too late to finish your education, to earn a diploma, or even to pick up a brand-new skill,” Johnson said. “Literacy Services is making all of that possible, and I’m proud that Milwaukee is a place where opportunity doesn’t stop, it actually expands. It grows.”

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Alex Klaus is the education solutions reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

New center helps Literacy Services of Wisconsin expand adult education in Milwaukee is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

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Michael Adams, president of JobsWork MKE, ignored the warning signs his body gave him before having a heart attack on Jan. 29, 2024. 

He now encourages Black men to pay attention to their health and trust the health care system. 

“I think Black men aren’t trusting the system due to economics and the feeling of not being in control of the situation,” Adams said. 

Ignored warning signs

Before his heart attack, Adams woke up vomiting with a burning throat. He took an Alka-Seltzer hoping it was indigestion. 

Later that day, he gave a presentation at the Medical College of Wisconsin for work. During the presentation, his symptoms got worse. He experienced severe sweating, shortness of breath and body aches. 

“I try to stay as active as I can, but I couldn’t understand why I’m walking across the street from the parking lot to the building out of breath,” Adams said. 

Friendship and health 

Timothy Grove, a network senior director of Trauma Informed Strategy and Practice at Wellpoint Care Network and a friend of Adams, was with him that day. He noticed before the presentation while walking with Adams that his friend was struggling.  

“The way he was talking about his symptoms made me think it was important to encourage him to get checked out right away. I was also concerned about my friend and wanted him to be OK,” Grove said. 

After the presentation, Grove took him to the doctor before he was sent to the emergency room. 

Adams described Grove as a good friend for being there for him.

“Tim got on my nerves because I wanted him to drop me off and leave. Through it all, he was there, and stayed until I was OK,” Adams said.

Black men and hospitals

When he was admitted to the ER, hospital staff tried to calm Adams to prevent distress before they told him he was having a heart attack. 

“Black men don’t listen to themselves. We don’t go to the ER because we don’t want all that comes with it,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, we are dying because we don’t listen to ourselves and our body.”

According to a study by the Milwaukee Health Department, the top cause of death for Milwaukee men is heart disease. 

Understanding a heart attack 

Adams discovered there was 95% blockage in one of his arteries. The day after his heart attack, doctors inserted a stent to open his artery and help restore blood flow. 

“I came to the realization that over a year I haven’t felt right and my circulation has been off all along,” Adams said. 

Adams experienced cramps and had inconsistent blood pressure readings. 

After the stent was inserted, Adams was prescribed medication, and it was recommended he attend water physical therapy because of its low impact on the body. 

A new lifestyle 

Before his heart attack, Adams, a native of Milwaukee’s North Side, lived an active lifestyle, teaching martial arts and hiking regularly. 

Now, Adams attends Noyes Pool three days a week. He swims laps there and is trained by a lifeguard and private swim coach. 

“People always tell me ‘sorry for the heart attack,’ but I have a different perspective on it, and the best of life opened up to me since then,” Adams said.

Adams has lost 40 pounds and is glad he’s eating higher-quality food such as lean beef, vegetables and fruits. He also cut salt from his diet and drinks only water.

Witnessing transforming moments 

Adams’ daughter, Lauren, proudly supports her father’s decision to make health a priority as a Black man. 

“I tell my dad all the time that one day he’s going to break my heart by passing away. To know that he’s taking his health so seriously, I love that,” she said. “I’m an only child, and my dad is my favorite person.” 

Heart disease runs in their family, Lauren said. Both of Michael’s parents died from heart disease. 

Since his life-changing medical emergency, Michael has met other individuals who also experienced heart attacks. Some are members from his church, All Saints Catholic Church. 

“When I was released to go to church, the men came up to me and said ‘Welcome to the club,’ ” he said.  

Feeling a part of the process 

Adams felt cautious about the steps he would have to take with his health. He felt the need to attach himself to his health care providers so he could trust the work they’re doing.

His initial doctor, Ian Gilson of Froedtert Hospital, retired after 20 years of caring for him.

“I liked that doctor because he understood Black anatomy really well,” Adams said. 

Benjamin Tobin, a Black doctor at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, is his current provider.

Adams appreciates how his health providers are making him feel seen and heard. 

“As Black men, we often get dictated to on how our health should go. My health providers made me a part of the plan, and I just signed off on it,” Adams said.

He urges Black men to take their health seriously. 

“I survived, and I want other people to understand that you can, too,” Adams said.

He survived a heart attack. Now he wants other Black men to do the same. is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Social Development Commission, or SDC, is facing new developments with its funding, board and lawsuits. 

Here is what you need to know. 

Questions raised about vendor payments, leadership at board meeting

Amy Rowell, executive director of COA Youth and Family Centers, attended the SDC’s board meeting on July 17 to ask the board about the status of an unpaid invoice. In March, NNS reported programming changes at COA, which serves families in the Amani, Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods of Milwaukee.

Rowell said SDC owes more than $153,800 in reimbursements related to the Workforce Innovation Grant, which COA has requested from the agency multiple times since last August. 

“It’s been putting a pretty significant hardship on the organization because we paid the invoice and now we’re just waiting for reimbursement,” Rowell said. 

Jorge Franco, chair of the board and interim CEO of SDC, told Rowell that SDC would follow up with her but did not have an estimate of when the invoice would be paid.   

SDC Commissioner Pam Fendt thanked Rowell for her comments and voiced concern about Franco’s leadership.

“I would like to make a public statement at this time that I do not feel that the board has been staffed by the interim CEO in a way that allows me to have input on budget or funding decisions,” Fendt said. 

Commissioner Walter Lanier agreed, adding that the board should focus on how to govern more effectively. 

“I think it’s extremely high priority, top priority, for us to do that and I think we need to make some changes to make that happen,” Lanier said. 

Federal review of community action status

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families in May planned to remove the SDC’s community action agency status, effective July 3. Removing that status would make SDC ineligible for millions in Community Services Block Grant funding and hinder the organization’s path to relaunch services and secure other funding. 

However, that decision is on hold while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, conducts a review of the state’s hearing and decision-making process and evaluates if it followed federal guidance. 

The Department of Children and Families has sent documentation to HHS to examine for the review, according to Gina Paige, communications director for the department.

State moves forward with plans to replace SDC

The Department of Children and Families continues to look for agencies in the state that could possibly use the remaining block grant funding to be an interim provider of anti-poverty services in Milwaukee County if the state’s decision is upheld. 

“DCF has received applications from interested community action agencies and is currently in discussions with relevant parties,” Paige said. 

The state is preparing to move quickly to resume services if HHS upholds its decision and the de-designation is completed, she said.

“I think we’re likely going to see more of, like, the food services turned back on, probably some of the rental housing assistance, just because there’s some established networks there that folks will be able to leverage to get those turned back on,” Paige said. 

The department is requesting applications from existing community action agencies to serve the unserved county because of the Wisconsin CSBG State Plan, which requires the state to see if an existing agency can take over services before creating a new community action agency.   

Additionally, the future of the program is uncertain because President Donald Trump proposed eliminating CSBG funding in his budget for 2026. 

If Congress decides to continue CSBG funding, the state will consider starting a process to select one or more permanent community action agencies to serve Milwaukee County, Paige said.

Foreclosure hearing scheduled

A new motion in the foreclosure lawsuit against the Social Development Commission’s property corporation could result in a judgment by October. 

Earlier this year, Forward Community Investments Inc. filed a lawsuit against SD Properties Inc., the tax-exempt corporation that owns SDC’s buildings. The lawsuit resulted from SD Properties defaulting on mortgage payments on its North Avenue buildings, and it now owes over $3 million in loan obligations, interest and other costs, according to court records. 

In June, the attorneys representing Forward Community Investments filed a motion requesting a summary judgment hearing, which has been scheduled before  Circuit Court Judge J.D. Watts for 11 a.m. on Oct. 6 in Room 414 at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th St.

A summary judgment hearing asks the court to grant judgment in favor of a party based on the law without a full trial, according to William Sulton, SDC’s attorney. 

“That is something that is common in foreclosure cases and other cases,” Sulton said. “It’s not something that surprised us or alarmed us.” 

Before the summary judgment, there will be a scheduling conference in the case on July 24 at 9:30 a.m. in Room 414 of the courthouse. 

Board changes and vacancies

Milwaukee Area Technical College appointed Michael Rogers, MATC’s vice president of student engagement and community impact, to its seat on the SDC board. 

Commissioner Vincent Bobot’s term expired on June 1, but he remains as the chair of the SD Properties board. 

Bobot was serving his third term as an elected commissioner for SDC’s District 6, in the southern portion of the county, and briefly served as the agency’s CEO and board chair last fall. 

He said on July 17 that he is not sure if he plans to run for re-election.

Many appointments have been made to the SDC board in the last few months, but the board now has vacancies in all six elected board seats.

Lanier focused on filling vacancies, board consistency

Before the meeting, Lanier, the SDC commissioner, said he believes that working on the board’s governance, such as filling vacancies and holding elections to get community representation, will put the board in a better position to address the organization’s challenges. 

“​​I think once we finish some of our transitions and get the board fully active, the board will be able to be moved forward in a more effective way,” he said. 

SDC’s next board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 4. 

Money owed, pending reviews and lawsuits: the latest on Milwaukee’s Social Development Commission is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.