Budget & finance
District profile / Wisconsin
Milwaukee Public Schools
65,599
Students
2024-25 school year
154
Schools
2024-25 school year
$15,743
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 22% above the Wisconsin median
16.5
Students per teacher
2024-25 · Wisconsin median 13.7
Milwaukee Public Schools is a public school district based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving 65,599 students in 154 schools. By enrollment it ranks #1 of the 185 Wisconsin districts with 1,000 or more students, making it the largest in the state. Its schools average 426 students each, about the same as the Wisconsin median of 430. Its superintendent is Brenda Cassellius. It spends about $15,743 per student on day-to-day operations, 22% more than the Wisconsin median. It has roughly 16.5 students per teacher. We've matched 14 news stories to the district.
How Milwaukee compares
MilwaukeeWisconsin median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$1.30 billion in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 16%State 56%Local 27%
| Measure | Milwaukee | Wisconsin median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $15,743 | $12,911 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $8,953 | $7,657 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $1.25 billion | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $1.30 billion | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 3,986 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 9,850 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 16.5 | 13.7 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 631 | 358 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Wisconsin median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Brenda Cassellius
Source: Wisconsin DPI, School Directory, checked 2026-10-05. Report a change
In the news
14 stories matchedLeadership
More Than 15,000 Milwaukee-Area, Se WI Students Receive Automatic College Admission Offers as UW, Milwaukee Public Schools, Racine Unified School District Leaders Urge Students to Fill Out Direct Admit Wisconsin Forms
Teaching & learning
Milwaukee Public Schools student hit in the head during incident with another student
Teaching & learning
K-12 Education: MPS Now Has a Certified Teacher in Every Classroom
School safety
Milwaukee Public Schools record drastic decline in students killed in shootings
School safety
Father honors son’s memory by bringing overdose kits to Milwaukee schools
School safety
Overdose resource kits distributed to all Milwaukee Public Schools
School safety
Milwaukee Public Schools adds naloxone kits across district
Teaching & learning
MPS substitute teacher imposter case; staff didn't follow protocol
Teaching & learning
Woman accused of posing as MPS substitute teacher, berating students
Teaching & learning
Fake Substitute Who ‘Hates Kids’ Allegedly Bluffed Her Way Into Milwaukee Public Schools Classroom,
Teaching & learning
North Side Families Say MPS Closure Criteria Punish Their Schools
Teaching & learning
MPS Literacy Plan Shows Early Gains On State Reading Exams
Peer districts in Wisconsin
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Public SchoolsMilwaukee · this district | 65,599 | 154 | $15,743 | 16.5 | #1 |
| Madison Metropolitan School DistrictMadison | 25,155 | 54 | $15,324 | 11.6 | #2 |
| Green Bay Area Public School DistrictGreen Bay | 18,379 | 41 | $14,312 | 12.8 | #3 |
| Kenosha School DistrictKenosha | 18,315 | 33 | $14,162 | 14.7 | #4 |
| Racine Unified School DistrictRacine | 15,781 | 25 | $15,320 | 13.3 | #5 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frisco ISDFrisco, TX | 65,289 | $9,398 | 14.6 |
| Virginia Beach City Public SchoolsVirginia Beach, VA | 64,731 | $12,869 | 14.3 |
| Washoe CountyReno, NV | 64,244 | $10,389 | 19.2 |
| Chesterfield County Public SchoolsChesterfield, VA | 64,194 | $10,886 | 13.5 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-wi-milwaukee-public-schools