(The Center Square) – Milwaukee Public Schools placed at least 25 school resource officers in schools Monday, fulfilling a court order related to Act 12 requirements of the district.
Act 12 of 2023 allowed both Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to increase sales taxes but also added an SRO requirement, which the district had not followed.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty sued the city on behalf of parent Charlene Abughrin to force the city and district to comply with the law and, in February, Judge David Borowski issued a contempt of court order against the city for not complying with the law or his orders.
“I am so grateful to see SROs back in MPS and for Milwaukee to take this small step towards bringing the focus back on learning, rather than letting students fear for their safety,” Abughrin said in a statement. “This victory would not have been possible without the perseverance of the incredible team at the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.”
Borowski agreed to lift the order after Milwaukee provided evidence that the district and city were now in compliance with the law.
The SROs were supposed to be in place by Jan. 1, 2024.
“The message from today is simple: frustrated parents, like Charlene, are fighting back and standing up for what’s right,” said WILL Associate Counsel Lauren Greuel. “SROs will provide much-needed safety resources to schools and ensure MPS moves closer to a safer, more productive learning environment.”
