The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a notice Wednesday with the Milwaukee Public School Board and its Superintendent on behalf of a WCRIS school seeking equitable transportation for its students.
The WILL letter puts MPS on notice of St. Joan Antida High School’s claim for transportation on behalf of 70 of their students. St. Joan Antida is an all-girls high school with a city-wide attendance area in Milwaukee. MPS refuses to provide any transportation or transportation benefits to St. Joan Antida students but MPS provides busing to their own similarly-situated students attending public city-wide high schools.
The lack of transportation equity is an issue for many private schools in Milwaukee. WCRIS has been working with the schools and WILL for the past several months to resolve the busing inequities without resorting to litigation.
State law requires petitioners to give units of government — in this case the MPS School Board — 120 days’ notice prior to filing a lawsuit.
“This notice of claim allows the governmental agency an opportunity to remedy the situation and avoid expensive litigation or budget for the lawsuit that will ensue if they believe they have to allow the courts to resolve the dispute,” said WCRIS Executive Director Sharon Schmeling.
“The State Constitution was amended over 40 years ago to require public school districts to transport private school children. The citizens of this state undertook the painstaking process of changing the State Constitution to ensure the safety and welfare of all school children.”
“We hope MPS takes advantage of this opportunity to adjust its busing practices. The district simply needs to provide equitable busing to private school students, as state law has long required,” she said.
You can read more about the WILL Notice of Claim here.
Students Can’t Learn if they Can’t Get to School, Column by Paul Gessner, Head of School, St. Joan Antida, Milwaukee
Private school threatens to sue MPS over transportation WTMJ4-TV story
