Senate Bill 405
The powers and duties of the board of school directors and the superintendent of schools in a first class city school district, awarding a grant to a nonprofit corporation, requiring a referendum, and granting rule-making authority
Topics: Milwaukee: City, Milwaukee: School, Referendum, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Stopped in committee
It had a but no committee vote, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Nov 20, 2009
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Committee, stopped here
Stopped here. It had a hearing but no committee vote.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
It sat with the Senate Committee on Education.
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a 1st class city school district (currently only the Milwaukee Public Schools, or MPS) is governed by an elected board of school directors. The board consists of nine members, eight of whom are elected from numbered election districts and one of whom is elected at large. Members are elected at the spring election and serve four-year terms. The board appoints the superintendent of schools. The board may remove the superintendent of schools for a misdemeanor in office, incompetency, or inattention to the duties of office.
This bill directs the mayor of the city of Milwaukee to appoint a superintendent of schools to serve at the mayor's pleasure. Under the bill, the superintendent of schools is in charge of MPS and most of the powers and duties of the board of school directors are transferred to the superintendent of schools, including the appointment of all staff, the formulation of the annual school budget, collective bargaining, school closings, and the determination of the school calendar. The board retains the authority to expel pupils from school, although the bill transfers the authority to suspend pupils to the superintendent of schools. In addition, the bill allows the superintendent, in any school year, to permit an independent hearing panel or officer appointed by the superintendent to determine pupil expulsion instead of the board. The board, however, still hears appeals of expulsion orders.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill provides that the city attorney is the legal advisor to the superintendent of schools, although the superintendent may retain an attorney under certain circumstances. The board may retain an attorney only if the city attorney approves.
The bill prohibits the superintendent of schools from entering into a contract with an organization that is not a labor organization if the contract specifies the wages, hours, or conditions of employment of any school district employees. A labor organization is an employee organization that exists for the purpose of collective bargaining with municipal employees.
The bill creates a budget committee to advise the superintendent of schools on the formulation of the school budget. The committee consists of the city comptroller, the president of the common council, the president of the board of school directors, the state superintendent of public instruction, and three members appointed by the mayor.
The bill requires that a binding referendum be held in the city of Milwaukee at the April 2017 spring election. The question asked voters will be whether the board of school directors shall be in charge of MPS and appoint the superintendent of schools. If a majority of the voters vote "Yes," the board of school directors is once again in charge of MPS, the term of the superintendent of schools appointed by the mayor is terminated, and the board of school directors appoints a superintendent of schools to act under the board's direction.
Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, the bill directs the state superintendent of public instruction annually to award a grant to a non-profit corporation that jointly with a local governmental unit or state agency provides comprehensive services to improve the education, health, and economic opportunities of children residing in the city of Milwaukee.
Who's behind it
3 senators are its . All 3 are Democrats.
5 more lawmakers .
See all 8 names Hide the names
Authors (3)
- Tim Carpenter · Democrat, Senate
- Jeffrey Plale · Democrat, Senate
- Lena Taylor · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (5)
- Pedro Colon · Democrat, Assembly
- Chris Danou · Democrat, Assembly
- Jason Fields · Democrat, Assembly
- Jon Richards · Democrat, Assembly
- Tony Staskunas · Democrat, Assembly
What happened
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Apr 28, 2010
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Jan 5, 2010
The committee held a public hearing.
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Nov 20, 2009
Sent to the Senate Committee on Education.
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Nov 20, 2009
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Nov 20, 2009 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Taylor, Plale and Carpenter;Cosponsored by Representatives Colon, Fields, Richards, Staskunas, Hintz and Danou
- Nov 20, 2009 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Education
- Dec 16, 2009 · Senate
Representative Hintz withdrawn as a cosponsor
- Jan 5, 2010 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Jan 25, 2010 · Senate
LRB correction
- Apr 28, 2010 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Public hearing
A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor