BUT SO FAR, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE LEARNED. STEVE. >> MARY, THANK YOU. THROUGHOUT OUR COVERAGE OF THE MPS CRISIS, SEVERAL UP YOU OUR VIEWERS HAVE SENT IN QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED. OUR JENNA RAE HAS BEEN FIELDING THOSE QUESTIONS AND MANY OF THEM SOUND ALIKE. WHAT HAPPENS WITH ALL THAT REFERENDUM MONEY THAT WAS APPROVED BACK IN APRIL. WHO ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THESE FINANCIAL MISHAPS AT THE DISTRICT. JANET JOINS US LIVE NOW OUTSIDE THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE FOR MPS. KIND OF WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY. >> STEVE, WE LEARNED THAT MPS IS CONTINUING WITH ITS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AFTER AGAIN, NOT ANSWERING MANY QUESTIONS AT THEIR OWN PRESS CONFERENCE. WE EVEN TRIED TO TALK WITH MARVA HERNDON. THE BOARD'S PRESIDENT AFTER SHE WALKED OUT THESE DOORS RIGHT BEHIND ME. SHE HAD NOTHING TO SAY. BUT I'VE ALSO LEARNED TODAY THAT THIS FINANCIAL MESS AT MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ISN'T NEW. FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. I'VE BEEN GETTING E-MAILS ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE MIDST OF THIS CRISIS AND NOW WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO BACK IT UP. >> IN A NOD FROM 2022 BAKER, TILLY, WHICH WAS HIRED BY MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUND, QUOTE, MATERIAL WEAKNESSES AND THE DISTRICT'S BUDGETING. THE AUDIT SHOWS THE DISTRICT WAS DEFICIENT IN PREPARING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, BUDGETING, STATE IN FEDERAL MONEY, ADJUSTING ENTRIES IN THE BUDGET AFTER ISSUES WERE ALREADY IDENTIFIED BY THE AUDITORS AND HAD NO INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF FINANCIAL REPORTS. THAT WAS 2 YEARS AGO IN A MAY 2023 MEETING FOR DIRECTORS WERE PRESENTED WITH THESE CONCERNS, WHICH MEANS THEY'VE KNOWN ABOUT THE FINANCIAL MISHAPS IN DECEMBER. BAKER, TILLY LAY OUT A PLAN FOR DIRECTORS TO CORRECT THE ISSUES. WE NOW KNOW THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION HAS BEEN TELLING MPS THE SAME THING. A PUBLIC LETTER SENT TO THE DISTRICT LAST WEEK FROM THE STATE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT SAYS MPS HAS CONTINUOUSLY FAILED TO REPORT REQUIRED FINANCIAL DATA. BUT RECORDS WE OBTAINED SHOW THE FAILURES DATE BACK EVEN FURTHER IN 2021, A DISTRICT LEADER WROTE THIS IN A LETTER TO DIRECTORS AS HE WAS RESIGNING FROM HIS POST. QUOTE, THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS ALLOWED THE ORGANIZATION TO FALL INTO A STATE OF CONFUSION AND CHAOS, UNQUOTE. THERE IS NO ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THE CRITICAL ECONOMIC ISSUES THAT THE DISTRICT IS FACING OR WILL FACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THOSE ECONOMIC ISSUES OBVIOUSLY, NOW WE'RE IN THE PRESENT. THAT LETTER WAS WRITTEN BACK IN 2021. >> WE'RE EXPERIENCING THAT RIGHT NOW IN SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID IN THE LAST WEEK THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FINANCIAL WOES. THE DISTRICT WAS DEALING WITH. HOWEVER, THE DOCUMENTS SHOW A DIFFERENT STORY. WE TRIED TO ASK BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THE DOCUMENTS IN ABOUT THE PAST KNOWLEDGE OF THESE FINANCIAL ISSUES. THEY REFUSED TO ANSWER ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS. ANOTHER HIGHER UP WITH AN MPS TOLD US THAT THEY WILL BE ANSWERING MORE QUESTIONS IN A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY WILL BE SURE TO BE THERE AND BRING YOU THE LATEST FOR N
