Policies & Procedures

MPS Rules and Policies

In accordance with Wisconsin Statute 119.18. the Milwaukee Board of School Directors may adopt and modify or repeal rules for its own government and for the organization, discipline and management of the public schools which shall promote the good order and public usefulness of the public schools.  While the Board is the policy-making body of the district,  the Superintendent, the Board Clerk, and the Senior Director of the Office of Accountability and Efficiency are provided the opportunity to initiate and make recommendations on policy to the Board. 

The rules and policies established by the Board are divided into four categories.  Click the category title to go to the listing of policies or rules in that section.

Administrative Policies

1. Administrative policies address specific issues and general guidelines to be considered in the achievement of Board governance policies. The creation or revision of administrative policies is a mutual effort by the Board and the Administration.Although only the Board may adopt new administrative policies or revise existing policies, the Administration is authorized to develop procedures to implement administrative policies without Board approval, unless the Board has specifically directed that a particular procedure or regulation be given prior Board approval.
2. The administrative policies are organized under nine major sections, each identified by a numeric code. Each policy is further cataloged by a decimal code to give each policy its own unique identification.

Administrative Procedures

1. Administrative procedures (referred to as "Regulations" in the ElectronicSchoolBoard) are established to implement a companion administrative policy. (Note, however, that not all administrative policies have related procedures, while some policies may have multiple procedures.)
2. Generally, administrative procedures are developed by the Administration without approval of the Board. The Board may, however, direct that a specific procedure be submitted to the Board for approval prior to implementation.
3. The administrative procedures are organized under the same section headings as the companion policies. Each procedure is given the same title and decimal code as its companion policy.

Board Governance Policies

1. The Governance Policies of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors establish overall direction for the Milwaukee Public Schools. Specifically, these policies address the Board's goals, governance process, relationship with the Superintendent, the Chief Office, Office of Board Governance and the Senior Director of the Office of Accountability and Efficiency, and the constraints placed upon the Administration in executing Board policy.
2. The Board Governance Policies are organized under four major sections, each identified by a numeric code. Each policy within a section is further catalogued alphanumerically to give each policy its own unique identification.

Board Rules

1. The Milwaukee Public Schools operate in accordance with the Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 119 and other applicable statutes governing Cities of the First Class. In accordance with these provisions, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is empowered to establish rules for its own governance.
2. The current Board rules are organized under the following articles:
   • Article I: Organization and Procedure
   • Article II: Committees
   • Article III: Code of Ethics — Board of School Directors
3. Appendices to the Board Rules, concerning specific procedures to be followed by the Board relating to employee disciplinary hearings and to censure or removal of Board members from office, have also been included.