The achievement gap between southeastern Wisconsin schools and those in the rest of the state has widened in all subjects and at all grade levels from 2006. Although school spending is above the state average in the region, and removing the Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha public school districts from the equation currently improves overall…

Public schools can be considered a form of workforce development, and thus it is important to measure the "work product" of the schools. The Public Policy Forum's annual analysis of public schools in the 50 districts serving southeastern Wisconsin measured absenteeism as educational opportunities lost because children were not in class.…

The Forum's 16th annual report on public schooling in Southeastern Wisconsin reveals that spending increased 4% in Southeastern Wisconsin school districts to $2.8 billion last year, although the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) experienced a significantly smaller increase (2.7%). Part of this relatively small increase can be attributed to the…