Hamilton High School staff took their frustration to the sidewalk after the final bell Friday, staging an after-school picket over reduced hours for frontline workers and cuts to student-facing jobs, union members said. Teachers, paraprofessionals and other building staff lined up at the main entrance with signs, urging Milwaukee Public Schools to restore hours and protect arts and counseling programs. The action follows a series of similar protests across the district after Milwaukee Public Schools announced job reductions this spring.
Union Points To Spending, Pushes For COLA
In a video shared by the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Hamilton staff say hours have already been cut for paraprofessionals, children’s health assistants and other frontline workers. In an April 6 joint letter to the school board, the union accuses district leaders of growing high-paid central office staffing and says 26 central office administrators received raises of between $30,000 and $70,000 since September 2025. The letter calls for a full 2.63 percent cost-of-living adjustment on July 1, 2026, and urges the board to hold a special meeting this month to undo the reductions, according to MTEA.
District Says Cuts Are A Fiscal Reality
Milwaukee Public Schools officials say the reductions are meant to plug an estimated $46 million budget gap, and that the proposed changes are expected to save about $30 million under a plan the board approved in March. Superintendent Brenda Cassellius has said the district is prioritizing classroom services and that many affected employees could be reassigned into open classroom jobs because they hold teaching licenses. As laid out by Milwaukee Public Schools and noted by WPR, about 201 staff members were notified that their non-classroom positions were being reduced.
Local Impact And Staffing Changes
The district’s plan includes roughly 70 central office jobs, 59 assistant principal positions and about 62 implementer roles, which are held by licensed educators who do not lead a single classroom. Union leaders argue those changes will limit access to arts, physical education and counseling in some schools and stretch supports for students with special needs. Local coverage has reported that the district is working to place affected employees into other openings, but warns that school programs may still face disruptions, as reported by CBS 58.
Organizers Plan More Actions
MTEA leaders say Friday’s picket is not a one-off and that school-by-school actions will continue until the board restores hours and agrees to the union’s demands. They are encouraging families and community members to contact board members at upcoming meetings. The union’s letter frames the reductions as a question of priorities, pointing to central office hiring and consultant contracts as key drivers of the district’s budget decisions. In that letter, MTEA repeats its push for frontline workers to receive the full 2.63 percent COLA the union has requested.
Board Timeline And What To Watch
The district is expected to roll out a proposed budget in May and says it will keep reviewing contracts and administrative spending while trying to protect classroom services. In its March announcement, Milwaukee Public Schools said it would help employees whose jobs are being reduced find other roles in the system. MTEA’s video and letter remain the most detailed public accounts of Friday’s Hamilton picket. Board members have been asked to consider a special meeting this month to revisit the cuts, and parents and community groups say they plan to keep the pressure on for changes.
