Mayor Cavalier Johnson declined to weigh in Monday on whether Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Keith Posley should keep his job following revelations that the school district jeopardized millions of dollars in funding by missing financial reporting deadlines and erroneously reporting costs for the 2022-23 school year.

“That’s a question for the school board,” Mayor’s Office spokesman Jeff Fleming said in an email regarding Posley’s employment. “The Mayor looks forward to working with whomever the board chooses to lead the district.”

Fleming’s emailed comments came ahead of a Monday night school board meeting at which the Posley could be fired or face other disciplinary action.

State officials are threatening to suspend funding to MPS after the district failed to submit required financial reports, some of which were due to the state Department of Public Instruction more than eight months ago. In addition, MPS errors in reported costs for the 2022-23 school year will likely result in a “significant reduction” in state general aid payments to the state’s largest school district, according to DPI.

The revelations of financial mismanagement come after Milwaukee voters narrowly approved in a referendum in April raising property taxes to allow MPS to gain an additional $140 million for the next school year, then increase to $252 million annually by the 2027-28 school year.

During his inaugural address in April, Johnson pledged to be more involved in ensuring the success of the city’s students by paying closer attention to policy, priorities and resource deployment and taking part in strategic discussions.

Fleming said Johnson wants to make sure “primary attention remains on the students of MPS. Administrative and financial problems must not interfere with success in the classrooms.”

The goal, Fleming said, is to get the resources MPS students need, including resolving the reporting issues so state resources are not withheld.

“At this stage it would be premature to conclude MPS will be without the funds,” Fleming wrote. “The Mayor’s conversations with those involved has prioritized establishing a path to avoid the worst outcomes, and he has offered his assistance in reaching that goal.”

Fleming said Johnson had “substantive” conversations with Posley and State Superintendent Jill Underly in recent days and anticipates those will continue.

Earlier Monday, Johnson’s nominee to be his top lobbyist called the situation at MPS “fast-developing” during a meeting of the Common Council’s Judiciary and Legislation Committee.

“My understanding is the mayor has no current position on the situation,” nominee Jordan Primakow told the committee when asked about MPS. “Obviously, it’s been a very fast-developing situation at MPS.”

Primakow said he would want to work on a related legislative package this summer and that his job is to advocate in Madison for the positions that the mayor and council direct.

The Mayor’s Office’s comments stood in contrast to those of two members of the Common Council who slammed MPS, DPI and others.

Alds. Scott Spiker and Lamont Westmoreland in a statement called the revelations “disappointing,” “distressing” and “maddening.”

“As a result of MPS’s financial mismanagement, the State is threatening to suspend funding for the largest school district (by far) in Wisconsin,” they said. “(Apparently, the district expects their overworked teachers to do their jobs for free?!) This comes on the heels of the duly-elected school board and their appointed administration successfully asking for the largest infusion of local taxpayer dollars in district history.”

They chastised the district, too, for needing to hire an outside financial consultant to help make a corrective action plan to complete missing reports and meet future deadlines.

And they said Gov. Tony Evers’ office should have told voters about MPS’s financial reporting problems before the referendum vote.

Rory Linnane of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this story.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee mayor doesn’t comment on MPS superintendent amid revelations