Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is once again facing scrutiny, this time over the mishandling of its athletics programs. Several members of the Milwaukee Common Council, including Aldermen Mark Chambers Jr., DiAndre Jackson, Robert J. Bauman, and Alderwoman Sharlen P. Moore, have issued a joint statement expressing “no confidence” in the leadership of MPS Athletics. This public rebuke follows recent controversies involving MPS’s failure to manage critical responsibilities that directly impact student-athletes.
Most recently, Bay View and Pulaski high schools were forced to forfeit their entire 2024 football seasons and face a two-year playoff ban. The cause? MPS’s commissioner of Interscholastic Athletics & Academics, Bobbie Kelsey, failed to submit the necessary paperwork to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) to formalize a conference switch. This basic task, described as a simple “fast track” form by Bay View Athletic Director Jay Wojcinski, was neglected, leading to significant penalties for both schools.
“This is unconscionable,” the council members stated in their joint statement, highlighting how the dreams and hard work of the student-athletes and coaching staff were crushed by this clerical error. The forfeits and postseason ban have left many questioning the competence of MPS athletics leadership, with Kelsey taking much of the blame for not submitting the paperwork required by the WIAA.
This latest incident is part of a broader pattern of administrative failures within Milwaukee Public Schools. The district recently faced backlash for failing to turn in critical financial documents to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), an oversight that jeopardized the district nearly $50 million funding. These missteps paint a troubling picture of a system struggling to meet its basic obligations, whether financial or athletic.
In their statement, the Common Council members also called attention to the negative impact Kelsey’s leadership has had on MPS athletics as a whole, noting that coaches and administrators have disengaged from the programs due to the dysfunction. “We have also been told about coaches and administrators who have stopped their involvement in MPS athletics because of the dysfunction in how Ms. Kelsey handles her duties,” the statement continued. It’s a growing problem in a district already struggling to attract and retain talent in leadership roles.
As MPS investigates the situation and files an appeal with the WIAA, the credibility of its athletics program—and by extension, the broader district—continues to be questioned. This latest controversy over athletic mismanagement is a reminder of the district’s ongoing failures in leadership and administration, leaving students and their futures hanging in the balance.