New MPS Superintendent Dumps Beleaguered Facilities Director

Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius speaks at an April 3 press conference. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

One week after the state reprimanded and fined him for not keeping his architecture license active, the Milwaukee Public Schools senior director of facilities and management at the district is out of work.

Sean Kane has “separated” from the district.

“I want to thank him for his 25 years of service to our district,” said Superintendent Brenda Cassellius at a press conference Thursday morning at MPS Central Office, 5225 W. Vliet St. “I will immediately begin a search for a permanent replacement to lead the district.”

In addition to failing to maintain his architecture license, for which he was fined $1,319, Kane oversees a division that the state found to be out of compliance with lead safe practices, including training employees performing certification work.

City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Michael Totoraitis endorsed the change. “I never want to see anybody lose their job or their role, however, I do think at this moment it was warranted to help move us into this next step.”

The commissioner confirmed that Kane, in January, had initially declined the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) access to Golda Meir School to conduct an assessment. MHD, which conducts assessments and abatement work when children test positive for elevated blood lead levels, had pivoted to investigating a school for the first time after a home-based abatement did cause lead levels to drop to an expected level. Kane’s decision, said Totoraitis, delayed MHD’s ability to assess and order abatement of the school. Kane, said the commissioner, also did not disclose that the MPS staff attempted to perform abatement work at the same MHD was trying to gain access. “I was frustrated,” he said.

The district submitted a new lead safety plan to MHD on March 21 and is now working on revisions with the department. He called it a “good starting point” and said MHD is recommended a large screening plan for students.

As a result of the cost and growing scope of the issue, MHD has also pivoted from using test swabs at the first five schools examined to visually examining 10 more schools. The visual assessments were sufficient enough to result in the March closures of the latest three schools.

The city is providing MHD Home Environmental Health manager Michael Mannan to temporarily fill part of Kane’s role.

“He brings more than 25 years of experience in code enforcement, lead risk assessment, and environmental hazard mitigation,” said Cassellius. “He’s certified in both lead and asbestos inspection and abatement, and previously served as lead risk assessor for 5 years with MHD. His role will focus on supporting lead hazard remediation, reviewing cleaning protocols, guiding routine inspections, and advising on the department of MPS lead action plan.”

Totoraitis, who has served as commissioner since 2023, praised Mannan for rebuilding the city’s lead safety programs after a prior commissioner was ousted in 2018 as the federal government identified failures within the program.

Retired MPS employee Mike Turza is also returning. Turza, who was hired March 17, retired nine years ago said the superintendent. “As you recall, I brought him, on my transition team when I first started to help us with the, governor’s operational audit, and he’s been overseeing the lead work since since then,” she said.

A growing coalition of parents had called for Kane to resign, with a petition reaching more than 450 signatures.

“We must move forward with a plan that everyone has confidence in that everyone trusts, and that puts the health and well-being of our students and staff at the forefront,” said Cassellius of the development of a response.

During the press conference she initially referred to Kane as “separating,” and declined to discuss personnel issues at multiple points. A district spokesperson after the press conference confirmed Kane had “separated” and that it was effective Thursday.

Cassellius said she called Mayor Cavalier Johnson to support the change.

“There’s nothing, absolutely nothing more important than the health and well-being of kids in Milwaukee, and that’s why you see this collaborative approach that’s happening right now between Milwaukee Public Schools as well as the City of Milwaukee’s health department,” said Johnson. He said the new superintendent has been “a phenomenal leader.”

Abatement Work Continues, With No Public Timeline

MPS still does not have an estimated date for when it will be able to reopen Fernwood Montessori School, Robert M. LaFollette School and Starms Early Childhood Center.

“We want to make sure that we are meeting the highest expectations for our students to return in those buildings.,” said interim Chief Administrative Officer Michael Harris. “Our parents have made it loud and clear that they expect us to meet the guidelines that have been set forth by MHD, and we’re excited to meet those expectations.

But the district confirmed that work has yet to even begin at Starms. A district official said the district would first complete work at LaFollette. It is attempting to hire more painters to help complete the work.

A prior closure of Trowbridge School of Great Lakes Studies lasted less than two weeks.

“I want to express my gratitude to the MPS crews and contractors and the entire team who have been working very, very hard around the clock and on weekends to do the necessary work to ensure these schools are safe for our students and our staff when they return,” said Cassellius. “I also want to thank our families, our teachers and our staff, and of course our students for their patience, their advocacy, and their partnership as we work through this moment.”

No amount of lead is safe, and the heavy metal poses a substantial risk for children, who can experience developmental delays, learning difficulties, behavioral problems and other serious health issues.

Trump Changes Could Hamper Abatement Work

Cuts made by President Donald Trump‘s administration could hamper the city’s ability to assess the condition of MPS’s buildings.

Employees that MHD was working with in the National Center for Environmental Health have been terminated. Totoraitis said they had been working with the center, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since January.

“They were providing technical assistance on some of the medical toxicology, so helping us make sure that we were going to prioritize children correctly, depending on their lead level as we saw that testing data come in, and then secondly, they were helping us validate our visual inspection work as well,” he said. A formal request was submitted in late March for more support from the CDC.

But on Tuesday, MHD learned the employees were terminated.

MHD, said the commissioner is now trying to approach another group for support. He said the city continues to receive support from a CDC employee assigned to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

In addition to the city officials, MPS board members Marva Herndon and Megan O’Halloran attended the press conference.

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