Statement from School Board Member Megan O’Halloran Opposing Proposal to Move Reagan High School Out of the Milwaukee City Conference

I strongly oppose the proposal to move Ronald Reagan High School out of the Milwaukee City Conference and into the Southeast Conference (SEC). This decision would fail students, families, and staff—and it undermines our responsibility to ensure equitable access to education and extracurricular opportunities.

First, the logistics alone would harm student learning. The SEC is made up of Racine and Kenosha area public schools. Because of school start times, travel distances, and block scheduling, students and staff would frequently be forced to miss the last period of the school day to attend athletic events. With rigorous academic expectations and extended class periods, missing even one block can set students significantly behind. Increased travel would also pull teachers out of their classrooms, disrupting instruction for students who are not athletes and creating inequities within our schools.

Second, this move would place an unfair burden on families. Many parents work multiple jobs, care for multiple student athletes, or lack access to reliable transportation. Requiring frequent travel outside the city makes it far more difficult for families to support their children through attendance and engagement—support that we know is critical to student success.

Third, this proposal ignores current transportation realities. Our region is facing a bus driver shortage, which already impacts athletics. Milwaukee Public Schools often relies on Milwaukee County Transit to transport students to nearby venues. That option would not be available for events outside the county, leading to higher transportation costs at a time when we are being asked to stretch every dollar.

Most importantly, this proposal runs counter to our stated goal of strengthening the Milwaukee City Conference and expanding opportunities across the district. Removing a school from the conference weakens it and sends the wrong message about our commitment to Milwaukee students.

Hundreds of families have raised concerns about this move, yet this decision is moving forward without providing them a meaningful opportunity to share directly how it would impact their lives. That is an inherently unfair process.

The WIAA Conference Realignment Task Force will meet on February 19, 2026 and will hear from those schools impacted by this proposal. I urge the task force to respect our families and reject this proposal.

For more information, or to communicate with Director O’Halloran, email the Office of Board Governance at governance@milwaukee.k12.wi.us or call 414-475-8284.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.