MILWAUKEE - There is a fight over which pot of your tax dollars pays for Milwaukee school resource officers (SRO). The public wants to know – and FOX6 News dug into public records. In 2020, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) ended its contract with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD).

If MPS doesn’t place SROs in schools by Feb. 17, the district will need to appear in court to explain why it hasn’t adhered to the law.

Milwaukee Public Schools must put police officers in schools by Feb. 17, a judge ruled Thursday. For over a year, a state law known as Act 12 has required MPS to ensure 25 police officers are "present" in the district during regular school hours.

One Wisconsin lawmaker says the law is clear, and Milwaukee Public Schools are clearly violating it. But it's much less clear whether a Milwaukee judge can force the city’s school district to bring police officers back into school buildings.