Milwaukee Public Schools administrators prepared to ask volunteers to fill in for missing teachers and reviewed legal options to force teachers back to the classroom, fearing that protests will continue drawing employees to Madison beyond Monday.

In a memo sent out late Saturday, officials said Superintendent Gregory Thornton would recommend legal action against the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association if the staff absences persist next week. The district is scheduled to be closed on Monday for Presidents' Day but reopen Tuesday.

Thornton closed the Milwaukee schools on Friday, after roughly 600 teachers called in sick. A union official pegged the number of MPS teachers who traveled to Madison for the Capitol protests at around 1,000.

The Madison School District went to court on Friday to force its teachers back to work, but Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi refused to issue an order to end the work stoppage. The parties are due back in court Monday.

Madison schools were closed three days last week, as teachers rallied against a budget repair bill that would strip away their collective bargaining rights and require state workers to contribute more toward their health insurance and pensions.

Roseann St. Aubin, a spokeswoman for the Milwaukee schools, said Thornton had begun researching legal options and would base his decision on the teachers' actions next week. A lawsuit or request for a court order forcing teachers back to the classroom would require approval from the school board.

Mike Langyel, president of the MTEA, would not comment when asked whether teachers would return to Madison on Tuesday.

Milwaukee teachers who left their jobs during the protests will face discipline - from pay deductions to suspensions to firing - according to the district memo.

Anticipating more absences next week, the district called for volunteers to take on supervisory roles in the schools. They would not teach.

Duties would include monitoring students arriving and leaving on buses, hall duty, lunch duty and assistance in the classrooms. Volunteers would be drawn from the hundreds who have already undergone background checks for other programs, including Special Olympics and reading partners.

District officials anticipate they would need roughly 200 volunteers each day.

Those interested are asked to call (414) 475-8650.