Milwaukee Academy of Sciences, a charter school on Milwaukee’s nearby west side, aims to expand to a total of 2,000 students with plans to open a second campus eight blocks away this fall.
This could make Milwaukee Academy of Sciences the second-largest charter school operator in the city, behind Carmen Graduate School of Science and Technology. The charter school is run by a nonprofit board, chartered and overseen by the Milwaukee City Council, and receives funding from the state.
The Milwaukee Academy of Sciences plans to move its kindergarten through fifth-grade students to a new building in the former Penfield Montessori Academy at 2433 W. Cherry St., which it purchased last month for $2.475 million, records show. Older students will remain at their original campus, 2000 W. Kilbourn Ave.
Registration for the Milwaukee Academy of Sciences begins February 1st.
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Milwaukee Academy of Sciences CEO says hundreds of students are on waiting list
Anthony McHenry, CEO of Milwaukee Academy of Sciences, said the school is considering expansion because there are about 1,600 students on the waiting list.
The school, which currently serves about 1,400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, plans to add 300 more seats this fall and 300 more seats over time.
The new campus will begin accepting students in kindergarten through fifth grade and will add grades each year until it accommodates grades kindergarten through eighth grade. McHenry said the high school will remain on its current campus.
McHenry said a recent survey of school families highlighted the school’s focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), safe environment and high high school graduation rates as reasons for choosing the school. He said it became.
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The school’s four-year graduation rate was 89.6% in 2022, while Milwaukee Public Schools’ district-wide graduation rate was 65.2%, according to state data.
Additionally, our school boasts a 100% university acceptance rate for our students. As of 2022, state data shows that about 37% of Milwaukee Academy of Sciences graduates enrolled in postsecondary education the following fall, compared to about 33% of MPS graduates.
CEO says expansion is not due to state funding
The move comes months after the state Legislature increased funding for independent charter schools by 27% to $11,763 per student.
McHenry said while he’s happy to see the increase, it doesn’t motivate the expansion school leaders have been considering for the past year and a half. He said the latest increase only makes up for the lack of previous increases to keep pace with inflation.
McHenry hopes this measure will actually reduce the cost of each student’s education. He said some savings could be made by expanding, such as using buses for more students, which costs the school about $2 million a year.
“The costs of educating academics and providing supports and interventions in the ways we choose are increasing, and those costs are increasing at a rate far faster than growth per student and the amount of money we can raise. “We are doing so,” he said. “In response, we wanted to consider beginning an expansion effort so we could continue to provide comprehensive support to our students.”
McHenry said school leaders are considering expansion in the next few years, but because the Penfield building opened so close to the current campus and was in good condition, it is unlikely that it will expand by 2024. said that it is now possible.
McHenry said the school is not planning major renovations and is only working on updating the exterior.
After the former school in Penfield closed, families and staff established a new school elsewhere.
Penfield Montessori Academy opened in the Cherry Street building in 2016 but closed after the 2022-23 school year. The plan was to continue adding grades each year so students could graduate from high school there. The school was licensed as a charter school by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and operated by a nonprofit board of directors.
As a charter school, Penfield received state funding for each student, but school leaders say that’s all it takes, especially as the school prioritizes services for students with special needs. He said that is not enough.
Christine Holmes, president of the Penfield Montessori School Board, said the school has always been in the red because state funding has not covered the cost of providing an inclusive learning environment. Told. The school brought students of different abilities into the same classrooms, increased staffing levels, and provided nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. They also invested in elevators and ramps.
Penfield started with $10 million in private donations, but the funds dried up, board members said.
The Penfield Montessori Academy family and staff then started a new school to remain part of the community. The school, called Westside Montessori Academy, is considered an affiliate of another charter school, Adeline Montessori. The school reported retaining 89 of Penfield’s 129 students.
Contact Rory Linnaeus. rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter. @RoryLinnane.