Milwaukee Academy of Science to open new campus in fall 2024 in former Penfield Montessori building
Milwaukee Academy of Science, a charter school on Milwaukee's near west side, plans to open a second campus eight blocks away this fall, with sights on expanding to serve a total of 2,000 students.
That could make Milwaukee Academy of Science the second largest charter school operator in the city, second to the Carmen Schools of Science and Technology. The charter school, run by a nonprofit board, is authorized and overseen by the Milwaukee Common Council and is funded by the state.
Milwaukee Academy of Science plans to move students in kindergarten through fifth grade to its new building, the former Penfield Montessori Academy at 2433 W. Cherry St., which it purchased last month for $2.475 million, records show. Older students will stay at the original campus, 2000 W. Kilbourn Ave.
Enrollment for Milwaukee Academy of Science opens Feb. 1.
More: Here's what charter schools are and how they work in Wisconsin
Milwaukee Academy of Science CEO says hundreds of students are on a waitlist
Anthony McHenry, CEO of Milwaukee Academy of Science, said the school has been looking to expand because it has about 1,600 students on its waitlist.
Currently serving about 1,400 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the school plans to open 300 more seats this fall, and gradually add another 300.
The new campus will start off serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade, adding a grade each year until hosting grades kindergarten through eighth grade; the high school will remain at the current campus, McHenry said.
McHenry said a recent survey of school families highlighted reasons they chose the school: a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), a safe environment and higher high school graduation rates.
The school's four-year graduation rate as of 2022 was 89.6%, state data show, while the districtwide rate for Milwaukee Public Schools was 65.2%.
The school also boasts a 100% college acceptance rate for its students. As of 2022, state data show about 37% of Milwaukee Academy of Science graduates enrolled the next fall in postsecondary education, compared to about 33% of MPS graduates.
CEO says expansion is not because of state budget win
The move comes months after state lawmakers boosted funding for independent charter schools by 27%, landing at $11,763 per student.
McHenry said that while he was happy to see the increase, it wasn't a motivator for the expansion, which school leaders have been exploring for the past year and a half. He said the increase just makes up for a lack of previous increases to keep pace with inflation.
McHenry hopes the move will actually reduce the cost of educating each student. Certain savings come with scaling up, he said, such as using its fleet of buses for more students, which costs the school nearly $2 million annually.
"The increased cost to educate our scholars the way that we choose to educate them, with supports and interventions, that cost is escalating much, much quicker than the per-pupil increase or the dollars we're able to raise," he said. "Out of response to that, we wanted to look at starting to work toward scale so we can continue to provide wraparound supports for our students."
McHenry said school leaders were looking to expand in the next few years but it became possible for 2024 because the Penfield building opened up so close to the current campus, and it was in good shape.
McHenry said the school isn't planning any major renovations, only working on cosmetic updates.
After former Penfield school shut down, families and staff formed a new school elsewhere
Penfield Montessori Academy opened in the Cherry Street building in 2016 and closed after the 2022-23 school year. It had planned to continue adding a grade each year so its students could complete high school there. It had been authorized as a charter school by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was run by a nonprofit board of directors.
As a charter school, Penfield received state funding for each of its students, but school leaders said it wasn't enough, especially as the school prioritized serving students with special needs.
Christine Holmes, president of the Penfield Montessori board, said the school had always been in a losing financial position, as state funding didn't cover the costs of providing an inclusive learning environment. The school kept students of different abilities together in the same classrooms with higher staffing levels, and offered nursing, physical therapy and occupational therapy. It also invested in an elevator and ramps.
Penfield started with the help $10 million in private donations, board members said, but the funding ran dry.
Penfield Montessori Academy families and staff have since launched a new school to keep some of their community together. Called West Side Montessori Academy, it is considered a satellite location of another charter school, Adeline Montessori. The school reported retaining 89 out of 129 students from Penfield.
Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Academy of Science to open new campus in fall 2024
