Carmen Schools breaks ground on new $55 million high school
MILWAUKEE - Carmen Schools of Science & Technology hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $55 million high school campus on Thursday, Dec. 12.
The new high school campus at 2005 West Oklahoma Avenue on Milwaukee’s South Side is expected to open in time for the 2026-27 school year and will unite students from the current Carmen South and Carmen Southeast high schools.
"Today we gather, not just to break ground on a new school, but really to lay the foundation – lay the foundation for dreams, lay the foundation for aspirations, and a brighter future for children and families here on the south side, and really, all across the city, "said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. "They help us to shape our future leaders, our future innovators, professionals, educations, doctors, you name, it, they come from Carmen Schools."
Watch the ceremony:
The new high school is expected to have a capacity for up to 1,100 students and will include innovative learning, arts and athletic spaces, expanded career development opportunities and gathering places for the broader community.
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"At Carmen, we take great pride in developing students who are college bound, career ready and community engaged," said Aaron Lippman, CEO of Carmen Schools. "By designing this new facility for our students, families, staff and community from the ground up, we will create an improved learning environment that will allow us to further deliver on our promise to develop critical thinkers and self-directed learners. The impact of this ambitious project will be felt throughout our entire Milwaukee community as we prepare the next generation of students for a life of choice and opportunity."
According to a press release, in August 2024, Carmen closed on the purchase of the site for the new building, formerly owned by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. The purchase price for the property was approximately $4.5 million.
The current structures on the property will be razed and replaced with new facilities.
Carmen Schools is a public charter school network of six schools across Milwaukee that serves more than 2,000 students.