Despite 1-year lease extension, Carmen leaders and advocates angry with MPS board decision

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The countdown is on for Milwaukee charter school that is getting kicked out of the building it is renting from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS).

Carmen Schools of Science and Technology will have until June of 2027 to find a new home for its northwest side middle and high school, which currently operates in an MPS building near the intersection of N. 72nd St. and W. Silver Spring Dr.

The Milwaukee Board of School Directors appeared poised to let Carmen’s lease end this coming June when a committee declined to new that lease earlier this month, despite MPS’ charter review board recommending a three-year lease extension.

Thursday night, the board voted 6-2 to give Carmen a one-year lease for its northwest side campus. The compromise was suggested by MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, who said allowing the lease to end wouldn’t give Carmen enough time to find a new location.

“This will end our authorizing relationship with Carmen on this date but give them the opportunity to apply with another authorizer,” Cassellius said.

Carmen CEO Aaron Lippman said he believed public pressure was what ultimately forced enough of the board to support the one-year lease.

“I think we have a lot of people in the community- politicians, influential leaders, educators who rallied around Carmen,” Lippman said. “And saw this was an absolutely unfair, biased process.”

In Milwaukee, public charter schools can be authorized by MPS, UW-Milwaukee or the City of Milwaukee.

Lippman said he was confident Carmen will get either UWM or the city to authorize its charter moving forward, but he added finding a new space will still be challenging.

He said Carmen will explore sharing space with non-MPS schools, as well as retrofitting industrial or office buildings near its current northwest side location.

Location was a factor for some of the Carmen parents and students who packed Thursday’s board meeting.

“I live close to the school, so that is my neighborhood school,” said Chasity Jackson, who said she has one child currently enrolled at Carmen and another who’s graduated. “And it’s convenient for me. It’s convenient for me. It’s convenient for my son.”

MPS Board President Missy Zombor said at last week’s committee hearing Carmen’s poor academic results did not merit a new lease.

According to state report card data released earlier this month, Carmen Northwest's reading and math scores both trailed the overall MPS average.

Across MPS, 56.4% of students were considered to be 'approaching' (formerly known as 'basic') in reading, while 49.9% were approaching or better in math.

At Carmen Northwest, 52.2% were approaching or better in reading, and 43.9% were approaching or better in math.

Zombor told CBS 58 she was unavailable for an interview Friday, but provided a statement via email.

“As a board, we are committed to holding all schools to a high standard so all students can succeed,” Zombor wrote. “This was a difficult decision, and the one-year compromise gives students and families greater stability while Carmen seeks another authorizer."

CBS 58 also reached out to the two MPS board members who voted against the one-year lease, Christopher Fons and Kate Vannoy. Neither board member immediately responded Friday.

The City Forward Collective, which positions itself as an advocate for all schools, opposed the decision to force Carmen out of MPS. Executive Director Colleston Morgan said while Carmen’s northwest campus needed to make improvements in the classroom, it still performed better than most schools in the immediate area.

“If we’re gonna make a decision to transition a school or to close it, do we have better options for these students to enter?” Morgan said. “And, certainly, the answer when we look at MPS’ performance, especially among schools on the north side of Milwaukee, is absolutely not.”

Many public school advocates say charter and voucher schools take resources from districts like MPS. Meanwhile, school choice supporters say parents should have options, especially those who can't afford to pay private school tuition.

Lippman maintained the lease decision was about more than just the northwest campus’ performance. He pointed to comments Fons made during last week’s committee meeting, specifically saying he opposed the concept of charter schools altogether.

“Far too long has Milwaukee been stymied by politics and what adults think is right,” he said. “As opposed to what we need to do for kids.”