'Why would you work to shut us down?': Carmen charter leaders believe MPS board will end their lease for NW side school

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A strained relationship between the operators of a public charter school and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) could leave hundreds of students and staff scrambling to find a new home for next year. 

Carmen Schools of Science and Technology currently operates five schools in Milwaukee. As a non-instrumentality charter school, Carmen is licensed by MPS but has its own board of directors, and its staff are not employees of the district.

Carmen's combined middle and high school on the northwest side drew passionate testimony Thursday night, Nov. 13.

The school is in a building Carmen currently leases from MPS. and the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is weighing whether to extend Carmen's lease at the location near N. 72nd St. and W. Silver Spring Dr. 

At Thursday's meeting, the board's student achievement committee declined to recommend giving Carmen a new lease, even though MPS' charter review board recommending offering a three-year lease.

Instead, the question will now go before the full school board. Carmen CEO Aaron Lippman said Friday he believes the writing is on the wall.

"There's not gonna be enough votes to get to five at the full board," Lippman said. "And then that would mean that the board votes 'no' on our renewal, which effectively closes the school."

Lippman said that would leave about 550 students and 60 staff members in need to a new home. Justin Roby taught algebra to a half-dozen students Friday morning in his classroom, but one night earlier, he pleaded for the board to renew Carmen's lease.

He said he believed in the work the school was doing, teaching a level of math he was unable to access until college.

"Many nights, I have cried in the shower as I reflect on my long day," Roby testified. "Not because I hate my job, but from weeping in frustration of wanting this knowledge sooner."

MPS Board President Missy Zombor said she was unavailable for an interview Friday. During Thursday's meeting, she questioned Carmen's classroom outcomes.

"We can't ignore the ongoing academic concerns," Zombor said. "Year after year, the data shows Carmen Northwest continues to have substantial room for improvement in academic proficiency."

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.

The report cards show 98.5% of Carmen Northwest students are economically disadvantaged, one of the highest ratios of any school in Milwaukee. Lippman pointed out the school performed better than many other MPS schools in the surrounding area with comparable demographics.

"We admit we have plenty of work to do to do better by our kids," Lippman said. "And we are better than nearly half the schools in the city, and we are better than nearly every school in a three-mile radius serving predominately Black students."

Carmen's overall state report card score of 58.3 topped the nearby James Madison Academic Campus, which had a 53.4 rating. Carmen also outperformed Browning Elementary (45.8) and Lancaster Public School (39.9).

At the same time, Carmen's score was worse than other nearby schools, including Bryant Elementary (68.8) and Kilbourn Public School (61.4). 

Lippman maintained the school was starting to make strides as students everywhere recover from the learning disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We had 85% retention of our staff last year," he said. "We have waitlists for kids wanting to come to school here, and we are doing better every day. Why would you work to shut us down?"

When reached by text Friday, MPS board member James Ferguson said, "This is about us taking accountability seriously. Our community has demanded a more accountable School District."

Ferguson did not respond to follow up questions about what that specifically meant for Carmen and how he planned to vote when the full board considers the lease next week.

Sore feelings over south side schools?

In the spring of 2024, the MPS board voted to end Carmen's leases for two south side schools.

At the time, Zombor noted the overcrowding at both ALBA Elementary and Pulaski High School as both MPS and Carmen took up different parts of the buildings.

Carmen had been developing plans to build its own school on the south side, and that under-construction facility is set to open next fall.

"Here's the thing," Zombor said Thursday. "Carmen had already begun seeking a site to build a new school before MPS voted to end the co-locations."

Lippman insisted Carmen only began developing plans for its own building because it started sensing a cold shoulder from MPS.

"When we decided to leave the district, it was because the indication was the district didn't want us," he said.

The battle is at least partially over a philosophical dispute.

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.

In this particular case, Carmen students are now caught in the middle. The full MPS board will vote on whether to extend Carmen's lease at its meeting Thursday, November 20.