Milwaukee school board committee votes ‘no’ on Carmen co-location, but stays flexible on lease
The board’s committee on accountability, finance and personnel approved a resolution that gives notice of non-renewal for a Carmen lease with MPS that will expire in June 2026. The resolution, which is expected to go to the full board for approval Oct. 31, signals an intention to end the “co-location” between Carmen’s South and Southeast high schools that currently operate out of the same buildings as MPS’ Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes (ALBA) and Pulaski High School.
But committee members also wrote-in a caveat: Carmen could still extend its lease by one more year, if necessary.
That’s because Carmen is in the midst of constructing a new $55 million high school, scheduled to be open for students in fall 2026. That’s just a few months after the charter’s lease with MPS ends that June — meaning if construction is delayed, students could end up with nowhere to go.
“Obviously, we don’t want students to be displaced. We want Carmen students to have a home while the building is being built,” said board member Missy Zombor, who has led board efforts to end the co-location.
