As St. Augustine Preparatory Academy works to fine-tune the design of its northside campus at the former Cardinal Stritch University in Glendale and Fox Point, Aug Prep president and CEO Abby Andrietsch said construction on the $100 million project could begin as early as October. “We have a high-level master plan completed, and we’re spending the
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Abby Andriestsch[/caption]
The Aug Prep North campus plans include classrooms, STEM labs, music and fine arts spaces as well as athletics facilities including a new fieldhouse, a turf soccer field, and an outdoor track. The campus will also include facilities for college and career readiness, and health care.
Demolition work, which started last fall with the razing of dormitory buildings, will likely continue through most of the summer, Andrietsch said.
The new campus is planned to open in fall 2026 with just over 300 students in grades K4-6th and 9th with plans to grow to serve 1,000-plus students in grades K4-12.
Beyond the initial investment, Aug Prep says it envisions a second phase in the future which would eventually build capacity to reach 2,000-plus students.
Pewaukee-based VJS Construction Services has been appointed the general contractor with Milwaukee-based Eppstein Uhen Architects serving as the project’s architect.
Outreach
As contractors, engineers, and architects work to develop the facilities that will house Aug Prep North, Andrietsch said school leaders are already reaching out to stakeholders on the north side in an effort to engage them in the project and new school community.
And while that includes, local governments, school leaders, and official community organizations, like Rotary clubs and chambers of commerce, it also involves going out into north side and north shore neighborhoods and speaking with residents not just about the opportunities that will be available to them at the new school, but also about what their community needs.
One of the goals Ramirez has said he hopes to achieve with Aug Prep North is a student body that is more diverse both racially and economically, and that includes both lower-income students that will receive state-funded vouchers to attend the new school, as well as those whose families make enough to pay tuition. Aug Prep’s south side campus is predominantly made up of lower-income voucher students.
“One of the hires that we made was a second director of outreach. Her focus is for us to build community and relationships within the multiple communities on the north side and the north shore of Milwaukee,” Andrietsch said. “Our focus is on building trust and real relationships. We don't want to approach this from a transactional standpoint. We want to build genuine community. One of the silver linings of the change in the construction timeline is it gives us another year to really build community.”