St. Aug prep breaks ground, crime down

Some very nice news surrounding a choice school in Milwaukee this week.

St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a Milwaukee Parental Choice Program school, broke ground this week on a grade school facility on Milwaukee’s south side. The $49 million building will have room for 900 K4 to 5th grade students. The K4–12 school, expected to be completed in 2023, will be the biggest single-campus school in Milwaukee and will have space to serve 2,400 students, according to a press release, BizTimes reported.

One of the most interesting facts to emerge: Since the school opened, crime in the area has fallen by more than 43%, according to Milwaukee Police Department data, BizTimes reported.

The new school is going up along West Harrison Avenue, across from Aug Prep’s existing school building at 2607 S. 5th St. That facility will go on serving grades 6 to 12.

Husco International chair Gus Ramirez and his family founded Aug Prep in 2017. The school has a gotten a five-star “significantly exceeds expectations” rating from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, making it one of the best-performing schools in Milwaukee. The school launched with 560 students and now has 1,500 students.

— School Choice Wisconsin