St. Augustine Preparatory Academy Launches $25 Million Campaign for New North Campus During Annual Gala
Gala raises more than $3 million, including $2.6 million from nearly 800 attendees to support current students plus surprise contribution to Aug Prep North campaign
Milwaukee (May 10, 2024) – St. Augustine Preparatory Academy (Aug Prep), a high-performing K4-12 non-denominational Christian school in Milwaukee, launched the public phase of a $25 million fundraising campaign for the school’s future North Campus during its annual gala on Thursday. To date, Aug Prep has raised $9.5 million toward that goal.In addition to launching its North Campus campaign, the gala raised $2.6 million from nearly 800 community and business leaders in attendance on Thursday to serve the needs of current students. Aug Prep raised a total of more than $3 million on Thursday to support the future of Milwaukee, including a surprise announcement from Mary Ellen Stanek of a collective gift of $750,000 from the Paul Purcell “Kids Win” fund, Baird Foundation and several Baird leaders and their families to inspire others to support the future North Campus.
The school’s largest annual event celebrated the growing reach and impact of Aug Prep, including the transformative plans underway to significantly renovate and rebuild the former Cardinal Stritch University campus into Aug Prep North. The second campus for Aug Prep is being designed to equip and develop the whole child through state-of-the art 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 North Campus will also include facilities for college and career readiness, and health care for students and families.
“Education is the great equalizer for Milwaukee students and their families, so we must do everything we can to ensure more students have access to a high-quality education,” said Gus Ramirez, who co- founded Aug Prep with his wife, Becky. “The success of our Aug Prep South students has exceeded our goals and will continue to improve. We plan to create a similar opportunity for students on the north side as we deliver an excellent education to a racially, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse student body. Aug Prep North will ultimately transform the lives of more than 2,000 students. When fully built out, the combined Aug Prep South and Aug Prep North campuses will play a significant role in the future of our city, graduating 400-500 young men and women every year who are equipped to flourish in their future education, the workforce and our community. We invite those interested in transforming education in Milwaukee to support the campaign.”
With the theme of “Aiming High: Rooted in Hope,” the gala also honored retiring MMAC President Tim Sheehy and Dr. Emilia Arana of the Sixteenth Street Community Center for their many significant contributions to Milwaukee’s education landscape, including their support of Aug Prep. Sheehy received the 2024 Founders Award and Dr. Arana received the 2024 Friends Award. The gala featured several highlight videos, including a compelling story of student success, video tributes to Sheehy and Arana – plus a fresh take on school spirit, as students and staff showed off their vocal talents and dance moves while recording the newly choreographed “Aug Prep Step.”
“Our past, current and future successes would not be possible without the incredible generosity and encouragement of our many friends and supporters,” said Abby Andrietsch, Chief Executive Officer of Aug Prep. “There are so many to thank for their unwavering dedication to raising educational outcomes in our city, including other Choice, Charter and high-quality MPS schools. At the top of that list are two committed education champions, Tim Sheehy and Dr. Emilia Arana. While neither of them seek attention or credit, they deserve our deepest thanks and appreciation.”
Demolition has already begun at the former Cardinal Stritch property, with an anticipated fall 2026 opening date for Aug Prep North. The Ramirez Family and Husco, a lead benefactor for Aug Prep, have committed the remaining $75 million to complete the total $100 million investment to create Aug Prep North.
Phase One of the new campus will open in fall 2026 with just over 300 students in grades K4-6th and 9th, and will grow to serve 1,000-plus students in grades K4-12. Beyond this initial investment, a second phase is envisioned for the future which would eventually build capacity to reach 2,000-plus students. VJS Construction Services has been appointed the general contractor with EUA serving as the architect.
The new North Campus will launch from and emulate the success of Aug Prep’s South Campus, which has quickly grown to become one of the top-rated K4-12 schools in Wisconsin since its launch in 2017. Aug Prep has exceeded or significantly exceeded expectations every year on the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction report card.
Originally launched with 560 students, Aug Prep South has grown to serve more than 1,800 predominantly low-income students in just six years. In August 2023, Aug Prep opened a new, state-of- the-art $49 million elementary school on the South Campus. Aug Prep will serve 2,200 students during the 2024-25 school year. The South Campus expansion will add capacity to ultimately grow to a total enrollment of 2,400. To learn more about how you can support the vision for Aug Prep and the new North Campus, please visit augprep.org/comingsoon or reach out to invest@augprep.org.
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About Aug Prep
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy (Aug Prep) was founded in 2017 with a vision to develop its students to be leaders of tomorrow known by their strength of character, courage, intellect, impactful contributions and their faith. Through its four pillars – faith, family, academics and arts/athletics – an Aug Prep education focuses on equipping the mind, body and soul of each child with excellence.
Aug Prep is proud to be the #1 rated K4-12 school in Milwaukee. Every year since inception, Aug Prep exceeded or significantly exceeded expectations on the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) report card, with student academic growth in the top 2% statewide.
Its 2024 senior class of 110 students has already broken a school record in earning over $16.6 million in scholarships to-date. Of those students, over 90% will be first-generation college students. 100% of Aug Prep class of 2023 was accepted into 2- or 4-year colleges or the military.
Today, the school’s founding South Campus serves more than 1,800 students, with 99% of students qualifying for the Milwaukee or Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and approximately 8 percent participating in the Special Needs Scholarship Program. In building the “diverse by design” structure on the North Campus, the school hopes to elicit a mix of tuition-paying and Choice students, in addition to building racial and cultural diversity. More information can be found at augprep.org or augprep.org/annualreports.
