MPS Board grants 1 year extension for Carmen charter, school community furious with lack of commitment

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- In a Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) board meeting Thursday, Nov. 20, the board voted to renew the charter for Carmen Schools of Science and Technology-Northwest for one more year to stay in its building, despite the school asking for three years. 

After that, the school is on its own and the Carmen community says the message is clear: they're not wanted. 

The MPS School Board cited academic under performance as a reason to cut ties with Carmen at the end of the 2026-2027 school year. 

"Which I think is unreasonable and very challenging for the school community," said MPS Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius. 

While the extension buys the school some time, the solution isn't long-term. Carmen CEO Aaron Lippman was furious with the board saying that Carmen pays the district more than $700,000 in rent, plus $4,000 per student. In total, Lippman says, Carmen pays MPS about $2.5 million every year. 

The current agreement approved Thursday will expire at the end of June 2027. Within that time, Carmen will need to find another building to house 550 predominantly Black students and 60 staff members along with finding another authorizer. 

Students and parents packed Thursday's meeting. Chastity Jackson, a Carmen school parent, said one of her children recently graduated from Carmen and another is a current student. 

"We are a community over at Carmen. They believe in the wellbeing of our children," said Jackson. "They support our children. They do a lot in the community with our kids." 

Lippman said Carmen has done everything it can to be good partners with MPS for the past 19 years, but he is insistent Carmen will move on if necessary. 

"We are done playing their game. If they don't want us here, we will go somewhere an authorizer wants us in a building that can support us."