What you should know about the new Mill Creek Academy charter school in Waukesha

Mill Creek Academy, a new charter school in Waukesha, is slated to open for the start of the 2023-24 school year.

The school, at S46 W23850 Lawnsdale Road, will be easily accessible to families in the city and county and will meet a demand for school choice in the area, according to an email from Leah Nixon, director of communications for National Heritage Academies.

NHA operates more than 100 charter schools across nine states that serve more than 60,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

A charter school is a public school governed by a contract, or "charter," and is allowed more freedom in exchange for more accountability, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Public school districts or approved independent authorizers can approve charter schools. In the case of Mill Creek Academy, the University of Wisconsin System's Office of Education Opportunity authorized the school's charter. The school will receive public tax dollars and will be overseen by an appointed school board.

Here's what you need to know about the new school.

What grades will Mill Creek Academy include?

Mill Creek Academy will open as a K-5 school for the 2023-24 school year and will add a grade level each year through eighth grade, according to Nixon's email.

The school will also offer "Ex-celerate," an advanced learning program for students who are "ready to progress beyond grade level." "Accelerated content" will be available to K-5 students, while sixth- through eighth-grade students can earn high school credit by taking "advanced courses."

What kind of curriculum will the school offer?

According to Mill Creek Academy's website, the school will feature a curriculum focusing on "college-prep academics and a focus on moral character, preparing students for a lifetime of educational and personal success." The website also mentions NHA's approach of blending one-on-one teaching, small group instruction and independent practice time.

What kind of staffing and class sizes will there be?

Nixon said Mill Creek Academy will hire "approximately 40 plus staff," which will include teachers, paraprofessionals, aides and social workers "consistent with enrollment and the needs of students." She said the school's goal is to be fully staffed by the start of the 2023-24 school year.

The goal is to have 25 students per classroom for kindergarten and 28 students per classroom for grades one through five. The school's goal is 28 students per classroom for sixth through eighth grades once they are added, Nixon said.

What is the anticipated enrollment?

For its first year in 2023-24, Nixon said the school anticipates enrolling 520 students. It hopes to grow to 760 by its fourth year, when the school is operating as a K-8.

What features will the building have when construction is complete?

The building will be in an H-shape to allow for age-appropriate wings for housing classrooms, such as a K-2 wing for younger students. The shape will allow for windows in each classroom. The building will also feature a gym and a parent room, "giving parents space to be connected to school," Nixon said.

What will the school's leadership structure look like?

Along with a principal, the school's leadership team will include deans to support teachers "within grade levels of the school such as a kindergarten through second grade dean and a third through fifth grade dean.

A four-member volunteer school board will oversee the school's operations: President Kyle Koenen, Vice President Brittany Brzenk, Treasurer Dan Cahalane and Secretary Alan Petelinsek. The members are appointed by the school's authorizer, University of Wisconsin System's Office of Education Opportunity.

Will busing be provided?

No busing will be provided, but parents can call the school office once the school year starts if they are interested in carpooling, the school's website suggested.

Will there be any before- or after-school care?

The school is researching potential before- and after-school partners in the area and will post more information when it's available.

How can I register my child? Is there any cost?

As a public charter school, Mill Creek will be tuition free.

Applications were considered in November 2022 for the 2023-24 school year as part of an open-enrollment period. They will be considered in the order in which they were received. If there are more applicants than available seats, a lottery will be held. Otherwise, all eligible children are accepted, Nixon said. A lottery is not needed for the upcoming school year, she noted.

The school will accept applications from throughout the state; students must live in Wisconsin and meet age requirements. Nixon said families with questions about those requirements should call the NHA parent relations team at 877-642-7471.

Nixon said families who apply usually receive a response within the course of a normal business day, depending on when the application is submitted.

There are still slots open for the 2023-24 school year; applications are accepted at bit.ly/MillCreekAcademy. More information is available at one of the school's upcoming information meetings. The next informational meeting is scheduled for March 9.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's what to know about a new charter school in Waukesha