Committee approves fourth amendment to Carmen–Pulaski lease after Pulaski staff and union press for more classrooms

The Administration, Finance and Personnel Committee of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved a Fourth Amendment to the lease permitting Carmen High School of Science and Technology to remain at Casimir Pulaski High School. The motion passed 4-1 after multiple speakers urged the district to provide additional classroom space for Pulaski ahead of the 2025–26 school year.

Why the story matters: Pulaski staff and the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association told the committee that Pulaski’s enrollment is substantially larger than Carmen’s while classroom allocations at Pulaski remain constrained by the co-location arrangement. Committee members said they expect administration to continue negotiations and return with a plan that aligns space with enrollment for FY26.

Public comment and board discussion

Jason O’Brien, principal of Casimir Pulaski High School, told the committee: “I would like to put a face to the email I sent the board.” He described Pulaski as a bilingual and IB site with growing enrollment and said the school needs space to match that growth.

Luz Hernandez, MTEA vice president and Pulaski representative, said Pulaski’s enrollment is over 1,000 students and that Carmen’s enrollment is roughly 663. “Pulaski students and staff must have more classrooms for next school year,” Hernandez said, and asked the committee not to approve a lease that did not allocate eight classrooms and two offices Pulaski had requested.

Interim Chief School Administration Officer Michael Harris told the committee: “We feel very confident that both sides are now sitting at the table and doing what’s best for kids,” and said administration and Carmen leadership were meeting to negotiate space for FY26.

Deputy Superintendent Eduardo Del Valle confirmed Carmen is constructing a new permanent site but noted construction delays are possible and are being considered in negotiations.

What the amendment does and next steps

The amendment approved at the meeting restores one classroom (822 square feet) to Pulaski immediately. Committee members repeatedly pressed administration to return with a fuller shared-use plan and a clearer accounting of classroom allocations before the start of the 2025–26 school year.

Administration committed to providing confirmed enrollment figures and a FY26 proposal for classroom allocation. Michael Harris reported Carmen’s current enrollment at 663, budgeted at 685 for FY26 and that the contract maximum for Carmen is 800.

Quotes

"Pulaski students and staff must have more classrooms for next school year," Luz Hernandez said during public comment.

"We feel very confident that both sides are now sitting at the table and doing what's best for kids," Michael Harris said about ongoing negotiations.

Ending

The committee’s approval was not unanimous; Director Herndon voted against the amendment. Committee members directed administration to continue negotiations and to return with a full plan for FY26 space allocation and to confirm Pulaski’s enrollment projection before final FY26 scheduling and space decisions are made.