Council hears public concerns as private school seeks conditional use at former St. Rita’s site

The West Allis Common Council on March 18 heard public testimony and a staff presentation on a request by the Academy of Excellence to use the former St. Rita’s school building at 6021 W. Lincoln Ave. for a high school.

City planning staff described the application as a conditional use request required for schools in the C-2 commercial zone and said the Planning Commission has recommended council approval with conditions. Steve Sherrer, a city staff presenter, said the proposal would use the existing school building, lease the church parking lot and an adjacent gymnasium, and stage pupil buses on-site. "Not that I’m aware of. It’s still a nonprofit entity and would remain nontaxable," Sherrer said when asked whether the purchase would change the property’s tax status.

The hearing drew public opposition focused on financial impacts to public schools and local taxpayers. Kristin Kaiser, identifying herself as a member of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board but speaking as a constituent, urged the council to deny the proposal on the grounds that voucher and charter schools divert funding and increase administrative costs for public districts. "West Allis does not need another voucher school within its boundaries that will use our taxpayer dollars," Kaiser said. Amy Diehl, also a member of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board speaking as a citizen, cited district funding figures and said the per‑pupil funding shifts would raise property taxes for West Allis homeowners. "Roughly $8,170 more per student," Diehl said, describing the district’s estimate of increased local cost per pupil if a district student attends the private school.

Sherrer walked the council through the applicant’s site plan and operational details: hours of operation would be Monday–Friday roughly 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with occasional after‑school events; the applicant proposes up to about 125 students on site, with most transport via four to five buses and very limited parent drop‑off. The building would retain a cafeteria in the lower level, classrooms on the first and second floors, and the upper floors would remain unprogrammed for now. The proposal includes a refuse enclosure, new landscaping at a driveway entrance on Sixtieth Street, added ADA‑accessible parking, and bicycle racks. Sherrer summarized the Planning Commission’s conditions as requiring further site details, code‑compliance plans to address certain windows and entry points, and coordination with engineering for any changes to on‑street parking or loading.

Council members asked operational and policy questions during the public hearing. Alderman Weigel asked about tax status; Alderman Grisham inquired about the number of charter schools in the city and related proposals. Sherrer also told the council the applicant has another campus in Milwaukee (referred to in the presentation as the Wind Lake campus) and said the applicant intends to end that lease and move roughly 100 students and five employees to West Allis if the conditional use is approved. He added that the applicant has a longer‑term plan to possibly purchase the full block, which would require additional approvals from the Archdiocese and other ecclesiastical authorities.

The public hearing was closed with no council vote recorded on the conditional use application during this meeting. The Planning Commission had already recommended approval with conditions; the council will receive the item again for further action at a later meeting.

Details drawn from the city staff presentation and public testimony include: proposed maximum enrollment of about 125 students, anticipated initial enrollment of roughly 100 students moving from the applicant’s Milwaukee campus, planned on‑site bus staging for four to five buses, proposed hours of operation of about 6:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, no on‑site food preparation (meals would be catered and delivered), and planned site improvements including a refuse enclosure, additional landscaping, ADA‑accessible parking and bicycle racks. The Planning Commission’s conditions require further floor‑by‑floor use analysis, code‑compliance plans to close specified windows/entries, and engineering coordination for any curb‑side loading or parking changes.

The council took no formal action on the permit at this meeting; the item remains pending. Staff materials and the Planning Commission recommendation will frame any future council vote.