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Board approves fourth amendment to Carmen High School lease at Pulaski; Pulaski staff and union seek more classroom space
Summary
The board approved a one-year extension and a minor space adjustment to the Carmen High School lease at Casimir Pulaski High School. Pulaski staff and the MTEA urged the district to negotiate a more equitable classroom distribution for fall 2026.
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved a fourth amendment to the lease between the district and Carmen High School of Science and Technology for space at Casimir Pulaski High School, but Pulaski staff and the teachers' union urged further negotiations to address classroom inequities.
Jason O'Brien, principal of Pulaski High School, told the committee that Pulaski's enrollment has topped 1,000 students and that the school continues to receive frequent enrollment requests for its bilingual, IB and ESL programs. Luz Hernandez, vice president of the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association (MTEA), said Pulaski currently enrolls more than 1,000 students and projects an additional 58 students next year; she said Carmen has about 663 students and is budgeted for 685 in FY26 yet holds roughly the same classroom allocation as Pulaski.
MTEA requested that the committee not approve the lease amendment unless the administration returns with a plan to allocate eight additional classrooms and two offices to Pulaski for the 2025–26 school year. Board members pressed administration for enrollment data and noted a long-running, contentious history around the colocation.
Michael Harris, interim chief school administration officer, said Carmen's current enrollment is 663 and is budgeted at 685 for FY26; the contract maximum is 800. The district did not provide a definitive Pulaski FY26 enrollment number during the meeting; a board member later cited a projected Pulaski enrollment of 1,052 but administration said it would provide an official number.
Deputy Superintendent Eduardo Del Valle said Carmen is constructing a new site and the extension was intended to accommodate possible construction delays while the district continues to negotiate space allocation. Director Zomber moved to approve the fourth amendment to the lease; the motion passed 4–1 (Director Herndon voted no).
Board members directed administration to continue negotiations and return with a plan aligned to enrollment for FY26.
