Committee approves charter amendments and college agreement; three votes pass unanimously

The Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors approved three contract and partnership items in unanimous votes during its meeting at the Central Services Building.

Votes at a glance

• Amendment to non‑instrumentality charter contract with MC Preparatory School of Wisconsin, Inc. — Motion by Director Gokul Gandhi; passed 5‑0. The amendment increases the school’s enrollment cap by 72 full‑time equivalent (FTE) seats, from 2,000 to 2,072, to allow recruitment across the school’s four campuses. Administration said the school will continue to be paid on actual September/January counts.

• Three‑year instrumentality charter contract with the Alliance School, Inc. — Motion by Director Gokul Gandhi; passed 5‑0. The renewed instrumentality contract runs three years, beginning the 2025–26 school year and ending on the last regularly scheduled day of the 2027–28 school year. A redline and appended materials including DPI benchmarks and Appendix A were attached to the recommendation.

• One‑year agreement with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) for at‑risk students — Motion by Director Gokul Gandhi; passed 5‑0. The agreement continues the district’s Emerging Scholars partnership with MATC for the 2025–26 school year to provide full‑day programming allowing students identified under Wisconsin Statutes section 118.15 to earn credits toward high school graduation.

Why it matters

The votes formalize contracting and partnership arrangements that affect where seats are available for students (charter enrollments and alternative placements) and extend a long‑standing MATC partnership that supports students at risk of not graduating. Committee members asked for additional contract language work on non‑compete or recruitment restrictions for charter contracts to be considered during a planned summer board retreat and possible model contract updates.

Details and next steps

Administration noted the MC Preparatory amendment is intended to expand enrollment capacity while continuing to pay the charter based on actual attendance counts. Director Gokul Gandhi asked that administration and the Office of Board Governance explore adding non‑compete language or recruitment limits to charter contracts; Bridget Schock (Director of Contracted School Services) said such language is best considered in a revised model contract after a summer work session.

The Alliance School renewal was described as the final step in the renewal process; staff said the attached package included the redline contract and DPI benchmarks and reflected charter review panel recommendations. The MATC agreement was framed as a routine annual renewal; staff noted the district has partnered with MATC for about 25 years to provide credit‑bearing options for students defined as at risk under state law.

No public speakers registered on those three items; each passed on roll call with five ayes.