Choice School Consolidating Campuses, Building Gym

Victory Christian Academy is growing.

As part of a $7.5 million project, the choice school plans to add a 30,000-square-foot gymnasium and improve a number of academic spaces at its Milwaukee campus, 2840 S. 10th St.

The project will allow the 250-student school to consolidate its campuses in West Allis and Milwaukee’s Polonia neighborhood into one school.

For the first time, the 23-year-old school will also offer 12th grade. It’s part of a phased effort to add a high school to what was previously a K4 through 8th grade school.

The most significant part of VCA’s project is the development of a gymnasium at the corner of W. Dakota St. and S. 10th St. Dubbed an “ultramodern” facility, it will be designed to support AAU basketball tournaments in addition to school athletics and assemblies.

According to a press release issued Tuesday, a hydroponics facility will be included with the gym. It is intended to provide job training for students and to allow the school to participate in area farmers markets.

The three-story school building will also be upgraded. Plans include removing walls between kindergarten rooms, adding bathrooms and reconfiguring classrooms. A new cafeteria is also planned.

“At Victory Christian Academy, we endeavor to develop leaders and entrepreneurs in Milwaukee and its neighboring communities,” said VCA board president Donald (D.L.) Rogers in a statement. “We are expanding our collaborative partnerships with neighborhood organizations and local businesses to help shape our students as pacesetters for impacting their communities. We believe this should intrinsically happen on an organic, grassroots level where our students model family values through academic excellence.”

VCA acquired the southside campus in 2019 for $825,000. It was long home to St. John Kanty Roman Catholic Church, but the congregation folded in 2018 leaving both its school and church vacant. VCA has used what it calls its “east campus” for K4 through 4th grade to date.

Abacus Architects is serving as the project designer. Rafael Garcia of T&R Investments is serving as the developer for VCA.

The school, a participant in the voucher-based Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, was founded by Vyon Rogers. The West Allis campus earned a three-star rating following the 2020-2021 school year from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The Milwaukee campus, according to DPI, is not ranked. Last school year more than 76% of its student body identified as Hispanic and more than 87% reported being economically disadvantaged.

The husband-and-wife Rogers’ team also leads Pentecostals of Wisconsin church, where Donald serves as pastor.

The former St. John Kanty church is being used as a food pantry currently.

VCA secured a loan to cover the project, but now is seeking additional funding to cover a $1.5 million gap attributed to supply chain cost increases.

City records do not show a formal request for a building permit for the project, but the press release says construction could begin as early as September.

Approximately five blocks to the east, St. Augustine Preparatory Academy is building the second phase of a $100 million campus.

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