Carmen Schools Opens New $55 Million Southgate Campus and Launches Public Phase of $15 Million Capital Campaign
As Carmen enters its 20th year of serving Milwaukee students, community members are invited to help close the campaign’s final gap and invest in the next generation.
MILWAUKEE (Aug. 4, 2026) – Marking a transformational milestone in its nearly 20-year history, Carmen Schools of Science & Technology officially opened its new $55 million Southgate campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning while simultaneously launching the public phase of its $15 million capital campaign.
Carmen welcomed elected officials, philanthropists, business leaders, students, families, alumni and community partners to celebrate the opening of the network’s first permanently owned high school campus and two decades of expanding educational opportunities for Milwaukee students.
To date, generous supporters have committed more than $12.2 million toward the campaign’s $15 million goal, leaving approximately $2.8 million to be raised.
“This is a landmark day for Carmen and for Milwaukee,” said Aaron Lippman, CEO of Carmen Schools of Science & Technology. “For nearly 20 years, our students, families, educators and supporters have shown what is possible when young people are surrounded by high expectations, strong relationships and meaningful opportunities. Southgate reflects our students’ unlimited potential and represents a long-term investment in our neighborhoods and Milwaukee’s future workforce. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has brought us this far, and today we invite the entire community to help us cross the finish line.”
The new Southgate campus brings together students from Carmen’s former South and Southeast high schools in a purpose-built learning environment designed to prepare students for success in college, careers, community involvement and family life.
The 124,000-square-foot campus can accommodate up to 1,100 students and features innovative STEAM and science laboratories, career and technical education spaces, performing arts facilities, athletic amenities, collaborative learning environments and gathering spaces designed to serve both students and the surrounding community. Students will begin classes Aug. 24.
Since opening its first school in 2007, Carmen has grown from a single high school into a network serving nearly 1,800 students across four Milwaukee campuses. Over nearly two decades, Carmen has helped thousands of young people envision and pursue futures filled with possibility. Carmen’s most recent graduating class achieved a 99% college acceptance rate and earned more than $30 million in scholarships.
Carmen’s impact extends beyond graduation. Its alumni are attending colleges and universities, entering the workforce and contributing to the strength of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods and communities. Southgate will allow Carmen to build upon that record of success and expand access to rigorous academics, career exploration, real-world learning and postsecondary opportunities for generations to come.
The public campaign builds upon extraordinary leadership support from Milwaukee’s philanthropic and business communities, including:
- The Arzbaecher Family Foundation – $2 million
- The Burke Foundation – $1.25 million
- Robert W. Baird – $1.2 million
- The Kelben Foundation on behalf of Mary and Ted Kellner – $1 million
- We Energies Foundation – $500,000
- Herb Kohl Philanthropies – $500,000
- Northwestern Mutual – $450,000
A cornerstone of the campaign has been the Ted and Mary Kellner Challenge, a $1 million leadership commitment made through the Kelben Foundation. Their gift has inspired donors across Milwaukee to invest in Carmen’s vision and continues to serve as a catalyst as the campaign enters its public phase.
“The Kellners’ extraordinary generosity has done far more than provide financial support,” said Steve Booth, Capital Campaign Co-Chair. “Their leadership has inspired others to step forward and invest in Carmen’s students. As Carmen enters its 20th year, we have an opportunity to honor what this school community has accomplished while helping ensure its impact continues for decades. We hope the entire Milwaukee community will join us in meeting this challenge and completing this transformational project.”
Campaign Co-Chair Bob Arzbaecher emphasized that the campaign represents an investment far beyond a school building.
“Carmen graduates are becoming Milwaukee’s future engineers, healthcare professionals, teachers, entrepreneurs and civic leaders,” Arzbaecher said. “For nearly 20 years, Carmen has demonstrated the difference that an excellent education can make in the life of a student, a family and a community. Supporting Southgate is an investment in the people who will shape our city’s future. Every contribution, regardless of size, helps provide opportunities that will strengthen our workforce, our neighborhoods and our community for generations to come.”
The project has been funded through generous philanthropic support, school reserves accumulated over time and financing. While construction is complete, additional philanthropic support remains essential to reducing debt and ensuring that more resources remain focused on students, educators and academic programming.
“We are incredibly proud to welcome our students, families and staff to this remarkable campus,” said Ivan Gamboa, Chair of Carmen’s Board of Directors. “Southgate is the culmination of nearly two decades of belief in Carmen’s students and its mission. For 20 years, Carmen has prepared young people to be college bound, career ready and community engaged. This campus gives us the opportunity to deepen that impact in a facility designed specifically for student success.”
The Southgate campus occupies the former Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare property, which Carmen purchased in August 2024. Before Southgate opened, Carmen South and Carmen Southeast operated within Milwaukee Public Schools facilities shared with other schools. The opening represents a defining step in Carmen’s evolution—from one school founded with an ambitious vision in 2007 to an established network with a permanent high school home built for its students and community.
Community members interested in supporting the Southgate Capital Campaign, scheduling a campus tour or learning more about naming opportunities are encouraged to contact Tracey Pederson, Director of Development, at tpederson@carmenhighschools.org.
About Carmen Schools of Science & Technology
Carmen Schools of Science & Technology is a public charter school network serving nearly 1,800 students across four Milwaukee campuses. Now entering its 20th year, Carmen has grown from a single high school founded in 2007 into one of Milwaukee’s most impactful public charter school networks. Carmen is committed to graduating students who are college bound, career ready and community engaged. Through rigorous academics, strong relationships and real-world learning experiences, Carmen prepares students for success in college, meaningful careers, community involvement and family life. The network’s newest campus, Carmen Southgate, represents a transformational investment in educational opportunity and Milwaukee’s future.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Carmen Schools of Science and Technology
Carmen Schools of Science & Technology Announces $3.5 Million Gift From Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
Nov 28th, 2022 by Carmen Schools of Science and TechnologyTop Performing Charter Network Receives Donation as it Celebrates 15th Anniversary
