Aquinas Academy, a private K4-8 school in Menomonee Falls, plans to construct a new building on its campus to accommodate its growing enrollment.
School leaders are preparing to break ground in mid-September for a new 30,757-square-foot addition that would house classrooms, a science lab, art and music rooms, library, cafeteria and a full-size gym.
The current facility, located at N72 W15935 Good Hope Road, is designed to accommodate up to 120 students, which constrains the Aquinas Academy’s ability to serve more families, the school said. It’s also better suited for younger students, but lacks the technology and specialized classrooms needed for middle school students.
The school currently has 129 students and has seen enrollment grow at a rate of 9% annually since 2007 and 25% in 2019.
Aquinas Academy initially submitted plans to the village to construct a new building on its campus in 2018, but did not end up moving forward with the expansion at the time.
It’s now seeking village approval again for a conditional use permit amendment to construct the addition. The plan commission will consider the plans Aug. 4.
The academy is seeking to raise $4.5 million for the project. According to plans submitted to the village, the school property owner recently sold about 11 of the campus’s 64 acres along Pilgrim Road to raise funds for the project.
The current building opened in 1997. Prior to that, the academy, which opened in 1991 as a high school, operated out of a rented two-room schoolhouse on Schlei Road in Menomonee Falls.
