After nearly a year of demolition, construction work has begun for St. Augustine Preparatory Academy’s future North Campus in Fox Point and Glendale.
Mounds of rubble mark the former home of the now-shuttered Cardinal Stritch University, where Aug Prep held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday. The Aug Prep North Campus is scheduled to open in fall 2026 with over 300 students but will grow to serve more than 1,000 students by 2032, according to Aug Prep’s Wednesday presentation. A planned second phase of the project would eventually increase capacity to over 2,000 students.
Aug Prep, a K-12 private Christian voucher school that currently operates a campus on Milwaukee’s south side, was founded by Gus and Becky Ramirez in 2017. The Ramirez Family Foundation purchased the Cardinal Stritch campus in July 2023 for $24 million with the intention for it to serve as an additional Aug Prep campus.
Aug Prep has raised just over $12 million toward the $25 million in fundraising needed to support the project, which has a total cost of $100 million. Gus Ramirez, chairman of Waukesha-based Husco International, has committed the other $75 million.
This means Aug Prep has about $13 million left to fundraise.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, but we feel good about the foundation of excellence we’ve got,” Aug Prep chief executive officer Abby Andrietsch said. “We have a track record of great results that creates a foundation to raise the money from. We are blessed to have a community in Milwaukee that I think is deeply philanthropic.”
Andrietsch said Aug Prep is looking to expand its fundraising pool and reach people inside and outside of Milwaukee, as well as those who “may not be engaged in Milwaukee education.” Gus Ramirez said the plan for the next 18 months is to reach people who haven’t already been involved, since many donors who supported Aug Prep’s southside school have contributed to the new campus.
“Part of what we’re hoping to do is get people really excited about serving our students with excellence and equipping our students to flourish well beyond their time with us in our school,” Andrietsch said.
Aug Prep also opened a 123,000-square-foot elementary school at its existing south side campus last year. The south side campus serves over 2,200 students from 49 zip codes.
“The success of Aug Prep South will serve as a foundation for Aug Prep North,” Andrietsch said. “While there will be some differences, our core values, pillars and mission remain the same.”
The northside vision
Aug Prep North’s 43-acre footprint crosses into both Glendale and Fox Point, and this location is unique, Andrietsch said.
“It bridges many neighborhoods and communities across Milwaukee,” she said. “Our vision here is to create a school community that reflects the Greater Milwaukee community. We want to build a school that will be a great option for all students. We believe deeply that this diversity, by design, will best equip all of our students to thrive in the world,” Andrietsch said.
Most of the Cardinal Stritch structures were demolished, but two buildings are left standing: the former fine arts building, as well as the previous home of Cardinal Stritch’s fieldhouse, student union and library.
The fine arts building will eventually be converted into Aug Prep North’s high school. While the fine arts building will primarily be updated and renovated, the other surviving Cardinal Stritch structure will have some gutting, renovations and additions. This building will serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Campus-wide, Aug Prep North needs about “300,000-square-feet of sprinklers,” said Ben Bergles, director of preconstruction at VJS Construction. VJS is the general contractor working on the project, while Eppstein Uhen Architects serves as the architect. Universities have different fire code regulations than K-12 school buildings.
Once the project is complete, students at Aug Prep North will have access to STEM labs, music and fine arts spaces, a new fieldhouse, a turf soccer field and an outdoor track.
“We’re thankful for the Cardinal Stritch community who sowed the seeds of faith on this fertile ground and have been gracious and supportive as we continue to honor Christ through education on this campus,” Andrietsch said.
