One City Schools on Tuesday announced a donation of $1 million from the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation to support the renovation of its new 157,000 square foot facility in Monona that will serve as the permanent home for its K-12 public charter schools.
The Pleasant T. Rowland Leadership Campus is named for Frautschi’s wife, the founder of American Girl, who contributed the $14 million required to purchase the former WPS building. The new campus will serve as the home of One City’s elementary and secondary schools.
One City Elementary currently enrolls 198 children in grades 4K to 4, and will add 5th grade next school year. One City has also been approved by its charter school authorizer, the University of Wisconsin System’s Office of Educational Opportunity, to open its new 6th to 12th grade One City Preparatory Academy in September 2022.
According to a press release, One City Prep will offer a unique Early College and Career Preparatory Program that will enable students to complete credits towards earning associates and bachelor’s degrees, and industry certifications, beginning in ninth grade, at no expense to its students. Beginning in 6th grade, building on its current project-based learning model, students will begin exploring careers, addressing community and social issues, and considering new ideas and solutions to problems confronting education, business, industry and society.
“The Frautschi family has a long history of investing in initiatives to make Madison a great city for everyone, dating back to their contributions to downtown and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the early 1900s,” One City Founder and CEO, Kaleem Caire, said in a statement. “We are truly grateful to be a part of Mr. Jerome Frautschi’s extraordinary personal legacy of giving to projects that inspire the heart and art of human kindness, community and innovation in our capital city.”
“I am proud to be among the many supporters of One City Schools. Their program is on the leading edge of innovation in public education, and I look forward to seeing One City execute their impressive vision,” Frautschi said in a statement.
Renovation of the facility located at 1707 W. Broadway in Monona, Wisconsin is scheduled to be completed by August 2022. By the fall of 2024, One City will enroll 970 children, from age 2 through 12th grade: 82 children at its preschool facility in South Madison and 888 students at the Rowland Leadership Campus.
To date, more than 2,500 financial donors and more than 300 volunteers have contributed to One City Schools growth and success.
