GLENDALE — A new school is bringing students back to the former Cardinal Stritch University campus.
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy opened its new North Campus Monday, welcoming about 330 students in K4 through sixth and ninth grades.
The campus is the result of a $103 million investment and more than three years of planning and construction, according to Aug Prep CEO Abby Andrietsch.
“These hallways and classrooms [were] built for kids. We’ve just been waiting for students to get here,” Andrietsch said.
The campus features new classrooms, arts and athletic facilities and will add grades each year until reaching an enrollment of about 1,500 students, according to the school.
Aug Prep said it received nearly 1,200 applications for the North Campus this year from 39 ZIP codes and 121 feeder schools. Nearly 250 students remain on the waitlist.
Watch: 330 students make history on first day at St. Augustine Prep North
"It's an amazing bridging point of communities, the North Shore, the north side of Milwaukee. It's diverse, socioeconomically, culturally, racially, and this has been a meeting point. That’s a big point of Cardinal Stritch's Legacy," Andrietsch said.
For ninth-grader Amare Howard, being part of the first class comes with both excitement and pressure.
“Probably the most excited I’ve ever been for school,” Howard said.
Howard said he was drawn to Aug Prep for its faith-based education, academics, sports, and business classes.
“It’s kind of daunting, but kind of exciting,” Howard said. "We have to found all of the traditions and get all the sports we want so other people following us can have more fun."
The campus occupies the site of Cardinal Stritch University, which permanently closed in May 2023 after more than 85 years.
Aug Prep said it inherited about 120,000 books for the campus and preserved other elements of the former university, including a statue and stained glass.
“We want this place to be a legacy of the Stritch community,” Andrietsch said.
The school said the $25 million fundraising campaign for the North Campus has also been completed, with support from more than 130 individuals, foundations, businesses and community partners.
Aug Prep’s South Campus will begin its school year Wednesday with about 2,400 students, according to the school.
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