The outlook for a proposed charter school offering internships and training for high-demand careers is looking bleak, with multiple Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) board members voicing opposition to the plans, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
TJ McCray, MMSD’s deputy superintendent, said the Forward Career and College Academy, proposed by Madison-area philanthropist and real estate developer John McKenzie, “demonstrated promise” but lacked development in “key focus areas.” Board member Savion Castro said “there is a fundamental misalignment in terms of how the school would fit into [MMSD’s] more broad district plans.”
The district has opposed several other proposed charter schools in the past, including the proposed Arbor Community School, and what are now One City Schools and the Isthmus Montessori Academy.
A feedback memo from McCray showed that the Forward Career and College Academy failed to meet expectations in 11 of the 14 areas evaluated by the district, including facility and safety planning, transportation, budgeting, staffing, and student enrollment plans. McKenzie has only a short window to implement changes based on the feedback. The school board will officially vote on the proposal next week.
Organizers are seeking to open the charter school in fall 2026 with a cohort of 150 ninth-grade students, and plan for enrollment to grow to 600 students over the next three years. The school would primarily serve low-income students and students of color.
