Plans under development by Madison-area philanthropists and real estate developers John and Jo Ellen McKenzie would create the Pathway Career and College Academy, a new Madison charter school centered on preparing high schoolers for careers in the skilled trades, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The school would offer paid work experience and the opportunity to earn college credits.
Instruction would focus on STEM, with preparation for careers as plumbers, carpenters, HVAC technicians, electricians, and more. Other areas of curricular emphasis would include personal finance and investing, civics, entrepreneurship, and communication and public speaking, and soft skills like conflict resolutions, self awareness, and stress management. The school would build literacy and math skills through “boot camps” in the first year of enrollment, with grade-level English instruction through the Odell High School Literacy Program to follow.
The proposed school would build on the mission of Fitchburg’s McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, named for John McKenzie, which opened in 2023 in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County.
Organizers hope to secure a charter agreement with the Madison Metropolitan School District — a lengthy process — and would then aim to open the school in fall of 2026 with a 150-student cohort of ninth graders. Enrollment would be decided by a lottery system and ideally grow over time. A location for the school has not yet been identified. The new building would cost roughly $30 million, but operating out of an existing Madison school or buying commercial office space is also being considered.
