MADISON, Wis. – Students at one Madison high school will have a building to themselves for the very first time.

What You Need To Know

  • Madison's alternative high school, Capital High, has previously had three locations

  • Thanks to funding in a 2020 referendum, the old Hoyt School is now Capital High School

  • It has state-of-the-art culinary and art facilities, plus a day care for students with children

  • Students start school at the new building Friday, Sept. 1

Capital High School has a new home on Regent Street. The building used to be home to Hoyt School and Madison School and Community Recreation. MSCR is now located in West Town Mall complex

A referendum passed in 2020, which included improvements all over the district. Capital was set to get its own school. Previously, Capital students were in three different locations.

Principal Victor Chukwudebe said he expects there to be more of a sense of community this school year.

“It was really difficult to get a sense of identity,” Chukwudebe said. “Some students associated with, 'Oh, I’m Capital West Side.' 'I’m Capital East Side.' 'I’m Capital Parenting.' Now we’re all under the same umbrella; we’re Capital High.”

The building needed upgrades all over the building. It has new windows and new accessibility features.

“Previously, the middle floor had no wheelchair access; to get down there, there was only the stairs,” said Danielle Mischke, part of the project team at Findorff. “Adding this elevator gives the entire building ADA access.”

There’s a day care for students with children who are part of Capital Parenting. However, with everyone in the same building, Chukwudebe said he hopes students who are also parents will be more integrated into the school as a whole.

“Just to give themselves peace of mind,” Chukwudebe said. “Knowing that their child is just across the hallway. They’re getting the resources that they need and the care they deserve.”

There are other new additions to the building, too. 

Chukwudebe said over time, interest has grown in culinary programs. That led to the new culinary arts area.

“I’m looking forward to sharing my nana’s recipes with the students,” said assistant principal Stephanie James. “They deserve this space. They deserve it.”

They have state-of-the-art media, art and science rooms, as well.

“The hard part’s gonna be trying to keep them out of this space," Chukwudebe laughed.

Teachers and staff at Capital High School are starting this new school year with high hopes for the young people who will soon be walking the halls.

Although the traditional high school path may have presented challenges for Capital High students, the goal is for this to be a more supportive home for learning and cultivating their unique skills and talents.

The first day of school for Capital High School is Friday, Sept. 1.

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