MILWAUKEE — Seton Catholic Schools made a big announcement Tuesday morning.
For the first time since the 1960s, Seton Catholic Schools is building two new school buildings in hopes of expanding Catholic education.
The two new schools will replace two current schools. Both St. Rafael the Archangel School and Prince of Peace School will be impacted.
The project for the two schools is expected to cost around $23 million.
“This is going to have an impact for decades,” Brain Couch, Seton Catholic Schools president and CEO, said. “These are wonderful schools. They do not have the facilities they deserve. From that perspective, they are excellent schools that are going to have beautiful, safe, fully functional families that are going to make learning that much more possible for these students.”
The plans unveiled on Tuesday show that St. Rafael’s new school will be built where the current church sits. The church will be knocked down.
Prince of Peace school will also get a new building near the 25th street campus. Seton said the plan is to break ground this fall for the project, which is all being made possible by a $40 million fundraising campaign.
This is all happening in a time where many schools are consolidating or closing around the greater Milwaukee area. Seton said they want to prioritize the schools that need it most.
Seton Catholic currently has 14 schools and hopes to expand to over 20 schools with around 6,000 students in the future.
These two new buildings will hold 500 students each and allow for a better learning environment for both teachers and students, according to officials.
Ana Rangel is the parent of a Prince of Peace student and lives nearby the school. She said knowing the school district is investing this kind of money in her community feels special.
“To invest in this kind of community, it’s like a huge plus because for us it means we are important to this city,” Rangel said. “We are somebody else, we have a voice and we have rights.”
Archbishop Jerome Listecki said this type of project is something they haven’t done in decades.
“It kind of places hope back into areas who needed hope,” Listecki said. “Seton has been doing that by the outstanding education things that have happened.”
Seton said the goal is to open both schools in early 2026.