Urban Day School

Urban Day School is an outgrowth of St. Benedict the Moor School, founded by the Capuchin Brothers in 1913 to serve inner city children. The school was staffed by the Dominican Sisters of Racine and its mission was (and remains) to serve Milwaukee's central city population. In the mid-1960's the Capuchin Brothers were no longer able to operate the... school and closed its doors. Though St. Benedict the Moor School had been a Catholic school, the Dominicans, along with a small committee of lay leaders, decided to reopen the school as Urban Day School, Milwaukee's first nonsectarian community private elementary school. The school reopened in 1967 and was supported by contributions, tuition paid by parents according to their means, volunteer Racine Dominican teachers, and the volunteer efforts of parents and friends of the school. The school received no government help. Urban Day School's roots are truly those of a community supported school. Urban Day School was forced to move several times and in 1969 rented space in St. Michael's parish school at 24th Avenue and Vliet Street. The parish sold the school building to Urban Day School in 1982 for the sum of $1.00. A community fund drive paid for badly needed building repairs and the school finally had a permanent home. Individualized instruction and parent involvement were enthusiastically received by the community and were Urban Day School hallmarks from the beginning. Word of Urban Day School's academic success and high graduation rates spread and the school's popularity grew. Day Care was added in the 1970's and during the 1980's and 1990's, at the request of parents and the community, Urban Day School added Head Start, enriched its curriculum, and opened a second campus at 12th and Atkinson. A library and Middle School were added to the 12th Street campus in 2003. Today the Urban Day Early Childhood Education Program includes Head Start, Day Care, Before and After School Care, and Wrap-around Day Care. Urban Day School's vision and continued capacity for ...Read More