Contact:
MPS Department of Communications
Stephen Davis, Media Relations Manager
Nicole Armendariz, Director
Phone: 414-475-8650
Email: comm@milwaukee.k12.wi.us
(MILWAUKEE) — Milwaukee Public Schools has constructed or improved 135 outdoor classrooms in the past year. District and City of Milwaukee officials, school administrators, and students marked the milestone with a dedication at 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 9, 2023, at Bryant School (8718 W. Thurston Ave.), on the city’s northwest side. At the dedication, MPS recognized the City of Milwaukee’s Department of City Development and Board of Zoning appeals for their assistance.
“Thanks to the City of Milwaukee’s partnership, the process for MPS to build over a hundred outdoor classrooms was streamlined, and the project is on track for the fall 2023 deadline,” said MPS Superintendent Dr. Keith P. Posley. “That’s a win for the children of Milwaukee as we implement innovative approaches to learning.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, being outdoors has wide-ranging effects on child development. It’s associated with improved academic learning in addition to better physical and social-emotional health. International studies also suggest that connecting with the outdoors might help develop language and communication skills.
An amendment to the zoning code by the city Department of City Development made an exception for educational sites regarding pavilion height. Without the city’s help, MPS would have had to apply for a zoning variance for nearly all of the 135 projects, with employees appearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals for each new classroom and the district paying application fees for each appeal.
Construction of the open-air classrooms and improvements to existing outdoor classrooms began in 2022, and the last of the construction will be finished this fall. The cost for the outdoor classrooms as of June 1 was $7.6 million, the majority of which was paid by federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. Schools had the opportunity to fund additional upgrades to their outdoor spaces.
District schools chose from three designs for the open-air classrooms plus upgrades, such as plantings, outdoor furniture, and activity carts. Some of the structures have electricity.
