Original Research by School Decision on Project Stay-supporting Teachers and Youth
Project STAY – Supporting Teachers and Youth is an alternative high school serving grades nine through twelve in Milwaukee. It sits within Milwaukee School District, the city's public system. The school's name and its designation as an alternative school signal a setting designed for students who may need a smaller, more tailored environment to complete high school. State testing data was not available for this school; alternative schools often operate outside the standard assessment framework, so the absence of a proficiency profile does not necessarily reflect a weak one, but a parent should confirm directly how the school measures academic progress. The graduation rate was also not reported in the data available.
The school enrolls a small number of students. The grade-level distribution is heavily concentrated in the upper grades, with the largest groups in grades eleven and twelve, while only a handful of students are in grades nine and ten. This pattern is consistent with a program that may serve as a re-engagement or credit-recovery option for students who have fallen off a traditional four-year pace, or one that draws in juniors and seniors who have transferred from other settings.
A very large majority of students come from low-income households, and the student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller Hispanic share and very small numbers of white, Asian, and multiracial students. The school is located in downtown Milwaukee at 609 N 8th St, placing it in the city's core. Milwaukee itself is Wisconsin's largest city, a historically industrial and manufacturing hub on Lake Michigan that has seen a long-term population decline but also significant economic anchors, including several Fortune 500 headquarters, major healthcare and financial sectors, and a revitalized downtown and riverfront. The city remains one of the most racially segregated in the United States, a pattern that shapes its neighborhoods and school enrollment. Housing in the immediate zip code is more affordable than the state and national medians, with modest home values and rents that have recently moved in opposite directions: values have dipped slightly year over year while rents have risen.
Program offerings for this school were not available in the data, nor were discipline metrics, staffing ratios, or attendance figures. A parent looking into Project STAY would want to learn directly from the school what academic courses, support services, and post-graduation guidance it offers, and how it approaches the transition from high school to work, further training, or college. Given the school's alternative designation and its small size, families should also expect to discuss whether it primarily serves students catching up on credits, students who have experienced disruptions in a traditional high school setting, or those who need a more flexible or supportive structure to stay in school.
Milwaukee School District is operating under a Long Range Facilities Plan that includes potential school closures or consolidations, as well as a voter-approved referendum to fund building accessibility projects. The district is also projecting a budget deficit that could lead to program and staffing cuts. These district-level pressures may affect the resources and stability of all schools within the system, including alternative programs like Project STAY. A family considering this school should understand that it is part of a large urban district facing significant financial and enrollment challenges, and should ask the school directly how those district conditions are affecting its operations and student support.
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