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One City Schools

Website
Telephone
608-268-8004
Location
1707 W. Broadway
Madison
WI
53713
United States

One City Schools is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that provides high quality educational opportunities for young children. Our mission is to seed a new model of public education that ensures children and teens are on track to succeed in a college or career preparatory program from birth through high school graduation. Our vision is of a Greater Madison community where there are no persistent achievement and opportunity gaps, and where all children are prepared to contribute and succeed as adults. To this end, One City’s goal is to ensure young children are prepared to read, compute and succeed at grade level by the time they reach first grade. More importantly, we aim to partner with families and the broader community to cultivate children who become free, global and deep thinkers, curious learners, effective problem solvers, humanitarians, happy people and young people who care about the world around them.

OUR SCHOOLS

Currently, One City operates two schools and will open its secondary school in September 2022.

One City Preschool is a noteworthy, accredited, 5-star early childhood learning center that serves children ages 2 – 4. It utilizes the highly regarded Anji Play curriculum of Anji, China, and was the first school in the world outside Mainland China to implement the program, thus winning it international attention. It has also been recognized as the “Best of Madison in Child Care”.

One City Elementary School (OCES) is a unique, two-generation public school, authorized by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, that provides a tuition-free education to children in grades 4K through Grade 4 in South Madison, and will add 5th grade in September 2022. OCES works directly with families to ensure children are learning, inspired and making solid progress. It is an EL Education Affiliate School, offering the highly effective Expeditionary Learning curriculum. It is also the only public school in Wisconsin that has both a longer school day and longer school year.

One City Preparatory Academy (OCPA) will enroll children in grades 6 through 12 and serve as Wisconsin’s only full-serve Early College and Career Preparatory school, where all students will begin taking college courses in high school, and as early as 9th grade. Also authorized as a public charter school by the UW System Board of Regents, it will open in fall 2022.

At maturity, One City will serve as many as 970 students at capacity, with the potential to add other school locations in the future.

One City Schools achieves its mission by: 

  • Attracting dedicated families committed to the mission of the school
  • Sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and multicultural community that affirms and values each individual
  • Focusing on wellness, including providing healthy prepared breakfast, lunch, and snack on a daily basis
  • Providing a longer school day and longer school year, ensuring our scholars and their families are continually supported
  • Ensuring transparency and accountability, including a 20-year longitudinal study in partnership with University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Providing financial, physical, and educational support for scholars from age 2 through HS graduation
  • Focusing on professional development and support
  • Cultivating resilience, agency, compassion, and community-mindedness
  • Embracing the whole child, from athletics to social-emotional development to content knowledge
  • Embedding a community-minded approach t o education, including a focus on collaboration amongst teachers, parents, and scholars

OUR FACILITIES

In August 2021, we moved into our permanent home, a $12 million facility located at 1707 W. Broadway in Monona, Wisconsin, a small city located on the south side of Madison, our capital city. This 13.5 acre campus includes a 157,000 school facility that will serve as our administrative headquarters, and home to our elementary and secondary schools. We are also building a 180,000 square foot athletic center that will have Southern Wisconsin’s only FIFA regulated indoor competition soccer field, two adult-sized basketball courts, weight training and cardio rooms, locker rooms and underground parking. Our campus also includes a wooded nature area for science and outdoor learning, and outdoor play. Our campus is situated just 5 blocks from Lake Monona, near Lake Waubesa, and 10 minutes from downtown Madison.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES 
One City Scholars will graduate from our school but always be a part of our community. They will emerge from our program as thinkers, learners, and problem-solvers, ready to tackle life’s challenges and provide effective leadership in our state and globally.

Our graduates will be prepared to lead in the local and global community and serve as role models, mentors and problem solvers. They will understand the importance of reflection, perseverance, compassion and risk-taking. One City scholars, to put it simply, will make the world a better place.

STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY 
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than just words for One City Schools. We strive to create a team that reflects the scholars and families we serve, and empowers all to bring their full, authentic selves to school each day. Currently, 60% of our staff and 87% of our scholars identify as Black, Brown, Asian, Hispanic, Latino, and/or multi-racial. One City Schools is designed to prepare ALL students for success in school, career, and life, particularly the Black, Brown, Hispanic, Latino, and low-income scholars in the Madison community and beyond, who have been historically underserved in traditional school environments.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE 
In September of 2022, One City Preparatory Academy will welcome as many as 72 scholars in Grade 6 and 96 in each of Grades 9 and 10, while One City Elementary School will expand through Grade 5 with 48 scholars/grade. In the following two years (School Years 2023-24 and 2024-25), expansion will continue until One City Schools serves children from as young a s age 2 (One City Preschool) through high school graduation. The first graduating class will be in June of 2025.

Our new facility at 1707 W Broadway is currently under renovation while we simultaneously use it for instruction for Grades K-4. Renovations will be complete by September of 2022, at which time construction on the Athletics Center will begin. Programs will expand as OCPA grows and will always center on our mission and vision.

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