Kenosha Charter School finds permanent campus at closed Pick ‘n Save

A Kenosha charter school has found its new home — an old Pick ‘n Save grocery.

Kenosha Technology Enhanced Curriculum Schools of Innovation is a STEM-focused, independent charter school that teaches children from 4K through 12th grade. KTEC purchased the 56,000-square-foot building in October for $5 million. The school currently operates out of a former Catholic school building.

The Pick ‘n Save in Kenosha’s Uptown neighborhood closed in 2017.

Ruth Dyson is the alder for the area. She said she believes someone coming in with a “positive business” is exactly what her district needs. 

“I’m just glad that something is finally going into the building that is no longer sitting there,” Dyson said.

Now it will be transformed into a “center of excellence for technical education,” according to Angela Andersson, the charter’s CEO and executive director. The school hopes to move into the building for the 2026-27 school year.

Andersson said the school worked with partners including Kenosha-based Snap-on Inc., Lincoln Electric and Gateway Technical College to design the project. 

“We needed a space that would provide the state-of-the-art labs for our students to learn in and be prepared for careers in those technical fields,” Andersson said. 

The building is in the same neighborhood as KTEC’s original location when it was part of the Kenosha Unified School District. The charter has been in the area for 17 years, and many students live nearby. 

The independent charter school combined their 4K-8 program with their high school earlier this year. They teach 325 students at a temporary location. The new permanent facility will allow the charter to expand to nearly 650 students. 

KTEC’s 4K-8 program was chartered through the Kenosha Unified School District until they ended their partnership in January. The public school district launched LakeView K-8 Academy, a choice school with a curriculum aligned with the district’s LakeView Technology Academy high school.

The change came after the district said KTEC’s board had engaged “an external fiscal agent without the district’s knowledge or authorization,” according to a KUSD news release. 

Previously, the high school program operated independently from the 4K-8 program. It was separately chartered through the Universities of Wisconsin. Now, the combined institution known as the KTEC Schools of Innovation is chartered by UW.

Kenosha Unified closed six schools last school year as part of a plan to address declining enrollment and a $15 million deficit. Four of those schools are being razed.