History of BA

The Founding Era

In the early 1960s, a few Milwaukee-area families were worried--it seemed to them that the "progressive" education sweeping the country was adrift, hesitant to challenge the intellect, and increasingly afraid to enunciate traditional values. Together, they dreamed of starting a new school. This school would use traditional methods and texts; it would instill in students a reverence for character values and the search for truth; and it would hire teachers who both loved children and appreciated the freedoms of Western Civilization.

Those dreams gave birth to the Academy of Basic Education (A.B.E.). After purchasing a large, brick, ranch-style home on a 12-acre site in Brookfield and hiring five talented teachers, including Headmaster William Beye Smeeth, the school opened its doors on September 10, 1962, to 33 students.

The Growth Spurt

By the second year, A.B.E. had nearly doubled in size to 65 students and eight teachers, and by 1964 the Academy received approval to build a four-room addition to the original building. By 1967, the school had 165 students, 16 teachers, and plans for a second classroom building, Freedom Hall. The Academy added a high school classes in the fall of 1969, and celebrated the graduation of its first senior class in 1971.

Dr. Nyle Kardatzke, was named Head of School in September, 1978. A witty and engaging leader, Kardatzke believed "the life of the school is the life of the mind." He nurtured the Academy's development for 15 years. Enrollment growth meant more new buildings: Independence Hall (1976), additions to Freedom Hall (1986-87), the construction of Constitution Hall (1986-87), and, in 1992, the purchase of a bowling alley bordering the south edge of the campus. This bowling alley was converted into Liberty Hall, customized for Middle School students. When Dr. Kardatzke left the Academy in 1992, a long-range plan was in place and the school had established itself as one of the top college-prep institutions in the Midwest.

Building on a Firm Foundation

Long-time Academy teacher and coach Robert Solsrud was named Head of School in 1993. In 1995, as enrollment crept up to nearly 600 students, a new opportunity surfaced: the purchase of a 100-acre farm on the west side of Brookfield Road, now developed into a first-class athletic complex serving the needs of more than 700 students.

Despite the tremendous physical growth of the Academy, the core philosophy has not changed. In the pursuit of excellence, the Academy decided long ago not to try to please everyone, at the risk of thereby pleasing no one. With the guiding values of Intellect, Character, Truth, Individuality, and Heritage, a demanding program, small classes, and texts and materials chosen for their consistency with time-proven Judeo-Christian values, the Academy pleases many students and their parents with an unparalleled education, preparing students for college and for life.

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