Education

Learn & Grown in Prairie du Chien

Prairie du Chien Area Public Schools are recognized statewide, and increasingly nationwide, as being leaders in educational innovation, technology, and student academic achievements. The professional instructional staff and support para-professionals serve the children of the community as caring role models and create a vigorous and challenging year-round learning environment within a culture of very high expectations.

The Prairie du Chien public schools offer a comprehensive educational program that is both rigorous and relevant.  The overall educational goals are to develop and enhance young people's creativity and entrepreneurship within a college or career ready preparatory program. The school district is constantly exploring ways to improve or offer better service to the community, such as a full day kindergarten.

Across the public school curriculum, the core academic skills are covered in a basal format that has high expectations for all children. Interventions are present to help children in need of more help, and challenging coursework is in place for those students who have already mastered grade level information. In addition, public schools present students with encore opportunities for wellness, recreation, performing and visual arts, additional literacy, and other academic enrichments. Specific after school programming is available at all levels of the school. Along with this, the public schools have a full summer school schedule that features 45 days of rigorous academic programming in a more relaxed and enriched setting – including breakfast, lunch, and swimming instruction!

Prairie du Chien public schools have instruction that is literally world class. For example, there is international education from Kindergarten to graduation. It also offers dual Global Language series in both Spanish and Chinese languages. At the public high school there are currently 14 different Advanced Placement (AP) classes offered across various disciplines. For the 2013-2014 school year, four additional AP offerings are planned to be added to the already vast array of college level offerings.

The Prairie du Chien public schools are recognized as nationwide leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM is embedded in elementary lessons. Through the middle grade levels, the school offers GameIT Computer Programming and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Gateway to Technology programs, in addition to challenging math and science curriculums. As a capstone, roughly two-thirds of the Bluff View grade 8 students take the accelerated high school level Integrated Math 1. The high school students have access to an unmatched program of STEM offerings, including PLTW programs in both engineering and biomedical fields. Students have access to a full array of mathematics offered, including AP Statistics and both AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC.

To highlight the school's commitment to excellence, the high school is silver rated by U.S. News, all three Bluff View Intermediate Public School sub groups are awarded as Schools of Recognition by the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and the district was awarded with the What Parents Want Award.

Along with the entire umbrella of academic offerings, Prairie du Chien public schools offer a full array of co-curricular sports and activities across the grades from sports/recreation activities for the younger students up to competitive WIAA sports in the high school. The public schools are small enough to allow full participation, such as a no-cut policy on all activities, but large enough to offer a wide variety of choices to include sports of girls cross-country, football, girls golf, boys soccer, cheer squads, volleyball, boys cross-country, dance, girls basketball, boys basketball, wrestling, boys track and field, baseball, boys golf, softball, girls track and field, and girls soccer. Two recently added popular activities are archery and summer swim team.

In the performing arts, there are many full music programs across all grades with extra programming available. Both the band and the choir are high quality. The music students regularly perform with guest artists and concerts featuring these guests; two of the latest being the Monroe Crossing, who are "The Midwest's Premier Bluegrass and Gospel Quintet", and Xianghua Han from Beijing China. The public school choir groups have performed at Carnegie Hall. The Drama Department produces high quality musicals and plays that are great learning platforms for the students and superb entertainment for the whole community.

Finally, the Prairie du Chien public schools have tremendous community support. Beyond the supportive structure of state and local funding, the giving to the school by individuals and businesses is very generous and greatly appreciated. Visit www.pdc.k12.wi.us for more information on the Prairie du Chien Area Public Schools.