Climbing Together - 11/11

👋 Hey there, Hilltoppers! The first quarter of the school year is officially in the books. As we approach the end of the calendar year, there's quite a few timely updates to share. Please take a look at the information below to continue staying informed about important happenings in our district. Thank you for being here and for continuing to make Onalaska such a great place to learn, teach, and grow!

In this edition:

🏫 District and school report cards

💜 Help for the holidays

⛄ Inclement weather planning

Today, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released the latest report cards for school districts across the state. As part of the state’s accountability system, these report cards celebrate our schools’ successes as well as highlight opportunities for improvement.

Here are some highlights:

• Our overall district score improved from 71.5 (“Exceeds Expectations”) to 77.0 (“Exceeds Expectations”)

• Our overall achievement was the same or higher than 78.2% of districts in the state

• Our overall growth was the same or higher than 87.1% of districts in the state

• Our overall on-track to graduation was the same or higher than 75.0% of districts in the state

Below is a quick look at our scores. Click on the links to see the published report cards:

• Overall School District of Onalaska | Score: 77.0 | Rating: Exceeds Expectations
• Onalaska High School | Score: 85.3 | Rating: Significantly Exceeds Expectations
• Onalaska Middle School | Score: 67.9 | Rating: Meets Expectations
• Eagle Bluff Elementary | Score: 84.0 | Rating: Significantly Exceeds Expectations
• Irving Pertzsch Elementary | Score: 75.2 | Rating: Exceeds Expectations
• Northern Hills Elementary | Score: 68.8 | Rating: Meets Expectations

Please see this letter for more information. Thank you for your support and partnership,

Lish Olson

Director of Instructional Services

Onalaska Middle School is hosting a public open house this Saturday! Attendees will have the ability to go on self-guided tours at their own pace to see the building’s updated learning and program spaces firsthand. There is no structured program for the event. Simply stop by, see the beautiful facility, and celebrate a new community cornerstone!

We are proud to share two different ways the district is partnering with other organizations to provide support to families during the holiday season.

Every year, the Onalaska Education Association and the School District of Onalaska look to help families during the holidays through two separate programs. They are:

1. Food baskets that include a traditional holiday meal along with other foods provided by the Onalaska Education Association. These will be delivered directly to your homes.

2. A general holiday assistance inquiry to potentially help with youth presents and other items facilitated by our district social worker and counseling team.

If you would like to receive support through either avenue for your family, please fill out out this form indicating your needs by Saturday, November 15 so each organizer is able to properly plan and prepare.

Check out this first-time, free meal event that district staff are organizing in collaboration with the Onalaska Education Foundation and Onalaska United Methodist Church! No cost and no registration required. Simply show up and get a hot meal to-go! See the flyer below for details!

A reminder: The Onalaska Schools Food Pantry is open to all families whose children attend any of the schools in Onalaska (public, private, or home-schooled). The pantry is located at Onalaska Middle School (Door C, north parking lot off 8th Ave N) and is open on the first school Monday of each month from 3:15 – 5:15 p.m.

Distribution dates:

• December 1, 2025

• January 5, 2026

• February 2, 2026

• March 2, 2026

• April 13, 2026

• May 4, 2026

You can find out more information about the Onalaska Schools Food Pantry by visiting their website.

As we head into another Wisconsin winter, keeping an eye on the weather is a big part of making sure everyone stays safe.

Our team monitors conditions closely through the National Weather Service and early morning weather checks. Any decision to close school or start with a two-hour delay will be made by 5:45 a.m. Early release decisions will be made by 11:00 a.m. Depending on the circumstances, there may be rare occasions where we could make decisions on closing the night before but in forecasted storm scenarios, we usually wait until the morning to make the most accurate decision possible.

If there’s a closure or delay, we’ll post updates on our district website and social media accounts. We will also send families an email and text message. Please double check your PowerSchool contact information so you don’t miss important notifications. To do this, login to PowerSchool and click on the "BrightArrow Messages" tab under "Navigation." If you need additional help checking these settings, please contact your school. Local media television and radio stations, as well as their websites, will also contain closure information.

If school is in session but you feel conditions are unsafe for your child, please call your school’s office to report the absence. We understand and respect your judgment.

Thank you for working with us to have another safe and successful winter season!

Here's another chance for you to stop by, get some coffee, and talk with district leadership! We've had some incredible discussions the past two events and I can't wait to see what number three brings. These touch points are very meaningful to the work we do in the district. Thanks to all that have attended and offered their perspective thus far!