Pursue a Better Plan: Invest in La Crosse Neighborhood Schools

04/20/2023

Tonight will be the first meeting of the new Facility Advisory Committee. Please read more details in this message from the School District of La Crosse:

“Dear School District of La Crosse families, staff, and community members,

The School District of La Crosse is forming a Facility Advisory Committee (FAC) tasked with developing recommendations for school district facility needs. The FAC is a citizen-based group that serves in an advisory capacity to the administration and Board of Education.

The FAC will consist of 25-30 participants selected to create a representative group that includes individuals from a range of backgrounds including parents, the business community, booster/athletics/arts groups, senior citizens, staff, realtors, the La Crosse Public Education Foundation, local government, and legislators.

The tasks of the FAC are to:

Review demographic data, enrollment projections, facilities assessments, best practices, and other factors that impact school district facilities.

Integrate community feedback from surveys and other means into evaluations and recommendations.

Serve as factual key communicators to the La Crosse community.

Explore, evaluate, and refine potential elementary school arrangement and facilities consolidation options.

Explore, evaluate, and refine middle and high school facilities improvements that result in comparable opportunities for students.

Prepare and present a final report summarizing findings and advisory recommendations to the administration and school board by December 2023.

The following parameters will be considered by the FAC in making recommendations:

Facilities that establish and maintain a learning environment that is physically, socially, and emotionally safe, welcoming, inclusive, respectful, and conducive to effective learning.

Facilities that support innovative and best practices for teaching and learning, meet diverse learning needs, promote collaborative alignment with community resources, and are financially prudent and sustainable.

Guidance from School Board and administrative policies: School Board policy Operational Expectation 12 - Facilities, Administrative policy 9100 - Facilities Development, Administrative policy 9800 - Retirement of Facilities.

The School District of La Crosse will make the FAC process as transparent as possible. All meeting information and related materials will be placed on the website with video recordings of meetings made available. FAC meetings will be open to the public, allowing community members to listen to the committee’s dialog; however, participation in conversations will be limited to FAC members. Non-committee members will be able to provide written feedback.

District administration will serve in an advisory capacity, responding to requests for information, and providing context, options, and analysis. The meetings will be facilitated by Dr. Joe Schroeder, an independent, Wisconsin-based, educational consultant.

The monthly FAC meetings will begin this Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Hogan Administrative Center.”

03/28/2023

On April 4th, we encourage you to VOTE YES on the School District of La Crosse Operational Referendum.

This referendum is an extension of the 2018 operational referendum that includes a six-year increase which is vital to fund critical programming and key student services, building maintenance, and provides staff with the resources necessary to educate our students.

To be clear, this referendum is NOT the same as the 2022 referendum, and we encourage all eligible voters to get out and support our public schools by voting yes on the referendum.

Thank you!

VOTE APRIL 4, 2023 Referendum Information  Home 5 Referendum 2023 Renew and Invest School District of La Crosse Operational Referendum A great education prepares our kids for a successful future. We must ensure our schools are up to date and are able to provide the basics, while also offering the...

03/13/2023

Virtual school board candidate forum tonight at 6:30! Details on how to watch are below.

01/24/2023

On Monday night, La Crosse School District's Board of Education voted 6-2 to close Lincoln Middle School. The board also approved adding an operating referendum of $60M to the spring

01/24/2023

As we process tonight’s school board decision to close Lincoln Middle at the end of this year, we invite you to read this 2018 post from Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns, which he wrote when his Brainerd, MN community was facing similar hurdles.

The quality of education is not defined by the walls in which an education is taking place. Nor is the education of our children contained exclusively within walls. Lincoln was not too old to offer a quality education, and we are disappointed the school board did not offer the public an opportunity to weigh in on Lincoln’s future. Through the referendum vote and much public feedback , it is clear our community has asked - nay, demanded - to be more involved in developing a new long-term plan for our schools. And yet the board rushed this decision through before the next school board election could even occur.

When will the School District of La Crosse begin earning back our trust?

You can't have a neighborhood school without a neighborhood. We shouldn't be forced to choose between the two.

01/22/2023

School District of La Crosse Board of Education Regular Meeting - January 23, 2023

12/06/2022

Four school board seats are up for election this April. The district is hosting a meeting for potential candidates on December 7. More info below!

The La Crosse School Board will host an information meeting about the upcoming spring election.

11/15/2022

LA CROSSE (WKBT) — The School District of La Crosse is heading back to the drawing board. Board members participated in a workshop to discuss the district’s future after voters rejected its nearly $195 million referendum. The changing of seasons can bring in new beginnings. For the School Distri...