Learning to Succeed
The Prairie du Chien Area School District serves the families and children of Prairie du Chien and Eastman. The district contains B. A. Kennedy Elementary School, Bluff View Intermediate School, and Prairie du Chien High School.
B. A. Kennedy Elementary is an early childhood education center, serving children in pre-school through second grade. Emphasis is placed on providing children with a solid foundation in reading and mathematics, the basics for all subsequent education. Bluff View Intermediate School contains grades three through eight. Elementary grades three, four and five build upon the groundwork begun in the primary grade levels. The middle school, grades six through eight, provides an educational environment suited to the unique needs of early adolescents. Prairie du Chien High School offers courses that prepare students for college, technical school and employment after graduation. Students may take advantage of youth apprenticeships, mentorships, advanced placement courses and earning credits, which may be applied toward college and technical school advancement. Middle school and high school students can take advantage of a wide variety of co-curricular activities and sports. All students enjoy participation in fine arts, music and physical education.
The faculty and administration share a strong commitment to teaching the whole child. This means that students are taught academic subjects, but also taught how to meet the expectations society has for good citizens. Students have opportunities to contribute to the school and larger community through service.
In 2000, the school district became part of the SAGE program, a state-wide initiative to reduce class sizes for reading and math instruction at the primary level and to work in partnership with families. The principal objective of the SAGE program is to promote increased skills in reading and mathematics. While SAGE funding is dependent on state revenues, it reflects the district’s commitment to providing a solid grounding in basic skills in the early grades, and its dedication to working with families as partners in their children’s education.
The Prairie du Chien Area School District promotes the right of all individuals to achieve academic success. Students who have been identified as having special educational needs are accommodated in cross-categorical and regular classrooms. Special educators collaborate with other teachers, the student’s family, and with other service providers to ensure that the child’s needs are being met.
During the past few years, through the leadership of the Board of Education, the people of Prairie du Chien have provided for systematic and extensive remodeling of the high school and B. A. Kennedy Elementary School. Bluff View Intermediate School was a completely new structure completed in 1999. The remodeling and construction upgraded the physical makeup of the buildings, modernized facilities, increased accessibility to the handicapped and augmented the district’s technology infrastructure.
Members of the Prairie du Chien community are welcomed to make use of the school facilities. The local Eagles Club holds its annual telethon at Bluff View Intermediate. Scout troops meet at B. A. Kennedy and Bluff View. Other organizations are also welcomed.
The Prairie du Chien Area School District endeavors to work cooperatively with the private or parochial schools in town as all share a common goal. St. John’s School and St. Gabriel’s School (Catholic elementary and Catholic middle school) and Prairie Christian Academy provide religion-based education as an alternative to the public schools. Wyalusing Academy offers a private, specialized school program emphasizing vocational training and development of employability skills in a residential treatment environment.
The district’s mission statement sums up the community’s commitment to education: The Prairie du Chien Area School District, in partnership with families and a supportive community, shares a strong commitment to provide quality educational opportunities to all, thus encouraging lifelong learning and nurturing honest, respectful and responsible citizens prepared to meet the challenges of a changing global society.
