The latest Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Accountability Report Cards were released on Tuesday, November 11 and the West Bend Schools performed well. The highest rating is five stars: 

Decorah Elementary School - Significantly Exceeds Expectations, five-star rating
Green Tree Elementary School - Significantly Exceeds Expectations, five-star rating 
Fair Park Elementary School - Exceeds Expectations, four-star rating
Jackson Elementary School - Exceeds Expectations, four-star rating
McLane Elementary School - Exceeds Expectations, four-star rating
Silverbrook Intermediate School - Significantly Exceeds Expectations, five-star rating
Badger Middle School - Meets Expectations, three-star rating
East High School - Meets Expectations, three-star rating
West High School - Meets Expectations, three-star rating
West Bend School District - Exceeds Expectations, four-star rating
 

The report cards use data from both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years and provide detail into performance areas and outcomes, which the West Bend Schools use to inform School Improvement Plans. Because the student body of each school is unique, the DPI places different weights on four “Priority Areas” when calculating each individual school's rating, making each report unique. For more detailed information, review the press release. 

Back by popular demand: Breakfast with Santa! Join the high schools Culinary Program, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America Club, and Key Club with your child(ren) for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 13 in the East High School cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

In addition to Santa, the high school choir and orchestra students will provide musical entertainment. A parent or guardian must accompany any child(ren). This event is open to all families in the community, $10 prior to the event and $15 at the door. 

The West Bend School District Head Start program has earned the National Head Start Association's Program of Excellence Accreditation, one of only 11 Head Start programs of the 1,600 in the country to receive the accreditation. 

This prestigious national designation from the National Head Start Association (NHSA) is earned only by those Head Start and Early Head Start programs that consistently demonstrate extraordinary excellence and outstanding work in early childhood development. Head Start is a federally funded program that provides comprehensive early learning, health, and family well-being services to low-income children from birth to age five to help them succeed in school and life.

The West Bend School District Head Start program is a vital resource for Washington County families, providing a two-generation approach to empower children and adults. Services are offered at no cost to eligible families with children ages birth through five. Classes are offered at the Rolfs Education Center and Kettle Moraine YMCA in West Bend and the Jackson Area Community Center in Jackson. Currently, the program is fully enrolled with 121 students. 

Read more. 

Using a grant awarded from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the West Bend School District Student Services Department is launching an innovative public service campaign to deter drug use among young people. It is called Drugs Make it Worse and it recognizes that preventing substance abuse includes building the inner strength and coping skills young people need to navigate life's inevitable challenges.

This effort is part of the West Bend School District’s broader commitment to comprehensive mental health support, recognizing that academic success and mental well-being are linked. At the heart of this new campaign is a powerful truth: When students have strong resilience and healthy coping strategies, they're far less likely to turn to drugs as an escape from problems or disappointments. 

We are happy to have partnered with EPIC, the nationally-recognized advertising firm based in West Bend, on this campaign. Through a new website, videos, posters, and skill-building brochures, students will have access to engaging educational materials that teach real-world coping strategies. 

The ultimate vision is a school community where mental health is strengthened and where students have the resilience to thrive despite life's challenges.

Please review the campaign features on the new website: drugsmakeitworse.com. In the next several months, the videos will be on social media and websites, and the brochures and posters will be made available. 

Thank to Delta Defense for covering the cost of swim lessons at the Kettle Moraine YMCA for any third and fourth grade students in Washington County. See all the details below.