The Wisconsin DPI Accountability Report Cards, released on November 19, show that the West Bend Schools has accomplished areas of growth and achievement and has other areas for improvement. There are five total accountability ratings: Significantly Exceeds, Exceeds, Meets, Meets Few, or Fails to Meet Expectations. The full report cards can be found at WI DPI School & District Report Cards.
- Green Tree Elementary & Decorah Elementary received a five-star rating, Significantly Exceeds Expectation.
- Fair Park, Jackson, and McLane, and Silverbrook all received the four-star, or Exceeds Expectations, accountability rating.
- West High School and East High School received three-star, or Meets Expectations, ratings. The rating for the West Bend School District was also Meets Expectations.
- Badger Middle School earned a Meets Few Expectations rating.
The DPI has created resources for the 2023-24 Report Cards including Report Cards At-a-Glance and Data At-a-Glance.
The report card is much more than a rating. Each report card is unique to the school and provides great detail into performance areas and outcomes. The West Bend Schools uses this data and much more to inform each School Improvement Plan through goal setting and taking action on school-developed strategies.
In addition, each school enrollment of students is unique; therefore, the state places different weights on the “Priority Areas” when calculating each individual school's rating. The total score on each report card comes from separate scores in four Priority Weight Areas:
- Achievement - proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics on the annual state assessments (priority weighting varies depending on the percent of economically disadvantaged students in the school).
- Growth - year-to-year progress in ELA and math achievement (priority weighting varies depending on the percent of economically disadvantaged students in the school).
- Target Group Outcomes - outcomes for students with the lowest section of test scores: in the Target Group
- On-Track to Graduation - predictors of how successfully students are progressing toward completing on grade learning during their K-12 education career.
Historical data and demographic information are used to calculate and score the four areas of the report cards. Because the student enrollment demographics for each school and each school district is unique, the Department of Instruction places different weights on the four areas of emphasis when calculating each individual school's rating. Additionally, weights are determined by calculating three years of data into the equation. (Priority weighting varies depending on the percent of economically disadvantaged students in each school.)
The West Bend School District holds a summer back-to-school registration "fair" for multilingual families in the district. This video describes the event and how it provides needed assistance to some families in the district.
The West Bend School District facilities referendum has been approved by school district voters. This vote represents a commitment to creating safe, secure, and operationally efficient learning environments that will benefit not only our students, but also the broader community.
Superintendent Jennifer Wimmer said, "Thank you to the voters of our communities for approving the 2024 Facilities Referendum. This vote represents a meaningful commitment to creating safe, secure, and operationally efficient learning environments that will benefit not only our students, but also the broader community. With this support, we can move forward in making critical improvements that will shape the future of the West Bend School District. We are immensely grateful for this investment in your schools and the bright future it fosters for our students, staff, and community members.”
The West Bend School District expects a replacement Jackson Elementary School to be open for the 2027-2028 school year. At that time, building closures and grade level realignments across the district will take place:
- Silverbrook Intermediate will transition into a K-5 elementary school
- Badger Middle School will serve grades 6-8
- Decorah, Fair Park, and Rolfs will close and Green Tree and McLane will become 4K-5 schools. The remaining elementary schools will serve K-5.
"This referendum represents a significant step forward for our students, staff, and the broader community. The improvements it enables will have a lasting impact, addressing safety and security as well as urgent facility needs while maintaining a strategic focus on operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility," Wimmer.
Construction on the East-West High Schools building is expected to be complete for the 2028-2029 school year, which is the time the Education Service Center (district offices and alternative education programs) will close and relocate to the High Schools campus.
In the weeks to come, the West Bend School District will release more details on timelines for the important work that will take place in the next several years. For ongoing project information, visit wbsdreferendum2024.org.
The West Bend School District 2024 Facilities Referendum was approved by the voters. Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, grade levels across the district will be realigned.
- Silverbrook Intermediate will transition into a K-5 elementary school
- Badger Middle School will serve grades 6-8
- Jackson Elementary will be rebuilt and Decorah, Fair Park, and Rolfs will close
To prevent multiple transitions for our current third graders, those students will remain in their elementary school through their fifth-grade year (2025-2026 and 2026-2027), bypassing a move to Silverbrook. Once Decorah and Fair Park are closed, elementary students will attend schools based on new boundaries that will be established.
Fifteen seniors from East and West High Schools scored 35, 34, or 33 on the ACT (36 is a perfect score) when they took the test in the last 11 months. According to PrepScholar, 0.62% of all students who take the ACT score a 35. Just 0.84% earn a 34, and 1.0% earn a 33. Our congratulations to these students on this significant achievement.
Maddee Bell, West
Samantha Eckert, West
Dakota Gunnare, East
Liam Mickie, West
Evelyn Miller, West
Annelise Paczesny, East
Cadence Pauli, West
Elyse Reedell, West
Ian Ressler, East
Owen Schloemer, West
Vincent Somers, West
Reed Strohfeldt, West
Mason Warczak, West
Reed White, East
Evelyn Wolfe, East
Wow! The community supports our students in so many ways. On May 6, more than 145 West Bend East and West seniors received scholarships from local foundations, individuals and families, businesses, civic organizations, and more during the annual scholarship event. In total, the amount of local scholarships reached more than $900,000.
The local COLUMNS organization awarded numerous scholarships of its own and it also administers a large number of local scholarships for post-secondary education at four-year and two-year colleges, universities, and technical schools. Review the full list of scholarship winners and view the video for the winners as well.
All students in grades K-12 (in person and virtual through West Bend Virtual Academy) receive a district-owned Chromebook for student use during the school year. Even if the family has its own laptop, we ask that you get the Chromebook for the student as they will use it while in the school (with in person instruction) and it will be used for testing and assessment.
Hot Spots
If you are in need of a district hot spot to support your student’s instruction for the 23-24 school year, please complete the form linked HERE. Hot spots will be made available on a first come first served basis. Please note that hot spot data is limited and should only be used for instructional purposes only.
Insurance for Chromebook
As part of the 1:1 device program, the district provides insurance on the device. The insurance covers accidental breakage and repair on the device, charging cord, and case. The insurance does not cover intentional damage and lost or non-returned devices.
Chromebooks for all K-12 students are part of the district's education plan to guarantee that each child has the correct access and tools to support learning. Please see more information below:
