News

As school districts across Wisconsin face increasingly tight budgets, the Unified School District of De Pere is taking a proactive approach by expanding learning opportunities for students while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Beginning in September, the District  will partner with Rural Virtual Academy (RVA), a statewide virtual charter school, to provide De Pere students access to a wide range of high-quality online courses. This partnership allows students to remain enrolled in the District while benefiting from expanded virtual learning options.

“Our goal is to ensure students don’t feel they have to leave De Pere to find the courses or learning environments they need,” said Superintendent Chris Thompson. “By partnering with RVA, we are keeping students connected to our schools, our community, and our district.”

RVA currently partners with approximately 75 school districts across Wisconsin and offers both live, synchronous online classes and asynchronous independent study courses through a catalog of more than 800 options. Students may take virtual courses to resolve scheduling conflicts, access electives not currently offered by the district, or meet individual learning needs while remaining eligible for De Pere activities, athletics, and a De Pere diploma.

“This is a rare win-win,” Thompson said. “When you look at the economics of education, it’s stronger for us to be in the driver’s seat.”

Supporting Students While Managing Costs

Student interest in virtual learning continues to grow. However, offering online courses can be costly. Through RVA, De Pere pays an access fee and course fees that are significantly lower than the costs associated with students leaving the district through open enrollment or participating in private school voucher programs.

When students open enroll into another public district, De Pere is required to pay a state-set per-pupil cost that continues to rise each year. By offering virtual options in partnership with RVA, the District can retain students and funding while expanding its course offerings in a cost-effective manner.

“Partnering with RVA allows us to meet student demand for virtual learning without the overhead costs associated with operating a full online program on our own,” Thompson said. “It gives us flexibility with staffing, supports required coursework and greatly expands elective opportunities.”

High Expectations and Community Connection

Founded in 2005 by the Medford School District and several partner districts, RVA is a publicly funded, nonsectarian virtual charter school authorized by a school board. Its consortium model allows districts to collaborate while maintaining high academic expectations.

“RVA holds students to rigorous standards and provides strong instructional support,” Thompson said. “Students are engaged, accountable, and supported—there’s no hiding virtually.”

The partnership aligns with De Pere’s commitment to keeping students grounded in their home community while providing innovative learning opportunities.

“At the end of the day, this is about doing everything we can to meet the needs of our students,” Thompson said. “Students shouldn’t leave De Pere because we don’t have something they need. We’re working to stay at the forefront and expand what’s possible—right here at home.”
 

Enjoy a full day of outstanding performances at De Pere High School.

Admission

• Adults: $20
• Students/seniors $10
• DP Staff and students FREE!
• 5 and under FREE!

Performance times

• De Pere Middle School's Rockin' Redbirds - 3:00 pm
• De Pere High School's Chicago Street Singers - 5:15 pm
• De Pere High School's Jam Session - 9:30 pm

Other local schools performing

• Ashwaubenon
• Bay Port
• Green Bay East
• Green Bay Preble
• New London
• Monona Grove
• Westosha
• Oshkosh Carl Traeger

For more information visit www.redbirdvocalmusic.com

On November 11, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released the 2024-25 State Report Cards which track student achievement and growth; school-by-school student test performance; and progress toward graduation for every publicly funded school and district in the state. School districts receive an overall score and ranking on a five-star scale. The annual Report Cards are part of the state’s educational accountability system. They include data on multiple indicators for multiple years across four priority areas: achievement, growth, target group outcomes and on-track to graduation.

How Did De Pere Perform?

DPI’s Report Cards showed USDD achieved the 5-star ‘Significantly Exceeds Expectations’ ranking for the 2024-25 school year with a composite score of 87.8. This is 4.6 points higher than last year. It is the second year in a row USDD earned five stars. Only 24 other 4K-12 school districts in the state earned five stars 

“DPI changed how it calculates Report Card scores this year,” says Kathy Van Pay, Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction. “But USDD’s track record of year-over-year improvement, regardless of the DPI formula, should leave no doubt about our District’s strong performance.

“At the same time, we know there are achievement gaps among different groups of learners. We will continue focusing on the most effective ways to help all students meet their potential.”

 

 

Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. They are among the highest-scoring entrants in each state. 

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

Hackel, Patel and Zhang bring to 21 the total number of NMS Semifinalists from De Pere High School since 2019.