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School District of Reedsburg

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Coordinates: 43°31′30″N 90°01′11″W / 43.5249°N 90.0196°W / 43.5249; -90.0196
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School District of Reedsburg
District offices
Address
501 K Street
Reedsburg
, Sauk County, Wisconsin, 53959
United States
Coordinates43°31′30″N 90°01′11″W / 43.5249°N 90.0196°W / 43.5249; -90.0196
District information
TypePublic
GradesPre-K/K–12
SuperintendentTom Burkalter
School boardSeven members
Chair of the boardGary Woolever
SchoolsElementary three,
Middle one, High one
Budget$32 million
NCES District ID5512660[1]
Students and staff
Students2,872 (2019-2020)[1]
District mascotBeaver
Other information
Websitewww.rsd.k12.wi.us

The School District of Reedsburg is a school district based in the city of Reedsburg, Wisconsin. It serves the city of Reedsburg, the villages of Ironton, La Valle, Loganville, and Rock Springs, and the surrounding rural area. Reedsburg has a seven-member Board of Education that governs the district and selects the superintendent.

The district administers three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, for a total of five schools.

The district is a member of Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) #5.[2]

History

[edit]

The first school in Reedsburg was organized in 1849 and served 7 students at first.[3][4] The next year, a school district was formed and a house on Walnut Street was remodeled into a school house.[5]

In 2010 the school district started a 4 year old kindergarten program in 2 schools.[6]

2017 referendum

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In 2017 a referendum was held to consider the closing of South School and opening a new elementary school. The referendum passed and a $32,000,000 million school was built on the edge of the city.[7] The new school, named Prairie Ridge Intermediate School, was opened in 2019.[8] Subsequently, South School was closed and later redeveloped into apartments.[9]

COVID-19 pandemic

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On 13 March 2020, Governor Tony Evers mandated the closure of all Wisconsin schools until 6 April.[10] The school district followed the governor's order, and all schools were close immediately. Distance education was used for the remainder of the 2019–2020 school year, ending on 22 May, earlier than originally scheduled.[11]

General information

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The district serves approx. 2,800 students. Its graduation rate is 94.3%. The district operates with a $32 million budget.[12]

Two forests in Sauk County are owned by the district: the Hartje Outdoor Learning Center (near La Valle) and the Romoren School Forest (near Rock Springs).[13]

The School District of Reedsburg covers approx. 264 square miles (680 km2) in northern Sauk County and a small portion of Juneau County.[14][15]

Schools

[edit]
Webb Middle School
School Year built Description
Reedsburg Area High School 1998 Reedsburg Area High School (RAHS) is on South Albert Avenue and serves as the only high school in the district. It contains an auditorium and an athletic complex.
Webb Middle School 1957 Webb Middle School is on North Webb Avenue and serves as the only middle school in the district. It was named after Herbert H. Webb and served as the high school until RAHS was built.
Prairie Ridge Intermediate School 2019 Prairie Ridge Intermediate School is on Eighth Street and serves as an elementary school. It was named after the surrounding geography.[16] It was built as a replacement to South School.
Pineview Elementary School 1968 Pineview Elementary School is on Eighth Street and serves as an elementary school. It was built in 1968 as a middle school until RAHS was built in 1998.[17]
Westside Elementary School Westside Elementary School is on Alexander Avenue and serves as an elementary school.

Former schools

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South School building
School Year built Year closed Description
South School 1937 2019 South School was originally built in 1937, serving grades kindergarten to 12.[18] It served students from the east side of the Baraboo River in Reedsburg. The school officially closed on June 11, 2019.[9]
Rock Springs Elementary School 2009 Rock Springs Elementary School was closed in 2010, as a result of a failed referendum to provide more funding for the school. The school was damaged in the 2008 flooding of the Baraboo River.[19] The school served grades K-6.[6]
Ironton-La Valle Elementary School 2022 The school in La Valle was closed in 2022.[20] The next year, it was purchased and converted into a community center.[21]
Loganville Elementary School 2022 The school closed alongside La Valle in 2022.[20]

Leadership

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The current superintendent is Tom Burkalter, who accepted the position on July 1, 2025.[22] Roger Rindo was the previous superintendent from July 1, 2021 until 2025.[23]

Board of education

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The district is run by a seven-member school board. Members are elected in April for staggered three-year terms. Board seats are divided geographically to represent both the rural area of the district and the part inside the City of Reedsburg.[24]

Position Name Area Represents Assumed office Term ends Electoral history Refs
President Gary Woolever Reedsburg 2005 2026 Appointed President in 2013. [24][25]
Vice President Ross Retzlaff Area II 2027 [24]
Board Clerk LuAnn Brey Rural At-Large 2025 [24]
Board Member Leo Almeida Reedsburg 2025 [24]
Board Member Gabe Bauer Area I 2019 2025 [24][26]
Board Member Nikki Foesch Reedsburg 2027 [24]
Board Member Heather Westphal Area III 2026 [24]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Reedsburg School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
  2. ^ "CESA 5 - School Districts in CESA 5". www.cesa5.org. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  3. ^ Schuette & Sesquicentennial History Committee (1997), p. 135
  4. ^ Cole (1918), p. 469
  5. ^ Cole (1918), pp. 469–470
  6. ^ a b "Reedsburg District schools have seen big changes since 1999". Reedsburg Independent. September 8, 2016. p. 4. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  7. ^ "School District of Reedsburg - Referendum Information". www.rsd.k12.wi.us. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  8. ^ "Reedsburg referendum passes". wmtv15news.com. October 11, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Merck, Kathryn (May 11, 2023). "Former school in Reedsburg will soon be turned into apartments". Channel3000.com. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  10. ^ "Gov. Evers Directs DHS to Mandate Statewide Closure of All K-12 Wisconsin Schools" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "Coronavirus Update". Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  12. ^ "School District of Reedsburg - About Our District". www.rsd.k12.wi.us. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  13. ^ "School District of Reedsburg - Buildings and Grounds". www.rsd.k12.wi.us. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  14. ^ "School District of Reedsburg - About Our District". rsd.k12.wi.us. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  15. ^ "Wisconsin School District & Technical College Boundaries". hub.arcgis.com. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  16. ^ Dynes, Erica (November 27, 2018). "Reedsburg names new school". Wiscnews.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  17. ^ "Retiring Reed Has Seen Many Changes In Schools". The Reedsburg Times-Press. July 10, 1986. p. 8. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  18. ^ "420 PLUM ST | Property Record". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 1, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  19. ^ Times-Press, Ken Leiviska. "A year of changes: Openings, closings, showtimes, tragedy head list of top stories". Wiscnews.com. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Public will have chance to bid farewell to Loganville, La Valle elementary schools". Reedsburg Independent. May 12, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  21. ^ "Former elementary school hosts open house". Reedsburg Independent. August 10, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  22. ^ Castellano, Katie (March 7, 2025). "School District of Reedsburg announces next superintendent". wmtv15news.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  23. ^ Dynes, Erica (February 26, 2021). "School District of Reedsburg names new district administrator". Wiscnews.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h "School District of Reedsburg - Board of Education Members". www.rsd.k12.wi.us. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  25. ^ Rastall, Zachary (April 14, 2020). "Woolever re-elected to Reedsburg school board". Wiscnews.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  26. ^ Dynes, Erica (April 3, 2019). "Incumbents, newcomer elected to Reedsburg school board". Wiscnews.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.

Sources

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  • Schuette, William; Sesquicentennial History Committee (1997). Reedsburg Remembers 150 Years: A History of Reedsburg, Wisconsin 1848–1998. Chelsea, MI: BookCrafters. p. 141. OCLC 39675566.
  • Cole, Harry Ellsworth (1918). A Standard History of Sauk County, Wisconsin. Chicago and New York: Lewis Publishing Company.
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