Students Score With Academics, Athletics at Public, Private Schools
When it comes to the next generation, Marshfield is paving the path to success.
The mid-size community offers both public and private educational resources comparable to cities far larger in terms of both academics and extracurriculars.
By the numbers, the Marshfield School District is no lightweight in the educational ring. Based on academic performance, the Marshfield High School is ranked No. 347 out of 27,000 schools nationwide. In the state, the school ranks second only to an International Baccalaureate high school in Milwaukee.
The district as a whole consistently places first or second in the Wisconsin Valley Conference in terms of standardized test scores, well above the state average.
“The academic part of it, there’s no question that’s outstanding,” says Bruce King, district superintendent. “But the other part we’re very proud of is the diversity of opportunities for kids. We’ve been very fortunate in Marshfield to have a very supportive community, and as a result, we have not had to have the same level of cutbacks in programs and services that other schools have. We have a comprehensive co-curricular program.
You name the athletics and clubs and organizations, and we have it.”
In spring 2009, Marshfield High School beat out students from 300 schools in places such as San Diego, Massachusetts and other coastal locales to win the National Ocean Science Bowl championship. The national championship here,” King says proudly. “We’re sitting in the middle of rural, landlocked Wisconsin.”
The community’s private school options make the grade too. Marshfield Area Catholic Schools serves roughly 550 students from 6 weeks old through 12th grade. Due to its size, the system is extremely close-knit and very relationship-based, according to the Rev. Don Meuret.
“Being a smaller school, we have small class sizes, which means more attention paid to individual students,” says Meuret, a past president of the school system who acts as the intermediary between the area bishop and the school administration.
MACS is academically rigorous, with students scoring in the top percentiles of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, a national standardized test, and above the state average on ACT scores. However, athletics and community services also serve as pillars of the system.
For example, Columbus Catholic High School is the second smallest school in its conference but offers 14 sports, while the largest schools offer only 10.
“Any Catholic school is required by our canon law to be a school of excellence, that we have to strive in every possible way,” Meuret says. “There are tons of opportunities for the students.”
Ultimately, the graduates are the proof of both school systems’ success. Marshfield students go on to top universities around the country, including many Ivy League schools, thanks to the all-important primary and secondary education they receive here. “Schools are the heart of our community,” King says. “We have a very, very strong program, and we’re happy with it, but we want to continue to improve it.”
