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It’s hard to believe, but it’s time to hold our annual in-person all-school registration, scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 6, 2026. Once again, it will take place at Wisconsin Dells High School beginning at 12:00 p.m. and wrapping up at 6:00 p.m. While most families opt to do virtual registration, the in-person session allows you to gain direct access to various departments you may need to see in person, whether it be the activities, food service, or transportation; they will have staff here to assist you. Additionally, if you know of a family who is new to the district, please share this information as the in-person registration setting can easily get students onboarded. Additionally, if a family needs Spanish translation services, our bilingual staff will be ready to assist. Finally, as a reminder, there will not be any school pictures as part of this day. School pictures will take place early in the school year as part of a regular school day. You can expect more details via our social media channels as well as via email and phone messages for parents & caregivers. We look forward to seeing you this Thursday!
2026-27 THREE SCHOOLS ONE MISSION!
This year, the biggest change in the district is the merger of our two elementary schools into one school that will serve all students in grades 4K through fourth grade at the recently renamed Wisconsin Dells Elementary School. For the better part of the last year and throughout the summer, there has been a lot of planning to merge the two elementary schools successfully. One task we spent a lot of time on was taking sound instructional practices and routines and incorporating them into Wisconsin Dells Elementary. In summary, both schools have proven track records in student achievement, and this was evident last year when DPI recognized both schools for their efforts specific to growing students’ academic skills. With the upcoming school year, the goals remain the same! Connect with all students to make the necessary academic growth. With the reformatted elementary, you will most definitely want to attend the WDES Open House on Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 4:00-6:00 pm. This will give every student a chance to meet their teacher for the upcoming school year and ask any questions they may have.
At Wisconsin Dells Middle School, we welcome all fifth-grade students to the reconfigured middle school. Last spring, WDMS Principal Mr. Whitehurst shared a preview of what day-to-day programming would look like for fifth-grade students, putting many minds at rest and sparking excitement for the upcoming school year. At the same time, the middle school will also host an open house on Thursday, August 27, 2026, from 4:00-6:00 pm. This is a good time to meet your teachers, locate your classrooms, and for parents to have any questions answered about the upcoming school year. Last
year WDMS had a really positive school year, and we want to build upon the success and “keep moving forward” as we begin the 2026-27 school year.
Finally, WDHS will see a few subtle schedule modifications, and they are so excited about the upcoming school year that they have reserved two times on August 27 for students and parents to stop by for the open house. They are open to seeing the public from 10:00-11:30 am and 4:30-6:00 pm, and this is a great way for students to check in with staff and ask any questions they may have about the upcoming school year.
In closing, all schools are focused on student success as outlined in the district’s strategic plan. Since embracing strategic planning in 2016, the district has updated its plan on three different occasions. There are many academic indicators of student achievement and success. This past school year, none was as big as seeing all 140 members of the class of 2026 graduate with a signed diploma. Additionally, as we look ahead to the upcoming school year, there is a great deal of focus on further developing the literacy skills of our students. You can anticipate more on this subject in future newsletter articles. Lastly, I have outlined a few more details pertaining to the district’s ongoing work within the strategic plan in the next section of this article.
ON-GOING STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS
As I have done in previous newsletters, I will mention the district’s continued work with its strategic plan. As we approach the 2026-27 school year, our goals are to continue to live our mission statement: Connect, Inspire, Achieve, Everyone, Everyday! These words will continue to be a part of our focus as staff and students return for the new school year. Since developing the initial multi-year strategic plan in June of 2016, our district has become much more focused on making continuous improvement in four core strategies and strategic objectives. Throughout the school year, we regularly provide the Board of Education with updates on various benchmarks and goals the district is striving to meet. Progress has been made in a variety of areas, and we know there is much work and opportunity for improvement ahead. Still, it is reaffirming to see the district’s focus improve because of the plan we constructed almost ten years ago. During this time period, the district has consistently demonstrated academic growth for its students, with a focus on ensuring all students grow academically.
Finally, with the start of the 2026-27 school year just around the corner, there is no better time to begin discussing with your children how to set goals for the upcoming school year. Whether it is improving their daily attendance, raising their grades, or trying something new, the first month of school is the perfect time to commit to setting personal goals for the most enjoyable school year ever!
In closing, enjoy the remainder of August, and there is no better feeling than the excitement of the upcoming school year! We are prepared to begin what is going to be yet another exciting and successful school year!

Respectfully submitted,

Terrance Slack, District Administrator