On Friday May 27th, the class of 2022 held their commencement ceremony. There were 25 graduates who have now joined the over 5000 alumni of Assumption Catholic Schools since the first class graduated in 1955.

In total at the end of the year, there were 410 students enrolled in grades K-12 and an additional 35 at the early childhood center

2015 457

2016 428

2017 402

2018 391

2019 390

2020 387

2021 410

Enrollment for 2022-23 is still ongoing but a projected 425 students in K-12 is possible. We continue to offer 2 sections of each grade K-8. Our primary enrollment area is the greater Wisconsin Rapids area but we do have students from as far away as Rosholt and Necedah, plus a few international students.

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic our overall academic performance remains above the state average.

ACT scores taken by the 11th grade students. The 2022 state average was not available at this time

• 2019 23.4
• 2020 24.2
• 2021 20.4

Math and English Language Arts remains a priority area for Assumption Catholic Schools. Based on a variety of standardized tests our schools are making progress.

% Proficient Math at or above 40th percentile

OLQH 64.9%

SVDP 50.6%

MS HS 48.1%

% Proficient English at or above 40th percentile

OLQH 52.6%

SVDP 41.2%

MS HS 46%

New English Language Arts textbooks were purchased in the 2021-22 school year and it is anticipated that as those students progress through the materials the scores will go up.

Similarly a new math series will be introduced in the 2023-24 school year and the hope is for an increase in the math scores to follow.

The mission of Assumption Catholic Schools is to promote excellence and personal growth grounded in Catholic principles and tradition. As an educational ministry of the Catholic Church we seek to impart on the students the truth, beauty and goodness that is God's creation.

The community of the Wisconsin Rapids Deanery will thrive as shown by a renewal of synergy between parishes and educational apostolates, shared commitment to the mission and growth of the Church, and excellent formation of students, teachers, and catechists.

We aspire to uphold the characteristics of Catholic Schools as defined by Archbishop James Miller;

Centered in the Person of Jesus Christ

Contributing to the Evangelizing Mission of the Church

Distinguished by Excellence

Educating the Whole Child

Steeped in a Catholic Worldview

Sustained by Gospel Witness

Shaped by Communion and Community

Accessible to All Students

Established by the Express Authority of the Bishop

Each year the Diocese of La Crosse administers a test of religion knowledge to all students in grades 5, 8 and 11. For purposes of interpretation, the Diocese considers a score of 85% or better mastered, 70 - 85% proficient and below 70% as needs improvement.

The 2021-22 results

5th grade 86.8% (diocesan average 68.93%)

8th grade 67.64% (diocesan average 72.82%)

11th grade 73.29% (diocesan average 65.49%)

August 2021

opened for full in person instruction

Fall Sports

Cross Country qualified for State

Football made the playoffs

December 2021

in person Christmas concerts

January 2022

Catholic Schools Week - all school Mass celebrated at SS Peter and Paul

HS students participated in March for Life

Winter Sports

Girl's Basketball runner up at State

March 2022

8th grade trip to Washington DC

April 2022

7 students completed their Rite of Christian Initiation and were welcomed into the Catholic Church

ACMS and ACHS students and staff celebrated a Latin Mass at SS Peter and Paul with a Canon from Institute for Christ the King

Spring Sports

Runner qualified for State

Softball won the State Championship

Soccer qualified for State

Summer and Fall 2021

Chapel renovation

New carpet, ceilings and lights select rooms at SVDP and the MS HS building

Asbestos abatement continues

New security door at OLQH

Outdoor seating at SVDP

Painting in various buildings

New cafeteria tables SVDP

Sound system at MS HS

Football and Gym scoreboards at MS HS

Windows and window treatments at MS HS

Dump trailer for removal of yard waste

New phones system

New photocopiers

Stage steps at MS HS

Choir risers at SVDP

Summer 2022

New boilers and water heater at MS HS

New cafeteria floor

Ceilings and lights at MS HS and SVDP

Carpet at SLECC

Rooftop heating/cooling units at MS HS

Marquee sign at MS HS

Every 7 years, Assumption Catholic Schools goes through the accreditation process. In 2018, we switched from our previous provider to the Wisconsin Religious and Independent Schools Accreditation using the Wisconsin Catholic School Standards. We did this because of the integrated nature of our Catholic identity in the four domains.

Each school completed a self study between Spring 2020 to Fall 2021. In October, a team of 20 school administrators from various schools in the Diocese reviewed our self study and visited the schools. The end result was a set of reports for the four schools that will be used to form a part of our strategic plan for the next six years. Accreditation is outside validation that says we are following best practices and can prove we are doing what we say we are doing. Assumption Catholic Schools has full accreditation from WRISA.

The 4 domains are:

Mission and Catholic Identity

The Church’s teaching mission includes inviting young people to a relationship with Jesus Christ or deepening an existing relationship with Jesus, inserting young people into the life of the Church, and assisting young people to see and understand the role of faith in one’s daily life and in the larger society. “This unique Catholic identity makes our Catholic elementary and secondary schools ‘schools for the human person’ and allows them to fill a critical role in the future life of our Church, our country and our world”

Governance and Leadership

Central to the mission of the Church is the work of Catholic school education. The success of this mission depends on the key components of effective governance, which provides direction or authority, and leadership, which ensures effective operations. Catholic school governance and leadership can be seen as a ministry that promotes and protects the responsibilities and rights of the school community. Governance and leadership based on the principles and practices of excellence are essential to insuring the Catholic identity, academic excellence, and operational vitality of the school. Although governance models vary based on the sponsorship of the school, those who serve on the governing body or leadership team in Catholic schools provide for an environment for the teaching of doctrine and Sacred Scripture, the building and experiencing of community, the serving of others, and the opportunity for worship.

Academic Excellence

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops affirms the message of the Congregation on Catholic Education that intellectual development of the person and growth as a Christian go forward hand in hand. Rooted in the mission of the Church, the Catholic school brings faith, culture and life together in harmony. In 2005, the bishops noted that “young people of the third millennium must be a source of energy and leadership in our Church and our nation. And, therefore, we must provide young people with an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound program of education” (Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary School is in the Third Millennium, 2005). The essential elements of “an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound program” mandate curricular experiences—including co-curricular and extra-curricular activities— which are rigorous, relevant, research-based, and infused with Catholic faith and traditions. The following essential elements provide a framework for the design, implementation, and assessment of authentic academic excellence in Catholic school education from prekindergarten through secondary school.

Operational Vitality

Catholic schools are temporal organizations committed to the Church and the mission of Catholic education including a commitment to a culture of excellence and rigor. These schools exist in a milieu of constant socioeconomic challenges grounded in continuous need for sustainable financial planning, human resource/personnel management and professional formation, facilities maintenance and enhancement, and the requirement for institutional advancement and contemporary communication. Catholic schools must adopt and maintain standards for operational vitality in these areas and define the norms and expectations for fundamental procedures to support and ensure viability and sustainability. When a school does not maintain standards for operational vitality, the continuation of academic excellence is in grave jeopardy. Over time, even an academically rigorous school with strong Catholic identity will not survive without operational vitality. Standards for operational vitality must focus on the “operation” of the school—how it works and how it is supported—in four key areas: finances, human resources/personnel, facilities, and institutional advancement. The leader/leadership team must manage each area and be subject to the direct oversight of the governing body in these matters.