Education

Last fall, the Portage High School marching band and color guard (seen here participating in the Canal Days parade) started the season with first-place finishes in its first two competitions, winning best music and best visual presentation in those competitions.

Students and families in Portage will find an outstanding education system in place to foster lifelong learning. With public, private, alternative and higher education options all available, it is easy for each individual student to find the best education to suit their needs.

The Family Resource Center provides excellent service to all families who have children ages up to five. Services include playgroups, field trips, workshops, home visiting, parenting classes, toy and resource lending library and

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The Portage Community School District provides a quality education to all students. Our curriculum includes advanced classes, innovative technologies and classes to meet the students’ interests complemented by a wide variety of extracurricular offerings and activities.

The district includes four-year-old kindergarten programs, five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and one alternative high school. The district appreciates the support of families, along with community and business partners who, together with staff and board of education members, are committed to the success of every student.

For more information, please check out the district website at portage .k12.wi.us or see what’s happening on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PortageCSD.

Two elementary-level parochial schools are a great way for parents to ensure that their students receive faith-based education along with their traditional education. St. Mary’s Catholic School and St. John’s Lutheran Church & Schools are K–8 schools that not only offer outstanding classes within the core curriculum but also focus on spiritual education with an emphasis in family involvement and positive daily practices.

After graduation, students wishing to continue their education, along with adults looking to go back to school, can find several higher-learning institutions both within Portage and nearby.

Madison College–Portage is a community-based, post-secondary institution serving the educational and training needs of Columbia and Marquette Counties. Associate-degree-level programs and certificate courses are available in various fields. Area businesses contract with them to provide customized training to their employees. The campus also provides Adult Continuing Education and Adult Basic Education throughout the year in community centers, schools and churches based upon local requests. Adult Basic Education provides instruction to individuals 18 1/2 years old or older to prepare them for completion of the GED or HSED.

The University of Wisconsin–Baraboo/ Sauk County, just 20 minutes from Portage, provides academic courses in a rural campus setting. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is only 45 minutes away and is the cornerstone of the statewide University of Wisconsin System. A proud member of the Big Ten, it is recognized worldwide for its teaching and research facilities. Madison is also the home of the main campus for Madison College and Edgewood College.

The Portage Public Library encourages lifelong learning through free internet access, great programming for ages toddler through adult, an annual book sale and much more. For more information, visit portagelibrary.us.

The 2018/2019 Building Trades students are shown here working on their 24th build. In previous years, residential houses, dugouts, the Gerstenkorn Building and other projects have been completed through the program. Last year’s class had nine students enrolled and, under the guidance of PHS Building Trades teacher Mr. Krueger, the students built a house on West Carroll Street.