Chris Hunt of Tierney Bros. Inc. demonstrates a touch board educational tool Tuesday to those gathered for the announcement of the opening of the Wisconsin International School in De Pere. Photos by Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette
Advertisement
If you go
The Wisconsin International School will hold a parent meeting at 11:30 a.m. today at the Kress Family Library, 333 N. Broadway, De Pere.
Stanley Way, head of the Wisconsin International School, speaks Tuesday during the announcement of the planned opening date for the school. At left is Wes Garner, school vice president.
New independent school brings international focus
Facility will welcome 50 to 100 students in fall, head of school says
DE PERE — The area's first independent secular school made its public debut Tuesday with a kickoff event and a parent meeting held at the Kress Family Branch of the Brown County Library.
The Wisconsin International School will open its doors Sept. 2 to an estimated 50 to 100 students, said Stanley Way, head of school. Officials are finalizing zoning approval for the former St. Boniface Catholic School, 405 Grant St., where the school will be housed.
Word has spread about the facility, which will serve preschool through eighth grade, but board members wanted to wait until certain elements were in place — including naming a head of school and identifying a location — before making the announcement.
Officials face two primary challenges in getting the school off the ground, Way said.
"The first challenge is becoming known and developing a reputation," Way said, "letting families become informed of the quality education we're offering here. The second challenge is assembling the faculty. I've already started working on hiring some faculty."
Way expects his full teaching staff to be on board by midsummer, he said. In the meantime, the old St. Boniface will be renovated and preparations made for the school's first year. Officials have received more than 20 student applications, but aren't necessarily focusing on that figure.
"I think that any concept that comes out, you're going to have people that are going to be the early adapters and those that are going to follow," said board vice president Wes Garner. "We've really built that into the business plan. I think, for the most part, it's not a matter of selling it right now. It's a matter of getting the word out."
As the name suggests, the new school will have an international focus, including in its curriculum and early offerings of Spanish and Mandarin language classes, Way said. Officials also have touted small class sizes, cutting-edge technology and academic rigor as key features of the school.
The school's global focus and early foreign language emphasis have drawn the interest of Renwen Yu of Ashwaubenon. She's interested in sending her fifth-grade daughter, Linda Zhang, to Wisconsin International School next year.
"She can be part of the school here," said Yu, who emigrated from China. "She can assist the teachers and she can help to create the Chinese-speaking environment."
Yu does have concerns over tuition and hopes her daughter can qualify for scholarship money, she said. Annual tuition and fees range from $3,500 for half-day preschool to $7,500 for grades one through five and $9,000 for grades six through eight.
