Climate and Culture

The School District of Onalaska’s mission is "Working together to ensure high levels of learning for all." As a district, we continually strive to ensure each and every student and staff member is accepted, embraced, and valued as a member of our community. Part of our work to be a model school district includes building and sustaining a welcoming to all culture.

District Committee

Our District Committee focused on Climate and Culture consists of staff from each school building within our district. We meet regularly to disaggregate data, reflect, and plan professional development based on the needs of our staff, students, and community. Our committee leaders teach about different topics at each of our building staff meetings throughout the year. They present data, the implications, and recommended strategies to support staff with their ongoing efforts to ensure a culture of belonging and acceptance within the classrooms and schools.

Land Recognition

The School District of Onalaska occupies the ancestral lands of the Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk) People. The Hoocąk thrived along the rivers and the region until the 1830 Indian Removal Act. The school district respects the survival, resistance, and resilience of the Hoocąk and their descendants in the region. Please take a moment to honor the first peoples and the land we stand upon.

Within our instructional services department, we are working together to guarantee that every student learns about indigenous people and groups within our community and surrounding area each year they attend school within the School District of Onalaska. We value the importance of learning about and honoring the Ho-Chunk Nation and all Indigenous People.

Please visit our WI First Nations website to learn more

Student Clubs

Onalaska Middle School and Onalaska High School offer multiple student clubs to support the interests and needs related to Climate and Culture.

Onalaska Middle School

Student Leadership - Community program where students work together to support and engage in projects throughout the school and larger Onalaska community.
WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Leaders - Transition program that welcomes 6th grade students and makes them feel more comfortable throughout their first year of middle school. Built on the belief that students can help other students succeed, WEB trains and assigns 8th grade students as WEB Leader mentors.
Acceptance Club - A safe place for open-minded people to come and discuss various topics.

Onalaska High School

ASL (Adaptive Sports League) - Opportunities for students with Individualized Education Plans to participate in three different adapted sport seasons: Soccer (Fall), Floor Hockey (Winter), and Wiffleball (Spring).
BSA (Black Student Association) - A safe place for students of color to belong, share concerns, learn about Black history, volunteer, and connect with the community.
Spectrum/GSA - A safe space to belong and an educational club that discusses the LGBTQ+ community.
Spanish Club - An extension of Spanish class, including culture and language that also volunteers in the community.
French Club - An extension of French class, the club is an opportunity for students to taste French foods, play French games, and volunteer in the community.
LINK Crew - Link Crew is a high school transition program that looks to make freshmen them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. Built on the belief that students can help students succeed, LINK Crew trains mentors from the junior and senior classes to be Link Crew Leaders.
Rotary Interact - A high school-based Rotary organization focusing on community and global projects.
Latinos Unidos - A club for Latino/Latina/Latinx students or any student to learn and celebrate Latin culture - including games, food, and additional educational opportunities. Un club para estudiantes latinos/latinas/latinx o cualquier estudiante para aprender y celebrar la cultura latina. Estamos estableciendo una comunidad en OHS con juegos, comida y oportunidades educativas. Podemos hablar español e inglés, y todos los estudiantes son bienvenidos.
Ujima - This club focuses on teaching and learning about people of all backgrounds in school and in the community. Students have the opportunity to promote and engage in respectful discussions regarding a wide variety of topics as well as take part in action projects.