Student Achievement

The students within the Pulaski Community School District are given the opportunity to succeed in many different areas. Our students go above and beyond to work to build their character and to make our school district one that is outstanding. We are extremely proud of all that our students from 4K through graduation and beyond have accomplished throughout the years. Our students are proof that the Pulaski Community School District was founded on tradition and pride, focused on excellence.

Academic

  • 2024, PCSD earned a cumulative B+ grade as ranked by www.niche.com.
  • 2024, 78th of 372 Wisconsin school districts as ranked by www.niche.com.
  • 2024, 66th of 364 Wisconsin school districts for athletes as ranked by www.niche.com.
  • 2024, 156th of 376 districts with the best teachers in Wisconsin as ranked by www.niche.com.
  • 2024, 25th safest of 371 Wisconsin school district as ranked by www.niche.com.
  • 2023, 103rd Best High School of 452 schools in Wisconsin, U.S. News and World Report magazine

ACT average above state and national averages for 2019:

  • Pulaski Average: 20.0
  • Wisconsin Average: 20.3
  • National Average: 20.7          

PHS student ACT scores were higher than the state average in math and science in 2021-22.   

ACT College Readiness score for 2021 graduates was above state average and national averages

  •  Pulaski Average: 21.5
  • Wisconsin Average: 20.5
  • National Average: 21
  • 2021-22 District Report Card: 73.1
  • Exceeds expectations in the state
  •  93 percent graduation rate in 2023
  • Average student-to-teacher ratio of 23:1 district wide
  • Special courses at the high school level - 14 Advanced Placement (AP) courses
  • Six college credit classes through St. Norbert, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh
  • 30 Advanced Standing (Articulated) and Transcripted Credit Courses through NWTC and one through FVTC
  • Over $1.35 million in scholarships given to seniors in 2022.

2023 Post Graduate Success

  •  Number of graduates: 285
  • Students going to higher education: 78 percent (45 percent four-year universities; 33 percent technical college/specialty schools.
  • Students entering workforce: 7 percent
  • Apprenticeships: 1 percent
  • Students joining military: 1 percent
  • Percent receiving scholarships: 41
  • Undecided/no responses: 13 percent

Music

The Pulaski High School Band program is an exquisite part of our district. Under the direction of D. Thomas Busch and Michael Guerrero, the band has been to many outstanding places to perform and has won many awards for its success.

  • 2022, Orlando, Florida, with performances and workshops at Disney World.
  • 2019, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, New York City.
  • 2019, Carnegie Hall performance, New York.
  • 2024, 2017, 2012 and 2007: Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, in which the PHS marching band was the Midwest representative. The band also performed at Disneyland each of those years while in southern California.  
  • 2003: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, New York in which the PHS marching band was the Midwest representative.
  • 2022, 2015, 2005 and 2001: Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
  • 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2008: Recognized as one of the 100 best school districts in the nation for music education by the National Association of Music Merchants.
  • 2012: Invited to perform in the New Year’s Day Parade in Rome, Italy.
  • 2012 and 2007: Finalist for the Grammy Signature School Program.
  • 2010: Invited to perform in the New Year’s Day Parade in London, England.
  • 2008 and 2002: Selected to represent Wisconsin in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
  • 2008: July 4 was proclaimed “Pulaski High School, Red Raider Band Day” by former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
  • 2008: Invited to perform in the Olympics in Beijing, China.
  • 2015, 2007, 2004, 2002: Halftime entertainment for the Green Bay Packers.
  • 1999: Recognized as a Grammy Signature School and have been a finalist multiple times.
  • Cited for excellence and achievement by the office of the Brown County Executive Director three times by Wisconsin State Senate, three times by the Governor’s Office of the State of Wisconsin, and the United States House of Representatives.

PCMS Band

The PCMS Bands program, under the direction of Colleen Marler, Wesley Couch and Abby Ruetten, begin instruction in their sixth-grade year.  The students participate in many activities including solo and ensemble, area and state honors bands, performance trips and band festivals. Students also receive instruction and experience opportunities playing in jazz ensemble, Pep band and marching band.  Students are introduced to music through singing and simple percussion instruments in grades K-5.

  • Middle school band members performed at the Milwaukee Bucks game.
  • Eighth-grade band members performed at Cumberland Middle School and attended a Minnesota Orchestra performance in 2017.
  • The PCMS band and its directors remain active in the summer performing at the “Concert on the Concourse” and “Sounds from Saputo” in June and at the Polka Days Parade in July.

PHS Choir

The Pulaski High School Choir program is a thriving part of our district. Under the leadership of Kathryn Brown, the choir department has many offerings to meet the growing needs of the students.  Ensembles include:

  • Treble Choir – non-auditioned all female ensemble for grades nine to 12.
  • Concert Choir – auditioned mixed ensemble for grades nine to 12.
  • Show Choir – extra-curricular non-auditioned mixed ensemble that performs pop style music and dances for Red Raider Showcase
  • Descant Get Enough – auditioned extra-curricular female a cappella choir that is completely student led
  • Acafellas – auditioned extra-curricular male a cappella choir that is completely student led

Students have performed at many venues including Walt Disney World in Florida, Carnegie Hall in New York, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game, Green Bay Bullfrogs game, Brown County Courthouse, Fox 11, various local churches, and nursing homes/retirement facilities. 

Students have the opportunity to be on stage through our annual musical in February.  Shows include: Shrek (2023), Footloose (2022), Little Shop of Horrors (2021), Beauty and the Beast (2020), Newsies (2019), 42nd Street (2018), Oklahoma (2017), Fiddler on the Roof (2016), Kiss Me Kate (2015), Anything Goes (2014).

The choir department has been involved in many travel excursions including New York City, Chicago, and New Orleans. A travel adventure to New York included performing at Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2019. The choir also performed at Disney World in Orlando in 2022. The choir has been selected to participate in the 2024 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

PCMS Choir

PCMS choir students under the direction of Megan Flood begin instruction in their sixth-grade year.  The students participate in many activities including the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association’s Singing In Wisconsin Choral Festival, solo and ensemble, area and state honors choirs, a holiday bell choir, and performance trips. Students also have the opportunity to be in the annual musical theatre production.  Recent productions include The Little Mermaid, High School Musical, Annie, Seussical, The Musical, Shrek, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.  

  • Middle school choir members have performed the National Anthem for the Green Bay Gamblers, Timber Rattlers, and Milwaukee Brewers.
  • Eighth-grade choir members toured Central Wisconsin in 2017 including a choral clinic at Wausau West High School, a performance in Wisconsin Dells, and a trip to the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson to see the musical Newsies.

Performing Arts

PHS

The Pulaski High School Performing Arts includes three theater productions each year: one act play, musical, spring Play/Melodrama.

One Act Play

  • Under the direction of Amy Tubbs, the one act play has advanced to the state competition 27 times since 1990.
    • 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023: Performed at State at different universities.
    • 2002, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021: Critic’s Choice Award at State, which is the highest award given at state.
    • 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021: State Ensemble Acting Award, which is given to the whole cast because of exemplary acting as a team.
  • State Individual Outstanding Acting Awards:
    • 1996, Aaron Berg and Leif Posey
    • 1997, Leif Posey
    • 1998, Tina Thompson
    • 2015, Matthew Courchaine and ChaChi Wood
    • 2017, Ava Baenen, Kailee Kryger, Lauren Lacera, Autumn Rettke, and Geovanni Virella-Torres
    • 2018,  Ava Baenen,  Hunter Chrisman 
    • 2019, Marcus Moss
    • 2020, Grayson Rondou
    • 2021, Ryan Bouchard, Abigail Cheney, Tim Huber
    • 2022: Tim Huber, Audryn Just
  • WHSFA Hall of Fame Inductee: Actors who have earned two or more individual acting awards are inducted.
    • 2016 Leif Posey
  • State Outstanding Directing Award:
    • 1993, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, Amy Tubbs
    • 1994, 1997, 2004: The cast wrote their own play for competition and advanced to state.
  • Outstand Technical Theatre Award: 2019, 2021

Musical

Under the direction of Amy Tubbs, Kathy Brown, Melissa Welsing, Spencer Karls, and Jackson Smith, the musical is performed over two weekends in February. Recent titles include Shrek, Kiss Me Kate, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors and Footloose. In 2024, the musical will be Sister Act.

Spring Play/Melodrama

Under the direction of Amy Tubbs, a comedy (typically a melodrama) is performed the last weekend of April. The spring play rounds up the year for the drama program. This play tends to be a melodramatic comedy with student-written skits. The audience gets to participate by cheering on the hero and booing the villain. Recent titles include The Vile Veterinarian, The Pony Expresso and Cornfield of Dreams.

Visual Arts

PHS

  • PHS visual arts prides itself on giving students a wealth of art experiences and art course offerings including: Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Art Metals, Sculpture, Fiber Arts, Photography (35mm & Digital) and Graphic Design
    • 2012 - Scholastic Art Competition Gold Key student recipient in sculpture (New York City)

PCMS

  •  The PCMS Visual arts program, under the direction of Golden Apple winners Sara Hoffmann and Lindsey Przybylski, is exceptional in preparing sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students for PHS and beyond. The Digital Art Course was a featured segment on Fox 11 in conjunction with CESA. See it here. This course embodies the possibilities the PCMS Visual Arts Program has. Students engage in creativity, problem solving, and innovative hands on learning.
  • The students have the opportunity to participate in the annual PCMS art show where their skills in 2D, 3D and digital art can be displayed proudly.  Winners of the art show have the option to sell their work to the school district for further display in the PCMS art gallery.  Students also have the opportunity to have their artwork in the annual district-wide art show held each March for Youth Art Month. 
  • Students at PCMS also have the opportunity to be involved in Art Club:
    • More than 60 students participate in art club each year
    • Involved in guest artists and field trips to PHS
    • Artwork created/skills learned are different than regular art classes at PCMS 

Activities and Athletics

  • Nearly 45 clubs and 22 athletic programs at PHS; 10 clubs and 11 athletic programs at PCMS.
  • In 2021-22, 77 percent of students were active and involved in a club.
  • In 2021-2022 school year, nine individuals competed at state tournaments

Highlights

  • 2022: Emily Bruss, FRCC volleyball co-player of the year 
  • 2022: Kelly Logue, FRCC girls soccer co-coach of the year
  • 2022: Emily Bruss, FRCC track and field athlete of the year
  • 2022: Lincoln Simons, FRCC hockey player of the year
  • 2022: Nate Preslaski, FRCC wrestling coach of the year.
  • 2021, 2022: Gabrielle DeCleene, FRCC co-player of the year, softball
  • 2021: Jack Rego, FRCC diver of the year
  • 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022: Taya Schmidt, FRCC diver of the year, swimming
  • 2018: Dylan Hendricks, FRCC offensive player of the year; WFCA offensive player of the year; first team all-state RB
  • 2018: Liam Fahey, FRCC co-offensive lineman of the year, WFCA first team all-state offensive lineman
  • 2018, 2017: Lauren Monette, FRCC tennis player of the year, first team FRCC
  • 2017: Liz Pautz, FRCC softball co-player of the year; honorable mention, all-state
  • 2016: Liz Pautz, Press-Gazette Media girls softball player of the year, FRCC player of the year, all-state team
  • 016: Mariah Szymanski, WBCA first team all-state, player of the year and Defensive Player of the Year
  • 2015 Mariah Syzmanski, Division II, all-state girls basketball team
  • 2015: Annika Linzmeier, Northeast Wisconsin girls cross country runner of the year, USA Today Network
  • 2013: Corrin Van Lanen, Press-Gazette Media girls swimmer of the year, FRCC swimmer of the year
  • 2013 Boys Basketball State Champions

Wrestling State Champs:

  • 1967: Carl VandeHei, 145 pounds
  • 1972: Steve LaCount, 119 pounds
  • 1974: Dennis Baranczyk, 98 pounds
  • 1982: Ed Brady, 138 pounds; Barry Preslaski, 167 pounds
  • 1995: Dean Berna, 171 pounds
  • 1997: Nate Preslaski, 135 pounds; Joel Matczak,  171 pounds
  • 1999: Glen Berna, 189 pounds
  • 2000: Lucas Prentice, 152 pounds; Glen Berna, 189 pounds
  • 2004: Eric Bath, 160 pounds
  • 2010: Justin Enderby, 119 pounds

 Cross Country State Champs:

  • 2004: Michelle Corrigan
  • 2006: Matthew Mroczynski

Swimming State Champ:

  •  2012: Corrin Van Lanen, 100 Butterfly

Other highlights:

  • 1993, 1974, and 1969: Wrestling State Runner Up
  • 1980: Football State Runner Up
  • 1996: Softball State Runner Up
  • 2004: Cross Country State Runner Up