What’s New, RUSD?
This school year, we are celebrating everything that is new and exciting for our RUSD students,
families and community. We began our strategic plan entitled Raising Racine three years ago and we
closed out the final year having completed nearly all of our goals. Those goals included projects and
initiatives that are now complete or fully underway.
Thanks to your support of our 2014 referendum, we opened three new schools – Knapp Community
Elementary School, Olympia Brown Elementary School and Gifford K-8 School.
Dr. Lolli Haws
Superintendent of Schools
As you flip through the next several pages, you will see the beautiful, 21st century facilities we have
constructed. These learning communities feature state-of-the art technology, flexible furniture,
excellent use of green space and bright, colorful learning environments that welcome families and
encourage students to learn and grow.
The new RUSD Montessori Program for 3- and 4-year-olds opened at Goodland Elementary School
this fall and is off to a successful start. We will expand to include 5-year-olds next year (applications
are accepted through the School Choice process from Dec. 1 – Jan. 15).
Also this fall, RUSD launched the Academies of Racine at Case, Horlick and Park High Schools and we’re already seeing exciting changes. This year, all 1,500
Freshmen Academy students are learning about career opportunities, visiting a college campus and acquiring employability skills. In October, more than 40
business partners provided our freshmen first-hand career experiences at the SEE Your Future Expo. In all our high schools, more students are getting handson learning experiences in classes like Biomedical Science, Information Technology, Robotics, Culinary Arts and Business & Marketing.
Up Next…Our Middle Schools
This fall, through an online Thoughtexchange process, we asked you, our community, families and our staff your thoughts about our middle schools. We are in
the process of reviewing all of your feedback and sharing the results. Our goal is to share a comprehensive plan that will transform our middle schools so that
by fall 2018 every RUSD family has excellent middle school choices.
Your continued input will be valuable as we begin to develop a plan for transforming our middle schools. Our timeline is below. Work is underway and I hope you’ll stay
engaged and involved. Together, we will continue to advance our schools to ensure our students are prepared for college and careers of the future. We are Raising Racine!
Middle School Transformation
Creating excellent middle school choices for every RUSD student and family.
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
Winter 2017
Winter 2017 Summer 2018
Plan
Share
Develop
Launch
Engage community through
Thoughtexchange process
Review all Thoughtexchange
feedback
Hear input about middle
schools from families, staff
and community
Share results & feedback
with Board of Education and
community
Share initital Middle School
Transformation plan with
Board of Education &
community
Engage school families
& staff in planning &
prepartion
Implement first phase
of Middle School
Transformation plan
Fall 2016
Fall 2016 Early Winter 2017
Listen
Develop initital Middle
School Transformation plan
based on input & priorities
Share proposed Middle
School Transformation
timeline
Listen to input & revise plan
Create work teams to
prepare for implementation
Fall 2018