DE PERE — The new 2023 Niche rankings of school districts in Wisconsin continue to show De Pere and West De Pere in the top 40.
Both districts built a strong reputation and are listed in various ratings as two of the best in northeast Wisconsin.
The Niche list rates the West De Pere school district as 19th best in the state, while De Pere checks in at 35th.
New De Pere superintendent Christopher Thompson also recently released his 100 day report on the state of the district.
The report shows the Unified School District of De Pere with the best composite ACT scores in northeast Wisconsin during 2022.
Numerous accolades and a sterling reputation in the state means that many families with children who are looking to relocate continue to choose the De Pere area.
Shane Renard is the owner of Renard realty in De Pere. He says that having strong school districts can significantly increase home values and power a city's growth.
"A lot of developers are targeting these core areas to build because of the marketability," says Renard.
Renard also said that the growth is concentrated on the southern end of De Pere where more land is available, but it is still within both school districts.
The steady growth means that Thompson knows his district can't become complacent with the high ranking.
He says that the district is beginning a master plan study to find out how to most effectively add capacity to schools that are very close to reaching their limit.
West De Pere superintendent Dennis Krueger also noted that his district is constantly looking at ways to keep the high level experience while adding more capacity.
Despite renovations and modern facilities at many schools, Krueger attributed the high ranking to the district's staff and the community.
"Our community connections are second to none. We have a longstanding pride in excellence in our district," said Krueger.
