School District of West Salem

09/03/2026

Please see the following message from Superintendent Rieber regarding our Strategic Planning process.

"We hope everyone has had a great first week of school! Nothing quite compares to the energy, excitement, and bright smiles of day one. Thank you for trusting us as a source of education in the area and allowing us the privilege of partnering in your students' education. We are so grateful to have students back in our classrooms and hallways, and we are ready for a wonderful year ahead!

As we kick off this school year, we are also excited to officially begin our strategic planning process to shape the future of our district. You can find full details and updates on the Strategic Planning Webpage on our district website (located under the Board of Education section on the District tab) or at the link below.
https://www.wsalem.k12.wi.us/content/district/board-of-education/strategic-planning
There, you will find links to three important documents to help keep you informed and involved:
⚫ Strategic Planning Overview & FAQ: Key information on our timeline, survey details, and future goals.
🟠 Process Information Sheet: Background on how our strategic roadmap is being developed.
⚫Committee Application (Fillable PDF): Information and an application if you are interested in serving on the Strategic Planning Committee. Please note: Excel Leadership will review and select all applications directly.

Thank you in advance for whatever adventure you choose as you help shape the future of the School District of West Salem. We appreciate your partnership, your thoughts, and your time.
Here’s to an incredible school year ahead!

Warmly,
Ryan G. Rieber
Superintendent

09/03/2026

We recently celebrated an exciting milestone in the progress of our capital referendum projects, the ribbon cutting ✂️ and opening of the new West Salem Elementary School gym!

After over a year of hard work 🔨, our staff, students, families, contractors and community members were present to help us open the new space. This space will allow more flexibility in scheduling, a quieter and calmer lunch room for students and expanded space for physical education classes, athletics, and community events.

We'd like to give a huge thank you to everyone that has helped to make this project a success, including our architect, ISG, our construction manager, Kraus-Anderson, all of our local contractors, our staff and students for being flexible during the construction, and our families and community members for your support throughout this process! 🐾

09/02/2026

As part of our Homecoming festivities, we will be honoring the two new inductees to the West Salem High School Alumni Hall of Fame. A public reception will take place Monday, September 14th at West Salem High School. The Inductees for 2026 are:
🐾 Jessica (Thompson) Bateman ('01)
🐾 Mark Saxton ('77)
A public reception will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the high school commons to honor We hope you can join us to honor these outstanding alumni!

09/02/2026

Homecoming 🐾 will be here in just a few weeks and that means it's time for Homecoming t-shirt orders! Check out this year's shirt showcasing our matchup with the Black River Falls Tigers.

Shirts are available for pre-order at the link below and come in youth and adult sizes, as well as short-sleeve and long-sleeve. Pre-orders are due by Monday, September 7 at 3:00 p.m.
https://west-salem-deca.square.site/?fbclid=PAb21jcAUD84dwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABp6yDzNXDBaXq3WKRnGIwEIRI3gYe7nMdmVvAtal1DJg8Uri8sHfaWM9hwv4m_aem_2IJj-FKyiqaV8IyZ6ppvnA&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3
Pick-up will be during Homecoming week in the School Store at WSHS.

09/01/2026

🐾 Please help us welcome our new staff for the 2026-2027 school year! 🐾

"My name is Makayla Nortman, and I am joining the team as the new high school math teacher this year! I am a first-year teacher who recently graduated from Viterbo University with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education and a minor in Special Education. I’ve also joined the staff for the volleyball team, where I will be coaching one of the freshman teams this fall!

I am originally from Black River Falls, but my fiancé, Aimane, and I now live in Onalaska. We love staying active, spending time with friends and family, and traveling! This past summer, we even had the opportunity to visit London, Morocco, and Spain!

I am so excited to be a part of the West Salem family!"
Welcome to West Salem, Makayla!

09/01/2026

From team work activities and games to getting to know classmates and teachers, there have been lots of smiles across the district during these first few days of school! 😊

09/01/2026

08/31/2026

The first day of the 2026-2027 school year is officially completed! 🐾

It's a day that's always full of many emotions, from excited smiles at seeing friends and teachers for the first time in months to reluctant hugs as our littlest students say goodbye for the first time, but it's always full of lots of wonderful memories too!

We can't wait for another wonderful year and we're so happy to have all of our Panthers back on campus!