Education in Portage
Education in Portage
Students and families in Portage will find an outstanding education system in place to foster lifelong learning. With public, private, alternative and higher education options all available, it’s easy for each individual student to find the best education to suit their needs.
The Family Resource Center provides excellent service to all families who have children up to five. Services include play groups, field trips, workshops, home visiting, parenting classes, toy and resource lending library and more.
The Portage Community School District provides a quality education to all students. The curriculum includes advanced classes, innovative technologies and classes to meet the students’ interests complimented by a wide variety of extracurricular offerings and activities.
The district includes four-year-old kindergarten programs, five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and one alternative high school. The district appreciates the support of families along with community and business partners who, together with staff and board of education members, are committed to the success of every student.
Two elementary-level parochial schools are a great way for parents to ensure that their children receive faith-based education along with their traditional education. St. Mary Parish & School and St. John’s Lutheran Ministries are K-8 schools that not only offer outstanding classes within the core curriculum but also focus on spiritual education with an emphasis in family involvement and positive daily practices.
Madison College-Portage is a community-based post secondary institution serving the educational and training needs of Columbia and Marquette counties. Associate degree level programs and certificate courses are available in various fields at MATC-Portage. Area businesses contract with MATC to provide customized training to their employees. The campus also provides Adult Continuing Education and Adult Basic Education throughout the year in community centers, schools and churches based upon local requests. Adult Basic Education provides instruction to individuals 18 ½ years old or older to prepare them for completion of the GED or HSED.
The University of Wisconsin – Platteville Baraboo Sauk County campus in Baraboo, just 20 minutes from Portage, provides academic courses in a rural campus setting. The University of Wisconsin at Madison is only 45 minutes away and is the cornerstone of the statewide University of Wisconsin System. A proud member of the Big Ten, it is recognized worldwide for its teaching and research facilities. Madison is also the home of the main campus for Madison College and Edgewood College.
The Portage Public Library encourages lifelong learning through free internet access, great programming for ages toddler through adult, an annual book sale and much more.