MMSD High School Completion Rate Climbs Nearly Nine Percentage Points, Attendance Also Increases, Per New State Data

MADISON, Wis.—Newly released state data show continued long-term growth in high school completion across the Madison Metropolitan School District, along with steady improvements in student attendance following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Districtwide, 85.2% of MMSD students completed high school in the 2024–25 school year, representing an increase of nearly nine percentage points since the state began tracking the four-year adjusted cohort rate in 2009-10, when the district’s completion rate was 76.5%.

“Every student who crosses the stage at graduation represents years of hard work and support from educators, families and the broader community,” said Superintendent Joe Gothard. 

MMSD’s four comprehensive high schools achieved completion rates above 84% in 2024–25. Completion rates by school were as follows:

• Vel Phillips Memorial High School: 90.7%
• West High School: 89.1%
• Robert M. La Follette High School: 86.2% 
• East High School: 84.4%

Attendance rates have also shown steady improvement since the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Districtwide attendance reached 89.3% in the 2024–25 school year, continuing an upward trend from 87.5% in 2021–22 and 87.8% in 2022–23.

Gothard noted that while the upward trend in graduation and attendance is encouraging, MMSD’s efforts to support student achievement remain ongoing. 

“The climb in completion and attendance rates shows what’s possible when we focus on student success,” Gothard said. “We’re committed to giving every student the opportunities they deserve so they are ready for college, career and life. Until then, our work remains unfinished. We won’t stop until their paths are cleared and they have a solid foundation for the future.”

The Madison Metropolitan School District continues to support students through strategies designed to strengthen engagement and keep students on track for graduation, including expanded academic supports, credit recovery opportunities and college and career readiness programs.

Learn more about Madison Metropolitan School District schools, programs and student outcomes at the district’s website.

###

About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

Lake Ridge Bank in Janesville Celebrates Grand Opening

March 5, 2026 (MADISON, Wis.) – On Thursday, Feb. 19, Lake Ridge Bank celebrated the grand opening of its larger, full-service location at 2605 Kennedy Road in Janesville with a ribbon cutting, facility tour and social event.

Forward Janesville CEO Shar Hermanson shared a few words about what Lake Ridge Bank’s growing presence means to the region’s business community during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Lake Ridge Bank President Paul Hoffmann and CEO Jim Tubbs also spoke during the event, sharing their excitement for this expanded commitment to Janesville and the surrounding area. 

“Community banks make communities stronger,” said Lake Ridge Bank President Paul Hoffmann in a separate statement. “Focusing our efforts and attention on local businesses, local projects, and local people who want to make our area a better place to live, work, and play creates a more stable and vibrant community as a whole. And based on the community’s response to our expanded services, Janesville agrees!”

A financial partner for the Janesville farming and ag community since 2014, Lake Ridge Bank’s new office space officially opened its doors on November 3, 2025. Janesville businesses, nonprofits, individuals, and families now have access to the full suite of services offered throughout the bank’s network of locations in Rock, Dane, Green and Sauk counties, including:

• Personal Banking
• Business Banking and Treasury Management services
• Ag Lending and Crop Insurance
• Mortgage Lending
• Wealth Management
• Executive Banking

For more information about how Lake Ridge Bank does things differently, visit lakeridge.bank.

###

Lake Ridge Bank’s mission is to “build prosperous communities, one relationship at a time.” For more than 100 years, this has meant getting to know each of our clients to offer personalized services to meet their specific financial goals. Lake Ridge Bank offers a full line of financial products and services. We focus on offering products and services to make your banking easy. Our business banking and mortgage lenders are trusted leaders in their field with the expertise to provide the right loan at a competitive for our clients. As a community bank, we are dedicated to reinvesting in, and making our communities great places to live, work and raise a family. Visit lakeridge.bank to learn more about how we can help you.

Oakwood Village plans for the future in Madison

Madison, Wis. — Oakwood Village, a local nonprofit continuing care retirement community, announces a partnership with EUA, an integrated architecture, engineering and design firm, to plan for the community’s future.

Founded more than 75 years ago, the community has two campuses—one located 6 miles west of downtown Madison and another between Madison and Sun Prairie. They are developing a repositioning plan to address the growing demand for senior living options in the region and assess future campus needs.

EUA will work closely with Oakwood’s leadership team to refine and carry out this plan. The firm has more than 260 employees and branches in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Denver, and Atlanta.

The Oakwood Village board of directors unanimously approved EUA’s proposal for services. “Our resident-centered mission guides every decision,” says Oakwood President and CEO Jan Hamilton-Crawford. “That’s why we choose partners who share that commitment. EUA’s team is nationally recognized for its senior living design expertise. Their experience will help Oakwood carry our mission into the future.”

Over the next few months, Oakwood and EUA will focus on discovery, concept development, and alignment on priorities. A preliminary direction will be shared with stakeholders as the repositioning plan takes clearer shape.

“We believe that great design elevates people’s potential,” says EUA Senior Living Market Leader Jennifer Sodo. “We’re excited to collaborate with Oakwood to discover how their campus can support the changing needs of older adults for years to come.”

Click here to download photos 

About Oakwood Village

Oakwood Village is a nonprofit, continuing care community with two campuses in Madison, Wisconsin, run by Oakwood Lutheran Senior Ministries. For over 75 years, this community has helped older adults lead lives of personal growth, happiness, health, and security.

###

RMHC-Madison Hiring Director of Volunteers & Programs

RMHC-Madison offers a true home-away-from-home with cozy rooms, nourishing meals, andand compassionate assistance for families who may have traveled hours—or even flown across the country—for their child’s treatment. Guided by RMHC’s core values, every member of
the team is committed to delivering compassionate care and unwavering support to the families they serve, their partners, and each other.

The Director of Volunteers & Programs advances their mission by providing day-to-day leadership, operations, and oversight of RMHC-Madison’s hospital-based programs and leadership of volunteer services for all programs. This role ensures programs are welcoming, well-organized, properly staffed, and aligned with RMHC-Madison’s standards and hospital partner expectations. In addition, the Director will support recruiting, training, orienting, and appreciation of recurring volunteers to enhance the overall experience for all families who interact with any of their programs. They will develop and implement strategies to support the unique needs of families while building a compassionate, supportive, and positive environment by building relationships to promote volunteering through community events, volunteer fairs, and public speaking opportunities

This role actively connects staff, volunteers, families, healthcare partners, and community members to strengthen communication, boost engagement, and maximize participation in RMHC-Madison’s hospital-based and volunteer programs.

Learn more and apply here.

Carnelian Art Gallery announces its April exhibition

Madison, Wisconsin, March 3 – Carnelian Art Gallery, located at 221 King St., Suite 102, in downtown Madison, is pleased to announce its second art exhibition of the year, titled “Shifting Ground.”

This is a solo exhibition with works by Madison artist Peg Orcutt. Orcutt creates visceral, large-scale landscapes, often representations of sky, water, forest, and fiery scenes, that invite onlookers to become “immersed in each image and explore the possibilities of that particular space,” she says.

The exhibition’s title, “Shifting Ground,” represents the continuous evolution of Orcutt’s own artistic process, and shines a lens on emergent issues related to global warming, as well as the current political zeitgeist.

Shifting Ground is slated to kick off with an opening reception at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 10, and is to be on display from Friday, April 3, until Sunday, April 26.

As always at Carnelian Art Gallery, admission on opening night is free, and light refreshments will be served. At 6 p.m. on opening night, Orcutt will deliver an artist talk about the works she created for Shifting Ground, as well as her general comeuppance as an artist.

“Showing at Madison’s hottest new gallery is a thrill,” says Orcutt. “Evan Bradbury has been involved in the Madison art scene for many years, but his new space is the best yet. Working with Emilie Heilemann has really added to his commitment to showing terrific art. I am delighted to join the ranks of both established and lesser known artists at Carnelian.”

Orcutt is originally from Chicago, Illinois. For her undergraduate degree, Orcutt studied studio art and art history at Wellesley College, located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Orcutt then studied at the University of Illinois in Chicago to obtain her graduate degree in fine arts.

She taught drawing at Sage College of Albany in upstate New York for “many years” before moving to the Madison area with her husband, who is an electrical engineer. The duo enjoy cross country skiing in the wintertime when there’s free-time, Orcutt says.

“It is such a privilege to work with Orcutt on an exhibition at Carnelian Art Gallery” says Emilie Heidemann, Carnelian Art Gallery marketing director. “Her works exude deep purpose and soul.”

“The gallery is beyond thrilled to showcase Orcutt’s talent,” says Evan Bradbury, Carnelian Art Gallery owner and head curator. “If you want to feel something real, this is an exhibition I highly recommend checking out. Please join us for opening night on Friday, April 10. Everyone is welcome.”