About CRALC
Supporting and governing alternate learning opportunities in the School District of La Crosse
CRALC began in 2010, when a group of community partnerships came together to design a school to fit the increasing demand of students looking for an alternative educational experience within the School District of La Crosse.
​
Initially, CRALC facilitated the development of La Crosse Design Institute (LDI), a grades 6-8 project-based learning school located in Longfellow Middle School. A few years later, Seven Rivers High School was added to the CRALC community to serve grades 9-12, located in Hogan. From the beginning, the goal was to eventually combine both schools in a single location.
​
In 2019, the School District purchased a former bar in downtown La Crosse. LDI and Seven Rivers combined, rebranded as La Crosse Polytechnic and moved to the renovated building. In 2021, CRALC also became the governing board for Coulee Region Virtual Academy (CRVA).
Mission of CRALC
The charter schools are instrumentality charter schools within the School District of La Crosse with the intent of providing educational opportunities to all students by supporting personalized and innovative schools. As the charter schools must meet all School District of La Crosse requirements, the charter schools offer these alternatives to meet diverse student needs, thereby offering more inclusion and decreased opportunity gaps in education within the school district. CRALC has helped generate about $1.4 million in grant money for the school district.
Committees
Development
Academic Excellence
Finance
School Leader Support & Evaluation
Governance
ad hoc (e.g. Strategy, DEI)