Why Choose Columbus Catholic Schools?

Columbus Catholic Schools administration reviews the application and records of each student interested in placement within the system.  Administration determines if a student is qualified for admission based on the student’s demonstrated potential to succeed within our educational environment.  

Admissions Procedure

1. Complete the INQUIRY FORM for general information and to schedule tours and shadow days. 
2. Complete the Preliminary Records Request Form.
3. Complete the online enrollment form and pay the non-refundable registration fee.

Admission to CCS is determined by:

1. Completion of application
2. Review of academic progress from previous school
3. Student and parent interview

Transfer Student Procedures:

Transfer students will be accepted for admission to CCS based on the following conditions:

1. Transfer applicant must be a student in good academic standing (high school GPA of 2.5 or higher)
   • Standard may be waived (a lower GPA will result in  Academic Probation)
2. Transfer applicant must be a student   whose conduct is in good standing.
3. The CCS system administration must judge the transfer student would benefit from the programs at CCS.
4. Any student applying who has been expelled from former school or school district will not be considered for admission.

Columbus Catholic has thriving athletic and co-curricular programs, with some programs beginning in primary school. Columbus offers students numerous opportunities to explore their interests and showcase their talents.

St. John the Baptist Primary

• Baseball
• Basketball (Boys and Girls)
• Dribbling Dons
• Soccer
• Softball
• Track
• Volleyball
• Wrestling

Our Lady of Peace Intermediate

• Basketball (Boys and Girls)
• Baseball
• Dribbling Dons
• Soccer
• Softball
• Track
• Volleyball
• Wrestling
• Youth Football and Cheer

Columbus Catholic Middle School

Activities and Clubs

• Band
• Brains and Brawn Tournament
• Choir 
• Hope Squad
• Mission Club
• Photo Club
• Student Council
• Summer Fitness
• Yearbook (academic)

Athletics

• Baseball
• Basketball (Boys and Girls)
• Football
• Cross Country
• Soccer (co-ed)
• Softball
• Track
• Volleyball
• Wrestling

Columbus Catholic High School

Activities and clubs

• Ambassadors
• Band (Concert, Jazz, Marching & Pep Band)
• Choir 
• Drama
• Hope Squad
• Marshfield Columbus Leadership Alliance
• Mission Club
• National Honor Society
• Peru Mission Team
• Photo Club
• ProLife Club
• Quiz Bowl
• Sports Analytics Club
• Student Council
• The Side Inside
• Summer Fitness
• Yearbook

Athletics

• Baseball
• Basketball (Boys and Girls)
• Cross Country
• Football (Spencer/Columbus)
• Golf
• Soccer (co-ed)
• Softball
• Tennis (girls)
• Track
• Volleyball
• Wrestling (Spencer/Columbus)

Columbus Catholic Schools Administration

710 South Columbus Avenue
Marshfield, WI 54449
Telephone:  715.387.1177 
www.columbuscatholicschools.org 

David J. Eaton, President 
Amanda Krautkramer, Finance Director
Angela Loucks, Admissions Director
Stacy Casperson, Gift Card Coordinator

Columbus Catholic Middle and High School

710 South Columbus Avenue
Marshfield, WI 54449 
Telephone:  715.387.1177

Michael Lambrecht, Principal 
Brianna Varsho, Guidance Counselor
Leah Bernick & Stacy Casperson, School Secretaries
 

Our Lady of Peace Intermediate School

1300 West 5th Street
Marshfield, WI 54449
Telephone:  715.384.5474

David Eaton, Principal
Alexis Vine, School Secretary

St. John the Baptist Primary School

307 North Walnut Avenue
Marshfield, WI 54449
Telephone:  715.384.4989

David Eaton, Principal
Jenny Voight, School Secretary

“But how could they call on him without having faith in him? And how could they have faith without having heard of him? And how could they hear without someone to spread the news? And how could anyone spread the news without being sent?”
- Romans 10:14-15

At CCS we believe Christian formation is something that requires knowledge, modeling, practice, and participation.  

Discovering the relevance of the existence of God in one’s life is a personal process for each of us.  Our desire is to provide an environment that nurtures and supports each person’s journey.

In support of the belief of our Catholic faith, students and staff participate in daily prayer, religion classes, and weekly Mass. The teachings of the Gospel are made a part of our everyday academic and co-curricular activities.  

We believe that developing a personal relationship with God is an essential part of the education of your child.

We are open to all faiths. 

We acknowledge the diversity of others and their beliefs.  

We believe that God is the greatest commonality we share with our youth and our community, and that He is the one who guides our actions.

Service to others is at the very center of our faith life. In this respect, our students from all age levels participate in community service projects and activities.  Each year our students provide countless hours of service to our community.  In addition, they raise thousands of dollars for various community, national, and international needs.

CCS builds a strong foundation of faith, knowledge, and skills to help your child achieve success. 

St. John the Baptist Primary

• Morning and full day 3 and 4 year-old pre-school
• Full day 4K
• 5K-Grade 2
• 3 and 4 year-old morning pre-school: 7:40-10:40 am Monday-Friday options
• 3 and 4 year-old full day pre-school 7:40 am-5:30 pm Monday-Friday options
• Full Day 4 year-old Kindergarten 7:40 am - 2:40 pm
• Kindergarten—Grade 2
• Our strong emphasis on the foundations of education and a solid reading and math program are central at these early grade levels. Your child begins school life in a safe, nurturing environment. Children receive the individual attention needed to lay the foundation upon which to build academic excellence. We have specialized teachers dedicated to teaching Physical Education, Library, Computers, and Music.

Our Lady of Peace Intermediate 

• 3rd-5th Grade
• Our solid curriculum continues at OLP where a rich variety of  individually tailored teaching approaches meet the needs of each particular grade and class. We offer cooperative learning and self-paced education, with an increasing emphasis on scientific and mathematical concepts and applications.  Specialized teachers are dedicated to teaching Spanish, Physical Education, Library, Computers, and Music.

Columbus Catholic Middle School 

• 6th-8th Grade
• CCMS faculty recognize the dramatic growth and development within young adolescents during their sixth through eighth grade years. We provide a program of structured support to meet those unique emotional, social, physical, and intellectual needs.

Columbus Catholic High School

• 9th -12th Grade
• CCHS is committed to maintaining its traditionally strong academic standards. Our dedicated staff strive to instill in our students a strong sense of responsibility for one’s self and all others.  Our students are well prepared for the challenges of  adulthood and are eager to continue on a lifetime of learning.
• Core Subjects: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Theology
• Additional Subject Areas: Art, Music, Physical Education, Spanish, FACE, Technical Education
• 27 Honors classes, 5 AP classes, 17 college credit class

Columbus Catholic Schools inspires a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

Q: Why do CCS students score high on national exams?
A: At CCS, we teach more than just facts and knowledge.  We use tailored teaching approaches to learning to make sure all students have the opportunity to succeed.  We teach our students to recognize their God-given talents, encourage them to develop their talents, and pursue continuous improvement.

Q: Why is community service heavily weighted in our curriculum?
A: We emphasize community service and integrate it into our K-12 curriculum to help prepare our students for leadership and service in the church and society after they graduate.  By teaching our students the importance of caring for others, they learn to be  humble, kind, and responsible individuals.  

Q: Does CCS provide a safe learning environment?
A: Yes.  We work together to build a safe learning environment. We have zero tolerance for bullying and have established protocol for all students and parents should  they have concerns.

Q: Are parents actively engaged?
A: We welcome parent volunteers in our schools, and throughout the year we have several family centered programs and events.  

Q: What if our family is not Catholic?
A: CCS is open to families of all faiths that identify with our Core Values.  We respect the diversity of others and their beliefs.

Q: My student is interested in a career in the skilled trades? What do you have to offer?
A: We have a full-time tech ed teacher and a great class selection for our students to provide more opportunities for our students to gain the skills needed to prepare them for careers after high school.

Stats:

• Graduation Rate Is Near 100%
• 97% of students attend COLLEGE after graduating
• An average of  $550,000 in outside scholarships are offered to our graduates EACH YEAR

Columbus Catholic Schools Guidelines for Enrollment of Preschool Students

Three-Year Old Preschool Program Enrollment Age:

(Note: all children must be toilet trained prior to entering preschool)

• 3 years of age by September 1-go directly into 3 year old preschool 
• 3 years of age after September 1, but before November 30-go into 3 year old preschool
• 3 years of age but turning 4 before November 30-go into 3 year old preschool unless the child has already completed our 3 year old preschool program.  Per that guideline, the child may be enrolled into the 4 year old preschool program.
• 3 year old preschool students must be enrolled for a minimum of two days.  Scheduled days must be the same each week; not alternating days/weeks.  We have both half day and full day programs
• 3 year old preschool students enrolled after November 30 will repeat 3 preschool. The latest date for preschool enrollment for the current year is the first day of the second semester of the school year.

Four-Year Old Preschool Program Enrollment Age:

• 4 years of age by September 1-may choose to enroll in our 4 year old preschool or enroll in our 4K program (4 year old Kindergarten is 5 full days per week)
• 4 years of age after September 1 must go into our 4 year old preschool program
• 4 year old preschool students must be enrolled for a minimum of three days (both full and half day programs).  Scheduled days must be the same each week; not alternating days/weeks.
• The latest date for 4 preschool enrollment for the current year is the first day of the second semester of the school year.

Early Childhood Program Progression Opportunities Dependent on Child’s Birth Date  

• 3 years of age by September 1:
  • 3 Year Preschool → 4 Kindergarten or 4 Preschool → 5 Year Kindergarten
• 3 years of age between September 2 and November 30
  • 3 Year Preschool → 4 Year Preschool → 4 Kindergarten → 5 Kindergarten
• 3 years of age between December 1 and start of 2nd semester
  • 3 Year Preschool → 3 Year Preschool → 4 Year Preschool → 4 Kindergarten → 5 Kindergarten
• 4 years of age by September 1:
  • 4 Kindergarten or 4 Year Preschool → 5 Kindergarten  
• 4 years of age between September 2 and November 30
  • 4 Year Preschool → 4 Kindergarten → 5 Kindergarten

Columbus Catholic Schools Differences: 3 Year Preschool, 4 Year Preschool, and 4 Year Kindergarten

3 Year Old Preschool

• No Uniform
• 2 Day Minimal Attendance
• Full day option: 7:40am - 2:40pm
• Half day option: 7:40am - 10:40am combined with 4 year old half day Preschool
• Hot lunch included in full day tuition
• Extended Care included in full day tuition
• Play-based learning
• Introduce letters, numbers, colors, shapes
• Afternoon rest time
• Does not participate in school Christmas concert (have their own Christmas and spring programs)
• Special classes include 20 minutes of Library and Physical Education per week 

4 Year Old Preschool

• No Uniform
• 3 Day Minimal Attendance
• Full day option: 7:40am - 2:40pm
• Half day option: 7:40am - 10:40am combined with 3 year old half day Preschool
• Hot lunch included in full day tuition
• Extended Care included in full day tuition
• Play-based learning
• Reinforce letters, numbers, colors, shapes
• Writing readiness skills are introduced
• Afternoon rest time
• Does not participate in school Christmas concert (have their own Christmas and spring programs)
• Special classes include 20 mins of Music, Library and Physical Education per week
• Special classes includes 30 minutes of Computer per week 

4 Year Old Kindergarten

• School Uniform
• 5 Days a week attendance
• Full day option only: 7:40am - 2:40pm
• Mass attendance once a week starting November 1st
• Hot lunch not included in tuition
• Extended care not included in tuition
• Academic based learning: more emphasis on core subjects (Reading Awareness, Math, Science, Social Studies and Handwriting)
• Shorter rest period
• Participates in school Christmas concert
• Spring and special programs
• Special Classes include 30 minutes of Music, Library, Physical Education and Computer classes per week

Tuition Reduction Opportunities

Columbus Catholic Schools is committed to helping all families send their children to CCS regardless of financial ability.

CCS Payment Plans

Columbus Catholic uses automatic withdrawals to manage our tuition payment process.  We work with our families to find the option that is best for each individual family.  Payments are made on a semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly payment plan via automatic withdrawal from your checking or  savings.

Columbus Catholic Tuition Grants

The Columbus Tuition Grant Program is based on varying levels of financial need.  Applying is a simple and confidential process. To apply,  we ask that each family complete and submit The FACTS Grant and Aid application located HERE.  There is no fee required.  This application is kept confidential by FACTS.  Families are always welcome to meet personally with our Finance Director Amanda Krautkramer or CCS President David Eaton to discuss tuition.

Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (Tuition Voucher)

The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program allows parents to receive a tuition voucher to enroll their children in approved private schools. CCS has been a school of choice in the program since the 2012-13 school year.  The program is limited to those families with incomes equal or below 220% of the federal poverty level. The income level can be found online or by calling CCS President, David Eaton 715-387-1177.  To learn more or apply for the WPCP click HERE.  Please call CCS President, David Eaton, for more information or for assistance applying. 715-387-1177.  

Tax Deductions

Beginning on January 1, 2014, the State of Wisconsin created an income tax deduction for elementary and secondary school tuition expenses.  Taxpayers will be able to claim their 2021 paid private and religious school expenses up to $4,000 for each dependent child in Kindergarten through eighth grade, and up to $10,000 for each dependent child in grades nine through twelve.

Gift Card (or SCRIP) Program

Our Gift Card program is another opportunity to reduce tuition. CCS purchases gift certificates from local and national vendors at a discount, and then sells them to you at face value.  The profits split 80/20  between your tuition and CCS.  Many families budget their groceries, gas, clothing, dining, gifts, and travel with gift cards.

Scholarships

Columbus offers a number of scholarship opportunities through an application process.  This application period begins in January and ends immediately after Spring Break. In addition, there are also a number of scholarships available through outside organizations.  

For details about the above programs, please visit www.columbuscatholicschools.org or contact our Finance Director at 715-387-1177 x3306.