La Follette High School

Robert M. La Follette High School is a public high school located in Madison, Wisconsin, serving the city's far east side with its attendance boundaries including parts of the City of Madison, City of Fitchburg, Town of Blooming Grove, and Town of Burke, teaching students in grades 9-12. Founded in the fall of 1963, it is a part of the Madison Metropolitan School District, and is named after former lawmaker and 1924 presidential candidate Robert M. La Follette, Sr.

La Follette High School
Location
702 Pflaum Road Madison , Wisconsin United States
Coordinates	43°03′48.3″N 89°19′10.9″W
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	1963
Oversight	Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD)
Principal	Mathew Thompson
Teaching staff	99.53 (FTE)[1]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,527 (2023–2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	15.34[1]
Color(s)	Maroon and Gray
Mascot	Larry the Lancer
Accreditation	AdvancED[2]
Newspaper	The Lance
Yearbook	The Statesman
Website	https://lafollette.madison.k12.wi.us/

History

In 2020, a referendum approved extensive renovations to the school. Renovation planning occurred in 2021, with construction scheduled to last from May 2022 to August 2024.^[3]

The renovations to the athletic spaces include a new gym and weight room and renovated locker rooms that can each be separated into two smaller rooms. The existing spectator gym, separated from the rest of the athletic facilities, is being turned into classroom space. The stadium was remodeled.^[4]

Academics

La Follette has 14 academic departments with more than 150 faculty teaching 250 courses. Courses are taught in a variety of academic settings, from traditional classrooms to community-based service experiences. Additional opportunities for growth and leadership are offered through involvement in numerous student organizations.^[5] The school began offering American sign language as a foreign language in 1998, and other schools have modeled their programs after La Follette's.^[6]

Honors and advanced classes are part of the curriculum. Advanced Placement (AP) courses include Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Environmental Science, Statistics, French Language and Culture, Spanish Language and Culture, Music Theory, Psychology, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Modern European History, Computer Science Principles, and Computer Science A. Courses are available in advanced physics, advanced chemistry, anatomy, literature, composition, creative writing, and computer programming.^[7]

Extra-curricular activities

Athletics

La Follette is part of WIAA Big 8 Conference. La Follette athletics include girls' volleyball, boys' volleyball, girls' soccer, boys' soccer, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, wrestling, boys' track & field, girls' track & field, football, girls' swim, boys' swim, boys' cross country, girls' cross country, dance, cheer, hockey, girls' golf, boys' golf, baseball, softball, girls' tennis, boys' tennis.

WIAA State Championships ^[8][9]

Sport	Year(s)
Basketball (boys)	1977, 1982, 2002
Cross country (boys)	2006, 2007, 2011(individual), 2015(individual), 2016(individual)
Dance (jazz) Wisconsin Association of Cheer/Pom Coaches (non-WIAA)	1992, 1994[10]
Golf (boys)	2003
Track and field (boys)	1969, 2002, 2008(individual), 2016(individual)
Track and field (girls	2006(individual)
Track and field (girls wheelchair)	2017, 2018

Other activities and events

President Obama visits La Follette in 2010

Arboretum

La Follette has one of the few on-ground arboretums in the state. It was designed to have three ecosystems, including prairie, woodland and pond.

Board of visitors

La Follette's board of visitors serves as an advocate for the school and is the only school in the Madison area, and possibly the state, which has such a board. The board assists in fundraising, business, community outreach, public affairs, student support and teacher support.^[11]

Business

In 2011, Summit Credit Union began operations at La Follette High School. In the ensuing years, branches were opened at other Madison-area high schools. The branch is staffed by interns from the La Follette career internship class and is open during the lunch hour.^[12][13]

Presidential visit

On September 28, 2010, the school was visited by President Barack Obama, who made an unannounced stop ahead of a late-afternoon rally on the UW-Madison campus.^[14]

Publications

The Lance is the student newspaper for La Follette; its yearbook is known as The Statesman; The Lancer Legend is the parent newsletter.^[15]

Notable alumni

• Ron Kanter, 1965; EMMY for Cinematography, 1987
• Marc Behrend, 1979; former professional hockey player
• Craig Brown, 1994; curler
• Erika Brown, 1992; curler
• Chuck Chvala, 1973; former State Senate Majority Leader
• Brian Detter, 1977; business executive and former defense official
• Jonte Flowers, 2003; Professional Basketball Player
• Dianne Hesselbein, 1989; member of Wisconsin State Assembly
• Tim Jordan, 1982; former professional football player
• Peter Mueller, 1972; speed skater
• Nicole Newman, 2014; softball player
• Jeff Nygaard, 1990; Olympic beach volleyball player, 2004; U.S. Men's Olympic National Indoor team, 1996, 2000
• Craig Smith, 2008; current NHL player for the Washington Capitals and former University of Wisconsin hockey player