Dodgeville School District

The Dodgeville School District is headquartered in the city of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. It serves students from Dodgeville and Ridgeway. It consists of four schools: two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. One elementary school is located in Dodgeville; Dodgeville Elementary, the other in Ridgeway; Ridgeway Elementary. The Dodgeville school serves students in pre-K through 4th grade, and the Ridgeway school serves those in pre-K through 5th grade. The middle school serves grades 6 through 8, and the high school serves grades 9 through 12.

History

The first settlements in Dodgeville began around 1827. By 1833, the first teacher, Robert Beyer, had arrived, and "before a year passed (he) had convinced the parents of Dodgeville to pay for a teacher for their children."[1] The first school house was named the "Old Rock School", and the first teacher, Mary Carrier, arrived in 1834. She later married, becoming Mary Carrier Ranger. The school district grew and in 1850, split into two districts, the Grove School, and the Old Rock School. They formed a fierce rivalry in education and sports. A new "grammar hall" was established in 1864 that combined the two districts.[2] Classes for the new district were held in the old town hall.[2] Merril Fellows became the first principal of the Dodgeville School District in 1863.

J.W. Livingston, a well-known teacher in southwestern Wisconsin, taught at Dodgeville between 1877 and 1890. A new high school that "ranked with the best in the state" was built in 1881.[2] Four students received their diplomas in 1883, were the first to be awarded in Dodgeville.[2] $7000 was spent on improvements in 1891, providing a kindergarten, better equipment, and furnishings for the school.[2] A new high school was built next to the old one in 1906. This building eventually became the middle school and was demolished in 2004. A new high school was built in 1939 to provide more space for students. The current high school building was built in 1962, and the current middle school building in 1994. Ridgeway High School and Dodgeville High School combined into a single entity in Dodgeville in 1963.

In 2005 conservative Christian groups opposed Ridgeway Elementary School's decision to perform a secular rendition of several Christmas songs in its annual holiday program.[3] At the height of the scandal, former Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly made an appearance on the Late Night Show with David Letterman, where he made false claims criticizing the school district.[4]

A special education program was started in 1965 to provide on the job training for students.

Athletics

The Dodgeville School District athletic teams are known as the Dodgeville Dodgers, with the letter "D" used for the team symbol. Previously, the district had used the icon, "Dodger Dan". Because the figure was controversial in that it represented only the male population, it was dropped.

Conference membership

Dodgeville High School athletics have belonged to the following conferences:

  • Southwest Wisconsin League: 1924-1925 to 1970-1971
  • Southern 8: 1970-1971 to 1986-1987
  • Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League I: 1987-1988 to 2004-2005
  • Southwest Wisconsin Conference: 2005-2006 to present

Football

The Dodgeville and Mineral Point football rivalry can be traced back to 1898. This rivalry holds the record for most games played between two schools in Wisconsin, although it is not the oldest rivalry in Wisconsin high school football.

The Dodgeville Dodgers football team has won two conference championships and made four playoff appearances.

Boys' basketball

Boys' basketball was the first sport the school district adopted as an extra-curricular activity, beginning in the late 1890s. The team has won seven regional championships, three sectional championships, and has made three state appearances.

The 1964 state championship, the only in Dodger basketball history, occurred at a time when there was only one athletic division in the state. Dodgeville beat Milwaukee North 59-45 for the victory.


Girls' basketball

Dodgeville High School had a girls' basketball team during the early 1900s, but it was dropped because of lack of participation. During the 1940s, the Girls Athletic Association, or G.A.A., offered girls a chance to participate in intramural athletics. The sport of choice was basketball. Each class formed a team, competing against the others, with a champion determined at the end of the season. The Dodgeville School District brought girls' basketball back for the 1974–1975 season. The 2006–2007 team advanced to the sectional finals.[5]

Baseball

Baseball was one of the original three sports at Dodgeville High School. Over the years, the baseball team has played at times in the fall, spring, and summer. Baseball returned to spring play in 1982 for the first time since the 1960s.

Softball

The Dodgeville softball program began in 1983. The team has made the state playoffs twice, including a second-place finish in 1994 and 2000.

Volleyball

The Dodgeville volleyball program began in 1973. The volleyball team has won state championships three times, in 1995, 1996, and 1999, and was conference champion in 2001.

Boys' cross country

Dodgeville and Mineral Point have a joint cross country team, which began in 1992. As a standalone team, Dodgeville won state championships in 1967 and 1972.[6]

Girls' cross country

The Dodgeville girls' cross country team made the state race for 16 straight seasons (1996–2011), earning four championships and two runner-up places.

The team was formed in the early 1980s and by 1982 there were three members on the team. By 1985, Dodgeville fielded a full varsity girls' cross country team.

Boys' soccer

The Dodgeville High School soccer program was established in 1998 in response to student demand. Mineral Point co-ops with Dodgeville for boys' soccer. The team made its first appearance in the state playoffs in 2008 against Catholic Memorial High School.

Wrestling

Wrestling was first offered at Dodgeville in 1963. The team had its first undefeated season in 1970-71.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics was first made available to students at Dodgeville in the 1973–1974 season. The program was expanded in 1992–1993 when Dodgeville began a co-op with the Mineral Point gymnastics team in an effort to cope with declining participation.

Golf

Golf was first offered as a sport in 1962.

Boys' track

Dodgeville and Mineral Point began a co-op in 1992.

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References
  1. Dodger 1939, p. 2.
  2. Dodger 1939, p. 3
  3. Neely Tucker. "Have a Holly, Jolly Holiday". Washington Post, December 20, 2005. Accessed December 20, 2017.
  4. https://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/2239211.html
  5. Doye
  6. 2019 State Cross Country Meet Souvenir Program. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. November 2, 2019. p. 27.
  • "The Dodger": Yearbooks from multiple years ranging from 1909 to 2006
  • "The Dodger 1939: Pages 2–3, History of the School District
  • Dodgeville School District Athletic Director Records
  • Doye, Joelle. "What a ride for Dodgers girls." The Dodgeville Chronicle March 8, 2007.
  • Kaebish, Mike. "Dodgeville Trio Sticks Together." Wisconsin State Journal Sports. D7. February 24, 2007.
  • WIAA: Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association: http://www.wiaawi.org
  • Wisconsin Football Coaches Association: http://www.wifca.org
  • Source of some standings and scores: Southwest Wisconsin Conference: https://web.archive.org/web/20081014032048/http://swcwisconsin.com/
  • Second source of records and standings: http://www.wissports.net
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