If you are a devout and doctrinaire member of the WELS, you will not agree with what I have to say here. Read it anyways. Opposing views aren't evil. Different isn't evil. I am a former student who was born and raised in the WELS. This school and the denomination (WELS) it is affiliated with are anti-gay. While attending SCLHS, despite multiple attempts to speak to administration, nothing was ever done about the pervasive anti-gay bullying here, to my knowledge. It certainly didn't get any better for me. Teachers and coaches didn't do much, if anything to discourage it. This was a decade ago, but based on conversations with other more recent students, I doubt much has changed in this respect. I also, during my time there, witnessed a student with special needs see those needs ignored. Instead, the administration and many teachers did little to find out how to reach him, how to teach to him, and how to educate fellow students on his difference. This student was bullied worse than I was. To my shame, I was a part of that bullying. I hope that they have learned since then that there are better ways to accomodate a student. I also hasten to point out that the bullying problems at this school are hardly unique to private schools or schools in general, but that does not absolve the administration and many of the teachers for their failure to provide a safe and effective learning environment free of harassment. I hope that this has changed, but if you are a parent of a child with special needs, TREAD CAREFULLY, do your homework, and don't accept basic assurances that your child's needs will be met. ASK FOR DETAILS AND A DETAILED PLAN BEFORE ENROLLING A SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENT HERE. DO NOT ENROLL LGBT CHILDREN HERE. It is also the policy of the denomination/school to teach Young Earth Creationism. This means that the school will not seriously credit any possibility that evolutionary sciences, astrophysical sciences, and geological sciences are correct about the origin of the solar system, the formation of the planet, and the course that life has taken to develop upon it are accurate. They favor instead the ancient writings of Middle Eastern nomads, treating them as divinely inspired and literal accounts of Earth's history. This is fine if your student want to be a pastor in the WELS or pursue a career in retail management or be an Army Officer, and the school has produced many excellent graduates who have gone on to do these things and more. Unfortunately your child(ren) will be presented with significant hurdles if they wish to have a career that requires knowledge of geology, natural history, anthropology, astrophysics, evolutionary biology (or even regular biology), advanced medical science, or any other field related to a science that this church school has deemed heretical. I'm still a Christian, by the way. I believe that God gave me a brain and meant for me to use the rational capacity contained within it to understand the world. It makes the world no less glorious to me that it has clockwork processes and laws and order and it makes life no less miraculous to see an evolutionary process bring function and beauty to chaos. It does, however, undermine the authoritarian view that the only true and correct way to read Scripture is the one adopted by the clergy of the WELS. And that is the biggest flaw within this school: THEY WILL NOT TEACH YOUR CHILD TO THINK CREATIVELY. THEY WILL NOT TEACH YOUR CHILD RESPECT DIFFERING OPINIONS OR VIEWS. THEY WILL NOT TEACH YOUR CHILD TOLERANCE FOR DIVERSITY. Lest you think my entire time at this school was a negative experience, I did enjoy parts of it. The music program was excellent and I had good instruction from many teachers, including in English and US History and various math classes. Much of that is tainted by the intolerance of the denomination and their generally hostile attitude towards "unrepentant sinners," but I have hope that some day even the WELS will see their error. Until then, in every aspect in which this school excels, I am hopeful that you can find a healthier environment for your child that will not teach them intolerance and self-righteousness, and will encourage them in Christian love. (The Catholic school De La Salle comes to mind as a better, if not perfect, alternative.) And please do note that I graduated with good marks, but that I am also (by the standards of the denomination) an "unrepentant sinner" who grew up in the WELS. Take what I have to say with that in mind, but also remember that the denomination claims to hate the sin and love the sinner. I assure you that it has been my experience that the "love" is only extended to the "repentant" and usually that's mixed with a high dose of shaming. (You don't even want to get me started on how they treated teen pregnancies while I was there. Reprehensible. Sexist. Not worth discussing.) read more

I couldn't be happier with this school and we agonized over our selection, four years ago. The students and the staff are Excellent and teach morals and values as well as academics. My son is graduating in a couple months and we are going to miss this place! read more

This school is horrible, I would never send my kid here. The teachers have no care for the kids and even say "I don't want to see your face right now". Don't go ever it is the worst school in the country. read more

If you are looking for a school that teaches you "how to learn" then this school is not for you. This school is very very conservative and tells one what to think, not how to think for one self. The anti-gay rhetoric and "you're going to hell" teachings are something that is beaten into students head daily. I can also attest that students with special needs are not taken seriously, nor do they even have programs that accommodate these types of students (though they "claim" they do). Also, though there are a lot of Asian students (they have an international program) if you are of African-American or Latino decent there is a lot of racism of which they do little to curb (though they have suspended a few kids for their racist behavior and actions). If you try and hold a meeting with the staff they will act annoyed and as if it's a inconvenience to them. All in all, St. Croix really just wants your money while expecting the students to shut up and obey everything they say. When I say obey, what I mean is to not questions teachings that maybe a student doesn't agree with or that "doesn't make sense". If your child is a minority, has special needs etc then I suggest that you look at a different school. If your student is a super star athlete however, St. Croix will take care of him or her and let just about anything they do slide as long as they are producing on the field or courts. For the record I did graduate from St. Croix, and what I am writing here is not personal as I got good grades and was treated decently (as I was an athlete). This school has a long way to go when it comes to dealing with diversity and most of it's teachings are still stuck in the 1400's. read more

I have two children who attend St Croix. I am so happy with the quality of education they receive. The teachers are caring and genuinely love teaching. My son has some learning issues. The support and dedication of the teachers is more then I ever imagined. Our third child will be starting next year. It is worth every penny we spend on tuition to send our children there. read more