School Directory Public Portal

Click the links below to navigate to different sections of this page:

What is the Wisconsin School Directory Public Portal?

The Wisconsin School Directory (SD) is actually two separate applications:

• Wisconsin School Directory: Public Portal ~ viewable for the general public
• Wisconsin School Directory: Management Portal ~ viewable and editable only to authorized school staff

This webpage focuses on the School Directory Public Portal. It is a searchable collection of schools (public, private, etc.) and local education agencies (LEA) in the state of Wisconsin. The digital content covered in the Wisconsin School Directory Public Portal is pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 115.30.

School Directory Public Portal User Guide

Locating General Contact Information

Click the Contacts button from the landing screen.

Once you have located the school or district of your choice, click More Contacts from within a district or school profile.

Locating Contact Information for District Administrators

1. Open theSchool Directory Public Portal.
2. Click on Contacts either from the top (purple) menu, or the icon at the bottom left.

3. 

4. If you know the specific district(s) you need, type it into the search bar on the left...
5. Otherwise, click the Statewide Downloads button. 

6. 

7. From the results display, select District Administrator (a small checkmark appears next to your selections).

8. 

9. NOTE: You may select any of the staff types to obtain a download of your selection.

10. Click Download Selected Types. The only file type available for download is '.csv' .

11. Utilize your '.csv' download to create mailings as per your standard office protocols.

Search for Schools and Districts

Quick Search

On the Wisconsin School Directory home page, use the search bar. Type in a school or district name, street address, place or building name, or ZIP code into the search bar.

Search results appear under the search bar.

Detailed Search

To access more detailed search options, use the buttons on the landing screen for School Districts, Public Schools, Private Schools, or Contacts. Clicking the button will open a detailed search page allowing you to search by status, CESA, Athletic Conference, and many other filters. For example, the below image shows the Districts search page.

On the detailed search pages, use the filters on the left side of the screen to narrow down your search. The filter options are specific to the type of search. Available filters include:

• District Search: District Status, District Type, District Programs, School Programs, School Type, CESA, Locale, County, Athletic Conference
• Public School Search: District, School Status, School Programs, School Type, Grades Served, CESA, Locale, County
• Private School Search:  School Status, School Programs, School Type, Grades Served, County

For more information on the filter options available, refer to the Wisconsin School Directory - Data Elements page.

Locating Schools and District Profiles

Once you've found the school or district you're looking for, click its name in the search results to open its profile. See below for example images of district and school profiles. NOTE: School and Districts Profile pages cannot be downloaded or exported.

District Profile

School Profile

District and school profiles include a wide variety of information, including school types, school status, programs that schools or districts participate in, nearby schools and districts, athletic conferences, and other data. For a full list of the kinds of information district and school profiles include, refer to the Wisconsin School Directory - Data Elements page.

While viewing a district or school profile, click on the info button () for more information about each data category included.

Interactive Maps

On the right side of a district or school profile, an interactive map shows nearby schools, districts, and libraries. On school profile maps, use the Show schools within slider to increase the range in which nearby schools, districts, and libraries are shown.

School List

District profiles also include a searchable list of schools in that district. Filter this list by school type, school category, or school programs, and search by school name or school code. Click on the name of a school to open its school profile.

 

Search for Schools and Districts by CESA

Contact information for each of the 12 CESAs across Wisconsin can be found on the DPI CESA page.

To locate a list of school districts for each CESA, complete the following steps:

1. Open the School Directory Public Portal.

2. 

3. ClickSchool Districtseither from the top (purple) menu, or the icon at the bottom left.
4. Use the CESA filter and click the CESA(s) you want. You may select more than one.

5. 

6. Click Close when you've made your selection(s)

7. A list of schools within your indicated CESA(s) will appear as a list on the right half of your screen. NOTE: The above list of schools also includes all schools in each listed LEA.

8. Either click the 'download' icon (upper right corner) to obtain a .csv file, or click the PDF icon (upper right corner) to export a PDF. This may take a minute, depending on the size of the export. 

9. 

Search for Schools and Districts by County

1. Open the School Directory Public Portal.
2. Click School Districts either from the top (purple) menu, or the icon at the bottom left.

3. 

4. Use the Countyfilter to select the county/counties you want.

5. 

6. Click Close when you've made your selection(s)
7. A list of schools within your indicated county/counties will appear as a list on the right half of your screen. NOTE: The above list of schools also includes all schools in each listed LEA.
8.  

9. 

Search for Closed Schools

When schools close, this information gets updated on the School Directory Public Portal.

School closings can indicate that either:

• a school is no longer operational (i.e., no student enrollments, no staff, not conducting school), or
• a school has restructured and changed their name to reflect the new status.

Here is a scenario as an example:

Susan B. Anthony Elementary was a 5-year-old kindergarten though 5th grade elementary school.

Then, the elementary school structure was reconfigured for the district.

The building was renamed Susan B. Anthony Elementary School and Early Learning Center, and it serviced grades 4K through 2nd grade.

In a scenario like this, Susan B. Anthony Elementary as a five-year-old kindergarten though 5th-grade school "closed" by name. The building maintained enrollment for students within the new grade parameters, and the building continued to functionally conduct school with staff and students, as the changes occurred over summer.

To locate a list of closed schools, complete the following steps:

1. Open the School Directory Public Portal. 
2. Click School Districts, Public Schools, or Private Schools depending on the type of school you want to find. Do this either from the top (purple) menu, or by clicking the icons at the bottom.
3. Use the Status | Type | Program filter and click "School Closed within 2 Years" from School Status.
4. Click Close when you've made your selection.
5. A list of schools that have closed within the past two years will appear as a list on the right half of your screen. They will each have the word "Closed" appear in red text after the LEA code. The type of school you started your search with (school districts, public schools, or private schools) will appear in the upper-left corner. The total number of search results based on the filters you selected will appear in the bottom-right corner. The number should match the total number indicated in the message shown in the bottom left corner. Browse the list you created, or reset filters as needed.

6. 

7. Either click the 'download' icon (upper-right corner) to obtain a .csv file, or click the PDF icon (upper right corner) to export a PDF. This may take a minute, depending on the size of the export.

Mailing Labels for School District Administrators

• Open the School Directory Public Portal.
• Click on Contacts either from the top (purple) menu, or the icon at the bottom left.

• 

• If you know the specific district(s) you need, type it into the search bar on the left...
•  
• Otherwise, click the Statewide Downloads button.

• 

• From the results display, select District Administrator (a small checkmark appears next to your selections).

• 

• NOTE: You may select any of the staff types to obtain a download of your selection.
• Click Download Selected Types. The only file type available for download is '.csv'.
• Utilize your '.csv' download to create mailings as per your standard office protocols.

Exporting and Printing Data

Use the Download Data () and Export PDF () buttons to download or print Wisconsin School Directory search results to work with offline. These buttons are located at the top right of the screen on the District, Public School, Private School, and Contacts search pages.NOTE: School and Districts Profile pages cannot be downloaded or exported.

Download Data as a CSV File

Click to download your search results as a .csv file, which you can open in Microsoft Excel. To do so:

1. Search for the schools or districts you want your .csv file to include, using the search bar or any filter options.
2. Click once you have the search results you need. Save the .csv file to your computer.
3. Open the .csv file using Microsoft Excel to view the exported data.

Export Data as a Printable PDF

Click to download your search results as a .pdf file with an easily printable format. To do so:

1. Search for the schools or districts you want your .pdf file to include, using the search bar or any filter options.
2. Click the Download Data button once you have the search results you need. Save the .pdf file to your computer.
3. Open the .pdf file using your computer's PDF viewer to review the data or print the document.

School Directory Resource Links

Definition of a School - data element page

Geographic Information System (GIS) Maps

School Directory User Guide pages:

• Mailing Label Source for School District Administrators

• School Districts by CESA

• School Districts by County

• Search for Closed Schools

Suggestions for improving the School Directory application

 

Didn't Find What You Need?

The Partner Support Team is here to help!

If there are other functions you would like described for ho to use the School Directory Public Portal, please submit a Help Ticket so we may better assist you. 

Choose “School Directory - Updates” from the Application dropdown, and one of our dedicated support staff will reach out to you.

Return to WISEtraining