Original Research by School Decision on Catalyst Academy
Catalyst Academy is an alternative high school within the New London School District. It serves grades nine through twelve in New London, a small city at the confluence of the Wolf and Embarrass Rivers in Waupaca County. The school is classified as an alternative school and is a charter school. Because it is an alternative school, conventional metrics like state test scores and a four-year graduation rate do not apply in the same way they do for a traditional comprehensive high school. The data does not provide state testing results or a graduation rate; for a school of this type, those standard measures often are not collected or are reported differently, so their absence does not signal poor performance.
The student body is small. The enrollment is composed almost entirely of juniors and seniors, with a very small number of tenth graders and no ninth graders reported. White students make up the majority of the enrollment, with Hispanic students and small numbers of Black students and students of two or more races also represented. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that places the student population in a lower-income context. The school likely serves students who need a setting that is not the large comprehensive high school, whether for credit recovery, a flexible schedule, or a smaller, more individualized environment. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available. The data does not include staffing ratios, discipline rates, or attendance figures, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about class sizes, teacher support, and the school’s environment day to day.
The school sits in New London, which has the feel of a riverside town with a history as a lumber center and steamboat terminus. The downtown core has a historic theatre, restaurants, and annual festivals like the St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Cheese and Sausage Fall Family Fest. River-based recreation is a major part of the local identity, with boat launches, bait shops, and the Newton-Blackmour State Trail running through the area. The city’s population has been relatively stable in recent years, with no major growth or decline. Housing values in the area, measured by the Zillow Home Value Index, sit below the state benchmark, making the community more affordable than many parts of Wisconsin. The broader New London School District is the largest local employer, and the economy appears oriented toward recreation, tourism, and small businesses rather than large industrial employers.
The school is located on South Shawano Street, which is a different part of town from the main high school on Klatt Road. For a family considering Catalyst Academy, the key distinction is the school’s purpose. This is not the standard high school pathway. It is a smaller, alternative setting designed for students who may need a different approach to complete their high school education. A parent should confirm exactly what the school offers in terms of curriculum, how credits are earned, whether students can take courses at New London High School, and what the typical post-graduation outcomes look like for its students. The district had no major recent changes publicly reported that would affect day-to-day operations at the school. The community itself offers a modest, river-town lifestyle with recreational access and a slower pace, which may suit families who prefer that environment over a larger city.
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