Pecatonica High School is a public school in Blanchardville, Wisconsin

Blanchardville, Wisconsin

Blanchardville is a village in Iowa and Lafayette Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 806 at the 2000 census.The Iowa County portion of Blanchardville is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

 serving students in grades 7 through 12. Its enrollment is about 230.

Recognition

In 2005, Pecatonica received a Standing Up for Rural Schools, Communities, and Libraries award from the Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools. The award provides recognition of rural communities that advocate for schools, libraries, and lifestyle at a time when the communities are financially challenged. "We have strong schools because of the capable teachers and administrators, engaged business and community leaders, and active parents working together to keep schools strong," Burmaster said.The Pecatonica High School's Future Problem Solving team has also won numerous conference, and state championships as well as competing at Nationals and Internationals two times.

Environmental initiatives

In 2006, Pecatonica took part in the Wisconsin Governor’s High School Conference on the Environment, to learn about the state's climate record and the potential future changes as a result of global climate change. Topics included the carbon cycle

Carbon cycle

The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth...

, energy choices that affect climate, global warming

Global warming

Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...

 and ecological systems, and individual contributions to creating workable solutions. Students learned about the physical science of global climate change, and its economic effects, political struggles, public health challenges, and related global environmental issues.In 2011 the high school began a recycling program headed by Alisha Esselstein, a graduate of the class of 2011.

In 2001, Pecatonica was one of 28 schools selected to participate in a United States Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...

 program to provide specialized training, equipment and training materials for teachers on ground water contamination and testing.

Athletics

The Pecatonica's girls' basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 team won the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is the regulatory body for all high school sports in Wisconsin. Its history dates to 1895, making it the first high school athletic organization in the country...

 Division 4 state championship in 1993 and 1994. In 2001, both the boys' and girls' basketball teams were runners-up at their respective state tournaments. The school mascot is the Viking.
The Pecatonica/Argyle co-op football team was runner-up at the 2004 state tournament.

Notable alumni

• Milt Hendrickson - Scout for the NFL Baltimore Ravens
  Baltimore Ravens
  The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
  
  
• Brian "Butch" McKeon - Class of 1987, Madison Area Technical College
  Madison Area Technical College
  Madison Area Technical College is a technical and community college headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. It serves parts of 12 counties in south-central Wisconsin: Adams, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Marquette, Richland, Rock, and Sauk...
  
   baseball hall of fame member, minor league baseball
  Minor league baseball
  Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
  
  player for the Padres and Brewers franchises