Sun Prairie Area School District

The early settlers in Sun Prairie were firm believers in the public-school system of the country, and organized "Joint School District No. 2 of Sun Prairie" in 1842 (municipality names would be added to the district name as they were established). They subsequently built a wooden schoolhouse. A few years later, a larger schoolhouse was built. Around 1850 the schools became taxpayer-funded, rather than tuition-based (as many school districts in Wisconsin were at inception) [5]

Around 1987, as a result of 1987 Wisconsin Act 46, the district's name was changed from "Joint School District No. 2 of the City of Sun Prairie and the towns of Blooming Grove, Bristol, Burke, Cottage Grove, Sun Prairie and York, Dane Co. and the Town of Hampden, Columbia Co." to "Sun Prairie Area School District".

In 1864, the district had outgrown the existing schoolhouse, so, that year, they built a large public school, and it would serve until 1931.[5][6]

In 1931 a new brick school was built on the same site, and would serve as the high school from its opening until 1959, and as the junior high school from 1959 to 1998, and was expanded in 1973. The old half (built in 1931) was demolished in the early 2000s after serving briefly as a YMCA.[6] The newer 1973 half, which was dated and quckly deteriorating, served as Prairie Phoenix Academy, the district's alternative high school, from 2011-2022. PPA then moved out of this building, and was relocated to a newly renovated portion of the 220 Kroncke Drive building. The old location was demolished in 2022, this becoming the first time since (at least) 1864 that a school had not been located at the 160 South Street property. The site is currently in the process of being redeveloped for additional parking for the Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field, the district's 4000-seat stadium (which is shared between SPWHS and SPEHS).

In 1959 a new high school was built on Kroncke Drive. It was renovated and expanded multiple times, and served as the high school until 2010. It is currently the home to Central Heights Middle School, Prairie Phoenix Academy, and the district's Professional Learning Center (PLC).

In 2010, a new high school was built on Grove Street.[6]

Sun Prairie West High School, located on Ironwood Drive, opened August 28, 2022 for the 2022-23 school year.

The existing Grove Street campus, therefore, after undergoing renovations to the academic wings, reopened for the 2022-23 school year as Sun Prairie East High School.[7]