Why Choose Stillwater?

8,400 reasons to love our schools!

There are a lot of reasons to love Stillwater Area Public Schools. About 8,400 of them to be exact! Our students are amazing. And our staff is, too!

We're the oldest school district in the state, but that doesn't mean we are still your great grandparents' school district. Stillwater Area Public Schools are known for innovation. Our academics are top-notch, as our test scores demonstrate. But it's the way we care for our students that makes the biggest difference. We are recognized across the state and nation for always putting kids first by helping them build strong minds, strong bodies and strong character. We are committed to providing an environment where every child feels seen, heard and respected.

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A Long History of Excellence

First School District in Minnesota

The first school was built in Stillwater in 1848. Stillwater became the first school district in Minnesota - District 1 - in 1850. Stillwater High School was built in 1873, the Lincoln School, at North 2nd Street and Laurel Street. The first graduating class of Stillwater High School accepted diplomas in 1876 with 10 seniors.

Excerpt from "School District 834 and the Bicentennial Year" published April 1976.
"Mrs. Marie Bolles was among the first students in the first public school house in the State of Minnesota - built in 1848. This school was located on Olive between Second and Thirds Streets. It was a log house with cracks in the walls. Each time it rained, new plaster (mud) had to be applied by hand to keep out the elements. The walls were lined with benches. The students were nine in number. (Before this the students met in McKusick's store on Main and Myrtle.) The 3R's were taught there. Miss Sarah Louise Judd was the first teacher. Grammar was also one of their strong points.

Mrs. Bolles would get up early in the morning, milk the cows, prepare breakfast and tidy up the kitchen afterwards and then trudge a weary mile through the primeval forest to get to school. When she got home at night there was more work to be done.

Mrs. Marie Bolles, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Carli arrived in Stillwater on June 29, 1841. Mrs. Carli was persuaded by her half brother, Joseph R. Brown, founder of Stillwater and leading pioneer in Minnesota to come North. Mrs. Bolles was the age of 5."

Red & Black: A Proud Tradition

In 1861 some Stillwater area men answered the call of President Abraham Lincoln to aid the Union and formed Company B of the 1st Minnesota Regiment. They marched from Stillwater to Fort Snelling and became a unit that served with distinction during the Civil War. When these men left Stillwater, they wore red wool shirts and black wool pants.

The regiment is best known for the dramatic charge at the battle of Gettysburg where they suffered huge casualties. They were ordered to charge into a situation where they would be outnumbered by at least 5 to 1. The purpose was to buy time with human lives.

Lt. William Lochran, an Irish-born lawyer from St. Anthony, later wrote, "Every man realized in an instant what that order meant -- death or wounds to us all; the sacrifice of the regiment to gain a few minutes' time and save the position, and probably the battlefield."

The regiment fully and instantly obeyed the order, suffering up to 82% casualties among those making the attack; this action contributed significantly to the preservation of a key Union defensive position on the heights of Cemetery Ridge.

When Stillwater High School was formed, the students picked the colors and the team name of “Red and Black” to honor those veterans who fought so bravely for our nation. Our colors and our once nickname are rooted in pride, passion, and speak to the rich tradition of our school and community.

The Pony: A One-Of-A-Kind Mascot

While it is unclear when Stillwater High School established an official nickname, it is likely that nicknames were informal because the Kabekonian, Stillwater Gazette, and the Stillwater Arrow (former school newspaper) used nicknames interchangeably. In the early years, the football team was often called the “Red and Black.” In time the team was often referred to as the “Croix” and the “Prison City Eleven” or “Prison City Warriors.”

Despite these two primary identities, the future name of the school was born long before it became the namesake. On Friday, November 5, 1926, Stillwater traveled to Lexington Park for a football game against St. Paul Mechanic Arts. When the dust settled, the smaller but speedy Black and Red and Croix, ran like “ponies.” Throughout the next two decades, the three nicknames shared the spotlight. In 1945, the football team was called the Ponies while all the other sports teams were still the Croix. However, by 1946, the Kabekonian featured an image of all four teams - football, basketball, baseball, and track and field - designated as the Ponies.

Not only is our connection to the nickname unique but our school logo is one-of-a-kind as well. The logo was created by Pony alum Paul Strohbehn (Class of 1974). As a freshman, Strohbehn won a contest in art class at Stillwater Junior High. The class was taught by Steve Forseth also a football and track coach.

The Pony became the football team decal in 1971, and later the high school also began to use the logo. The school district adopted the Pony as its official logo in 2014. As far as we know, we are the only school in the world that uses this logo.

Download the Pony Logo

Below are the district approved designs of the Stillwater Area Public Schools Pony logo and "Stillwater Area Public Schools" text. If an individual or organization is searching for a different file type (such as .ai or .eps), please email Jennifer Paulson at paulsonj@stillwaterschools.org.

This logo may not be doctored or modified in any way and cannot be used as an endorsement or promotion without school district approval.

Vertical Pony with Text - Full Color (png)

Vertical Pony with Text - Black & White (png)

Horizontal Pony with Text - Full Color (png)

Horizontal Pony with Text - Black & White (png)

Vertical Pony - Full Color (png)

Vertical Pony - Black & White (png)

Need More Convincing?

Real Life Experiences

Learning is more engaging when it is relevant to real life. That’s why we incorporate things like robotics and coding in our elementary schools, and invite community experts to work alongside students in our middle and high schools.

Personalization

We get to know students’ strengths, interests and learning styles. Teachers differentiate the curriculum to meet the unique needs of their students. A variety of interventions and enrichments help engage, motivate and challenge our students.

Caring Relationships

We know kids do best when they feel safe, cared for and supported, which is why our staff work so hard to develop relationships with students, and connect kids with their peers.
We care about the whole child!