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Cotter Schools challenges students to achieve their full potential and use their lives in service of others.
BELIEFS:
As a Catholic Learning Community, we believe: God is present in all creation. Each person is valuable and deserves respect. Education prepares people to build a better world. In a community, everyone grows. ?
Cotter opened its doors on September 5, 1911, and was named for Winona`s first bishop, Bishop Joseph Cotter. Originally, Cotter was a boys` school directed by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. In 1952, the Brothers turned the school's operation over to the diocese of Winona, and Cotter became co-educational, combining with Cathedral Girls` High School. In 2021 Cotter transitioned to serve students from 16 months through Grade 12. Through its many changes in the past 110-plus years, Cotter has never wavered in its motto, Vertitam Vereantur - "Let them Revere the Truth," and upholds the finest traditions in Catholic education.
Cotter Schools accreditations: AdvancEd / Cognia
Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
Bob Kierlin '57 - Founder for Fastenal Company, a $7.5 Billion Fortune 500 company
Andy Ballard '01 - A Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry for developing a program which, using artificial intelligence, solved the riddle of predicting protein structures.
Damien Fair '94 - Awarded the MacArthur Genius award
Jay Carrol '80 - Founder and CEO of Carroll Management Consultants and SeQuel Response. Also played as a tightend for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings ('84-'86)
Chris Green '91 - Top 5 trial lawyers in Massachusetts and top 50 trial lawyers in the USA.
The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council was founded in 1942. It has grown from eleven schools to over one hundred sixty schools. More about NEPSAC and private school sports here.
One of the most common questions families ask when exploring boarding school options is: What does a typical day look like for a student? Beyond academics, they want to understand how students live, learn, and grow within the community—how daily routines shape not only their education but also their independence, friendships, and character.
Every year, thousands of gifted young artists apply to top performing arts boarding
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