Cedarburg School District

The mission of the Cedarburg School District is to provide an exemplary education that challenges students in a nurturing environment to develop into lifelong learners, to become responsible adults, and to achieve their goals and dreams.

The Cedarburg School District is located predominately in the City and Town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, about 17 miles north of Milwaukee in the heart of Ozaukee County. The District offers its 3,100 students a rigorous education, preparing students for college, work, and beyond. Distinguished as one of the top school districts in Wisconsin by the Public Policy Forum, Cedarburg schools consistently achieve one of the state's top rankings in Math, Science and Reading, as well as boast a graduation rate of 98%. In 2023 the graduating Class of 2024 ACT scores were #6 of all Wisconsin public non-charter high schools and #1 in Ozaukee County. For 2023, CHS has ranked #3 in the state and #263 in the nation. This places Cedarburg High School in the top 0.78% nationally and tops in the state.  Cedarburg High School performed nationally and statewide out of 17,680 nationally ranked schools and 460 schools ranked in Wisconsin.

Out of 372 Wisconsin school districts, Niche ranked Cedarburg #6 as "Best School District", and #5 as "Districts with Best Teachers", and in Ozaukee County, Cedarburg School District ranks #2. Nationally, the district ranks 200th out of 10,561 school districts in 2025. For the tenth year in a row, Cedarburg High School has been recognized on U.S. News & World Report's annual list of “Best High Schools”.

Cedarburg's historic downtown contains numerous century-old brick and stone buildings and is located on the National Register of Historic Places. The community maintains its small-town atmosphere, and the city has been recognized by former First Lady Laura Bush as a Preserve America Community.

Ozaukee County was ranked the #2 "Best Place in America to Raise a Family" by Forbes magazine and the "Healthiest County in Wisconsin" by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Academic Excellence

The Cedarburg School District is an exciting learning organization with abundant opportunities for student enrichment and academic achievement. The District offers a unique combination of the warm and caring atmosphere of a small town and the latest technology and modern facilities of a metropolitan school district.

Newsweek magazine has ranked Cedarburg High School as the #1 Wisconsin STEM High School for 2019 and #2 Most Challenging High Schools in Wisconsin by the Washington Post. Cedarburg High School has also been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, in 2014.  CHS is recognized for “Exemplary High Performance” which is among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests and is the only high school in Wisconsin to be recognized and one of only 48 high schools in the nation.

Webster Middle School andhas been recognized as a model Professional Learning Community (PLC) at Work®. As one of about 500 Schools and Districts in the US and Canada to receive this honor, Webster was recognized by Solution Tree for its sustained success in raising student achievement. The Cedarburg School District’s successful implementation of the Professional Learning Communities at Work® process was a major contributing factor to the improved achievement of its students.

Awarded PBIS Schools of Merit were each of our K-8 schools; Parkview, Thorson, Westlawn Elementary, and Webster Middle School. In 2013 Westlawn was recognized on the national level by the United States Department of Education as a Green Ribbon School for its efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health and ensure effective environmental education.  In addition, Westlawn was nominated to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School.

Facilities

Cedarburg students enjoy cutting edge facilities. Cedarburg School District classrooms are almost without exception equipped with the latest in SMART Board™ technology. This technology acquisition in 2010, a partnership between the District and a generous donation from the Cedarburg Education Foundation, enhances the learning experience for students and opens up a whole new world of teaching methods for district educators. 

In 2002, the District opened its new field house at the high school that includes a double-wooden court for basketball and volleyball, a marked, synthetic multi-purpose surface for track around the gymnasium. Separate physical education facilities include a fitness center and an eight-lane swimming pool, which are also open to the community. The Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art 400-seat performing center used for theatre, choral and band performances, as well as professional performances throughout the year, all open to the public.

Meeting the Needs of All Students

The Cedarburg School District provides a high-quality curriculum and instruction focused on the understanding and skills of each discipline. Extensions and interventions are matched to individual student needs. Educators within each of the schools ask themselves, “How well do students respond to our instruction? How can we respond to the variety of ways in which our students learn? and what interventions do we need to put in place to ensure successful learning?" Proficiency levels and benchmarks are set and a variety of performance data and artifacts are collected and used to track progress over time. For students who are not making expected growth, a School-Based Intervention Team process brings educators and parents together to collaborate and plan interventions.

Financial Responsibility

The Cedarburg School District has consistently ranked among the lowest in district per-pupil expenditure is not only the North Shore Region but also all of Southeastern Wisconsin, while consistently ranking at or among the highest performing school districts in Southeastern Wisconsin.

The Cedarburg School Board has exhibited a commitment to fiscal prudence while supporting academic excellence and a commitment to the needs of students, staff and District facilities.