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 predominantly 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 that prepares them for college, work, and beyond. Distinguished as one of Wisconsin's top school districts by the Public Policy Forum, Cedarburg schools consistently rank among the state's best in Math, Science, and Reading and boast a 98% graduation rate. This year marks the Cedarburg School District's 140th school year, a historic milestone defined by a legacy of achievement, community support, and educational innovation. Established in 1886, the district enters the 2026–27 academic year honoring the visionary leaders who laid its foundation and looking ahead to making this year its most successful yet.

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

Cedarburg School District ranks 2nd in Wisconsin among K-12 public school districts and received the highest rating of Significantly Exceeds Expectations on the 2024-25 District Report Card. For five years in a row, all five of our schools have earned this top rating. Niche ranked Cedarburg as the #6 best school district and the #1 district with the best teachers; in Ozaukee County, it holds the #2 position. Nationally, the district is 146th out of 10,394 districts. This achievement is noteworthy, and we remain committed to celebrating the success of our staff and students.

In 2019, Newsweek ranked Cedarburg High School as Wisconsin's top STEM High School and the second most challenging high school in Wisconsin, according to the Washington Post. The school was also named a National Blue Ribbon School by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in 2014. Additionally, CHS has been recognized for “Exemplary High Performance,” making it one of the state's highest-performing schools based on state assessments and nationally normed tests. In 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked Cedarburg High School at #4 in Wisconsin and #236 nationally. This is a notable achievement, highlighting CHS as the top Wisconsin high school with over 1,000 students. Overall, Cedarburg High School ranks among the top 1% nationally—out of 17,901 schools—and in the top 462 schools in Wisconsin. 

Webster Middle School and Parkview Elementary School have been recognized as model Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at Work®. As two of about 500 Schools and Districts in the US and Canada to receive this honor, Webster and Parkview were recognized by Solution Tree for their sustained success in raising student achievement. The Cedarburg School District’s successful implementation of the Professional Learning Communities at Work® process was a major factor in improved student achievement.

Awarded PBIS Schools of Merit were each of our K-8 schools: Parkview, Thorson, Westlawn Elementary, and Webster Middle School. In 2013, the United States Department of Education recognized Westlawn nationally 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 for recognition by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School.

Facilities

Cedarburg students enjoy cutting-edge facilities. Thanks to the generous partnership of the Cedarburg Education Foundation and our entire community, we continue to promote and foster STEAM education throughout the district. After the successful 2018 referendum, we completed our school renovations, culminating in a grand opening in 2021. The centerpiece of this project is the new CHS Innovation Center, a hub where students can use state-of-the-art tools and equipment to bring their ideas to life, from artistic creations to advanced engineering projects. The District also introduced five new Maker Spaces. These collaborative environments promote hands-on, maker-centered learning for all students and teachers, making innovation accessible across every content area.

In 2002, the District opened its new field house at the high school, which includes a double wooden court for basketball and volleyball and 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, is open to the public.

Emphasis on Professional Learning

CSD's Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an ongoing school improvement process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. PLCs operate on the belief that the key to improved student learning is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators.

1. Focus on Learning
2. Collaborative Culture with a Focus on Learning for All
3. Collective Inquiry into Best Practice and Current Reality
4. Learning by Doing
5. Commitment to Continuous Improvement
6. Results Orientation

Cedarburg School District incorporates these core PLC principles to encourage educators to prioritize learning, cultivate a collaborative culture, and establish a results-driven approach. The District starts each school year in August with a week-long professional development opportunity for teachers.

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 not only in the North Shore Region but also in all of Southeastern Wisconsin, while consistently ranking at or among the highest-performing school districts in Southeastern Wisconsin.

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