Kenosha Unified School District

Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) is the school district that serves the city of Kenosha, the village and town of Somers, and the village of Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin.

Kenosha Unified School District Educational Support Center

KUSD is overseen by a school board of seven elected members. The current president is Mary Modder and the superintendent is Dr. Jeffrey Weiss.^[1]

Schools

KUSD encompasses sixteen elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, six choice schools, an eSchool program, and one charter school.^[2] In addition to these, Hillcrest School provides an alternative for expelled middle and high school students who need to address behavioral, as well as academic changes.^[3]

Elementary schools

• Bose Elementary School
• Brass Community School
• Curtis A. Strange Elementary School
• Forest Park Elementary School
• Frank Elementary School
• Grant Elementary School
• Grewenow Elementary School
• Harvey Elementary School
• Jeffery Elementary School
• Nash Elementary School
• Pleasant Prairie Elementary School
• Prairie Lane Elementary School
• Roosevelt Elementary School
• Somers Elementary School
• Southport Elementary School
• Whittier Elementary School

Middle schools

• Bullen Middle School
• Lance Middle School
• Mahone Middle School
• Washington Middle School

High schools

• Mary D. Bradford High School
• Indian Trail High School and Academy
• George Nelson Tremper High School

Charter school

• Harborside Academy (Grades 6–12)

Choice schools

• Cesar E. Chavez Learning Station (Early Childhood/Prekindergarten)
• Kenosha School of Language (Grades PK-5, planned expansion to PK-8)
• LakeView K-8 Academy (PK-8)
• LakeView Technology Academy (9–12)
• Reuther Central High School (9–12)
• Ruth Harman Academy (Grades K-8)

Other programs

• Early Childhood (Pre-K)
• Even Start (any age)
• Hillcrest School (Grades 6–12)
• Kenosha eSchool (Grades K-12)
• STEP (age 18–21)

Statistics

In 2025, KUSD has a total student enrollment of 18,719 and 1,512 teachers.

The total expenditure of the district is $302,449,504.

Governance

KUSD is overseen by a board of education and a superintendent, Dr. Jeffrey Weiss.

As of April 2025, the board of education members are:

• Mary Modder - President
• Carl Bryan - Vice President
• Dr. Todd Alan Price - Clerk
• Bob Tierney - Treasurer
• Yolanda Adams
• Sabrina Landry
• Rebecca Stevens^[4]

Mission statement

The Kenosha Unified School District's mission is to "provide excellent, challenging learning opportunities and experiences that prepare each student for success."^[5]

Music

The Kenosha public school orchestra program starts at the fifth-grade level and continues into high school. The concert and symphony orchestras of the city's high schools present fall and spring concerts. In addition, the Tremper High School Golden Strings ensemble has performed throughout the United States and internationally since the early 1970s.^[6]

The Orchestra Festival has been a part of Kenosha history since 1963.^[7] Typically held in March each year, it showcases student performances at every level. Each year a guest conductor works with all of the ensembles, and awards are presented for music camps, teacher service and financial support, among other achievements.

The Band-O-Rama is a citywide school concert held annually since the mid-1950s,^[8] featuring the Kenosha Unified School District's band program, totaling about 1,700 students in grades 5 through 12. As with the Orchestra Festival, the Band-O-Rama features a guest conductor. The show typically begins with an opening fanfare, followed by the national anthem, after which each grade level is showcased one by one with several selections. At the finale, the massed bands play Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever".^[8]

Controversies

In 2018, the Kenosha Unified School District settled a lawsuit for $800,000 that had been filed by a transgender male student who had been banned from the boys' restroom. The school district had previously lost in the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.^[9]

Schools in the area have been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union for applying a sexist dress code. Girls have been sent home for wearing tank tops, leggings and yoga pants while sweatpants and basketball shorts for boys were permitted.^[10] However, as of 2023 the dress code has changed and all of the previously mentioned are now allowed.^[11]