Kenosha Unified School District

Kenosha Unified School District Educational Support Center

Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) serves the city of Kenosha, the town of Somers and the village of Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin, United States. KUSD is overseen by a school board of seven elected members whose president is Mary Modder. The superintendent of KUSD is Dr. Jeffrey Weiss.[1]

KUSD Board of Education

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Source:[2]

  • Mary Modder - President
  • Rebecca Stevens - Vice President
  • Dr. Todd Alan Price - Clerk
  • Kristine Schmaling - Treasurer
  • Yolanda Adams
  • Sabrina Landry
  • Bob Tierney

Mission statement

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The Kenosha Unified School District's mission is to "provide excellent, challenging learning opportunities and experiences that prepare each student for success."[3]

Schools

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KUSD encompasses 16 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, five choice schools, an eSchool program, and two charter schools.[4] 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.[5]

Elementary schools

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  • 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

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

High schools

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Charter schools

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  • Harborside Academy (Grades 6-12)
  • Kenosha School of Technology Enhanced Curriculum (Grades K-8)

Choice schools

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Other programs

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

Music

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ "Superintendent, Kenosha Unified School District". Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  2. ^ "Board Members, Kenosha Unified School District". Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  3. ^ "About Kenosha Unified School District". Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "Schools, Kenosha Unified School District". Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Hillcrest School". Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  6. ^ Tremper High School Golden Strings
  7. ^ "KUSD News: 48th Annual Orchestra Festival" (PDF). March 15, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "KUSD News: 55th Annual Band-O-Rama Festival" (PDF). January 31, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2012.
  9. ^ "Unified settles transgender lawsuit". January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  10. ^ "Row over yoga pants ban continues in Wisconsin school". BBC. September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
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42°35′21″N 87°51′09″W / 42.58917°N 87.85250°W / 42.58917; -87.85250