Wisconsin News

West Bend merging high schools but students aren’t going anywhere

March 30, 2026

Combined West Bend High School will open in 2027-2028

After more than five decades, West Bend East and West Bend West high schools will merge for the 2027-28 school year.

But the students aren’t going anywhere.

Since the 1970s, the West Bend School District has operated the separate high schools under one roof.

At the time, student enrollment was high. The building was designed so a north and south addition could be added if needed, said Superintendent Jen Wimmer.

Now, enrollment has declined by about 25 percent over the last decade.

West Bend has about 1,800 students in the two high schools. Wimmer anticipates it will drop to about 1,500 students before leveling out.

“It’s not like we’re closing a physical building down and having to move students or lose staff,” Wimmer said.

When the high schools first opened, there were two principals, two academic models and separate cafeteria times for students.

Today, one principal operates both schools, all West Bend students are on the same academic program and students from East and West can eat lunch together.

But fully combining West Bend East and West Bend West will mean the loss of a five-decade heated rivalry.

“I think that is the hardest thing for people who didn’t grow up here to understand and what is very unique to us,” Wimmer said. “The impact will be the identity, the rivalry of the athletic fields and the emotion of all of that. And that is what has made us feel special too.”

The decision to merge was not made lightly. Over the last year, the school district held meetings, focus groups and sent out community surveys generating more than 2,500 responses. That’s almost 1,000 more responses than a community survey about the 2024 referendum.

Several consistent themes emerged from the engagement process including prioritizing academic opportunities, protecting student participation in activities and athletics and ensuring financial sustainability.

Wimmer says there will be a cost savings of about $645,000 the first year by merging athletic programs. After new uniforms are purchased, that savings will be about $1 million a year.

This school year, the West Bend School District has 5,112 students, including the 1,816 students attending high school, according to figures from the Department of Public Instruction.

During the 2015-16 school year, the district had 6,814 students. Of those, 2,376 were in high school.

The school district has been working with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Applied Population Lab.

The group found the district’s enrollment changes are primarily driven by demographic trends, particularly declining birth rates not made up for by new arrivals. The report also notes that kindergarten classes have not replaced the number of graduating seniors in recent years.

According to a report by the UW Population Lab, high school enrollment in West Bend will likely lose from 257 to 357 students or an average of 15 percent annually.

West Bend voters approved a facilities referendum in 2024 that included the permanent closure of two schools, the Early Education Building and the district office building.

West Bend isn’t alone. School districts across the state are contemplating closing and consolidating schools as enrollment decreases.

Recent enrollment numbers released from DPI show eight out of 72 counties experiencing a decline in student enrollment.