Private high school has its sights set on Saukville

The Village of Saukville Plan Commission on Tuesday approved plans for the county’s first private high school, NorthShore Classical Academy, to be created in the former home of Ozaukee Christian School and Immaculate Conception School.

The school is expected to open in fall 2026 with a freshman class of 40 to 50 students and add one grade level each year for the next four years.

“We’re excited to be here,” Cheryle Rebholz of Mequon, the school’s founder and president of the board of directors, told the commission. “Right now, Ozaukee County doesn’t have an alternative like this. Our school families will have a new alternative once students graduate from (kindergarten to eighth-grade).”

Village Administrator Dawn Wagner noted that the use is a “good fit” with the zoning for the area and said the village welcomes the school.

“I think it’s quite exciting we could have the first private high school in Ozaukee County,” Wagner said.

The commission’s approval is contingent on the school correcting a number of building issues identified by the village building inspector.

Rebholz said the school is expected to purchase the building at 341 S. Dries St. this month.

Initially, the school will occupy the newest section of the 20,000-square-foot building, which was built in 1962, she said, adding that eventually it will expand into the older, 1864-era portion of the building.

“We’re going to bring it alive again,” she said, noting the work will be phased.

The school, Rebholz said, will draw students from throughout the county, adding she would like to enroll students who are currently homeschooled, saying the NorthShore Classical Academy will provide the type of education they are seeking.

The academy, which will not be religiously affiliated, will use the Hillsdale College Curriculum, Rebholz said, with one day a week dedicated to teaching students about the world of work, including off-campus visits to area businesses.

“The business community is very excited about this,” she said. “I want to create relationships with our manufacturers in Ozaukee County.”

The curriculum, Rebholz said, would provide a strong foundation in literature, history, science and math and provide four “pathways” for students — college preparation, career technical education, the military and entrepreneurship. 

The academy will work with other schools so students can participate with extracurricular and sports programs under Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association rules.

Rebholz, who served on the Mequon-Thiensville School Board for one three-year term, said the experience led her to create NorthShore Classical Academy.

“I thought we could do better,” she said, adding she believed core education and discipline “needed to be restored” and pathways for students expanded.

Initially, she worked to create NorthShore Classical Academy as a charter school, but after the application was denied “one of my advisors said, ‘Don’t give up. Pivot,’” Rebholz said.

The school will be privately funded, Rebholz said.

“We’re 100% independent,” she said. “Not a penny will come from the state or federal government. We’re a nonprofit.

“I don’t want rules and regulations coming from the state. I want freedom and independence from the government.”

She said the school is “in good financial shape,” adding it is actively looking for a headmaster.

The school is expected to employ two or three full-time staff members and an equal number of part-time faculty members, according to documents filed with the village.

A number of families have already indicated interest in the school, Rebholz said, adding that even though there’s much work to be done in the coming year, “I feel very confident we will open next year.”