School District of Rhinelander
The School District of Rhinelander (SDR) is in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and serves about 2,900 students.
In the past, the district faced a few referendums about how many elementary schools to keep open. In 2005, a plan to keep three elementary schools open failed, so fourth and fifth graders were moved to Central Intermediate School. In 2008, another referendum failed, which led to budget cuts to the high school’s pool and field house. A 2010 referendum passed, allowing the secondary schools to stay in separate buildings. Later that year the district received a grant of about 13.7 million dollars for major renovations.
Central Intermediate School is for fourth and fifth graders. It has about 37 staff members, and the principal is Paul Johnson. The school was once a kindergarten through fifth grade school, but after the 2005 referendum, fourth and fifth graders from across the district moved there because of its size.
The district has two public elementary schools for pre-kindergarten through third grade and one kindergarten through fifth grade charter school. Crescent School has about 60 staff and Teresa Maney as principal. Pelican School has about 46 staff and principal Martha Knudtson; it underwent major renovation in 2011.
Northwoods Community Elementary School (NCES), also known as Casian-Woodboro Elementary School, is a project-based charter school with about 23 staff. The principal is Wil Losch.
Northwoods Community Secondary School (NCSS) was started in 2003 as another project-based charter school. It encouraged students to choose what to learn, with teachers guiding them in seminars in different subjects. The school allowed participation in activities offered by the middle and high schools, and it held field days to help students build relationships with teachers and peers. In the 2013-2014 year, NCSS had about eight staff, and its principal was Wil Losch. NCSS closed in 2016-17.
Rhinelander High School (RHS) is the district’s high school. It is known for holding a lip dub to show school spirit. It has about 79 staff and the principal is David Ditzler. The school underwent heavy renovation in 2011 after a large donation. Students must earn 23 credits to graduate, and most courses are worth half a credit per semester.
James Williams Middle School (James Williams JH) opened in 1974. It uses an A Day/B Day schedule, with a rotation of classes each day. Sixth graders take math, science, social studies, basic music, basic art, health, and guidance, with options to take band or chorus. Seventh graders take math, science, U.S. History, Industrial Tech, Family and Consumer Sciences, and computers. Eighth graders have the option to take music or art but are not required to. About 60 staff work there, and the school offers after-school activities.
RESA, the Rhinelander Environmental Stewardship Academy, focuses on the environment and outdoor learning. Students study math and language arts through projects and spend time on field days, wildlife observations, and nature tracking. RESA moved from the junior high to the charter school in 2011 and then to Rhinelander High School in 2012.
CAVOC, the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom, was started in the late 1970s to teach students about the outdoors. It provides wetland trails, ski trails, and rope courses.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:49 (CET).