Waunakee Community School District

What Waunakee Community School District does

Waunakee Community School District is a Wisconsin public K-12 school district organized as a political subdivision of the state and headquartered at 905 Bethel Circle, Waunakee, in Dane County. It serves approximately 4,300 students from four-year-old kindergarten through 12th grade across six schools: Arboretum Elementary, Heritage Elementary, and Prairie Elementary (K-4), Waunakee Intermediate School (5-6), Waunakee Community Middle School (7-8), and Waunakee Community High School (9-12). The 4K program is delivered through channel partnerships with six local child care providers and preschools. Beyond core academics, the district operates Warrior Media (a nationally recognized student-led production program), athletics, performing arts, summer school, food services, transportation (via Lamers Bus Company), health services, special education, and community education programs including an Aquatic Center.

The district's technology stack is built on standard K-12 administrative platforms — Infinite Campus for student information, Skyward for HR/finance, ParentSquare for family communications, Finalsite for the district website, and GoFan for athletic registration — with no proprietary technology or AI/ML components disclosed. The organization employs approximately 842 staff constituents and is led by Superintendent Dr. Monica Kelsey-Brown (since July 1, 2024) and Executive Director of Operations Steve Summers (serving since 2001).

Funding comes from a diversified mix of public sources: a $49.46M total property tax levy (general fund, debt service, and community service) for 2025-26, state general and categorical aid (with special education reimbursement rising to 42% in 2025-26 and 45% in 2026-27), inter-district open enrollment payments, modest student fees ($70 annual across grade levels), facility rentals, and voter-approved referenda. The November 2022 $175M facility referendum funds a new middle school (opening Fall 2026) and a new elementary school; the November 2024 operational referendum adds $9.65M for 2025-26 and $11.2M for 2026-27 to maintain programs and fund employee compensation. The district carries an AA- S&P bond rating with stable outlook (February 2025), was ranked #1 in Dane County on the 2024-25 Wisconsin DPI Report Cards with a 'Significantly Exceeds Expectations' rating, and has received consecutive Niche A+ designations (2024, 2025, 2026).

Name

Waunakee Community School District

Legal name

Waunakee Community School District

Website

https://waunakee.k12.wi.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wisconsin public K-12 school district serving approximately 4,300 students from four-year-old kindergarten through 12th grade across six schools in Waunakee and surrounding Dane County. Operates on a property tax levy, state aid, and community-approved referenda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB), Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ), Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

Keywords

• Public K-12 education
• Elementary education
• Secondary education
• Special education services
• Community education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Waunakee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Local Property Tax Levy: Primary revenue source from local property taxes, with a total levy of approximately $49.46 million for 2025-26 including general fund, debt service, and community service levies.
2. State Aid: State general aid and special education categorical aid. Special education aid increased to 42% in 2025-26 and 45% in 2026-27.
3. Open Enrollment Revenue: Inter-district payments from students attending from other districts through open enrollment program.
4. Student Fees: Annual student fees ranging from $70 for elementary to $70 for high school, plus course-specific fees, meal prices, and activity fees.
5. Operational Referenda: Community-approved operational referenda providing additional revenue: $9.65 million for 2025-26 and $11.2 million for 2026-27.
6. Facility Rentals: Revenue from community use of school facilities, with tiered pricing based on user group classification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Waunakee Community School District is a Wisconsin public school district providing comprehensive K-12 education to approximately 4,300 students from four-year-old kindergarten through 12th grade across seven schools. Its core offering is free public education for resident students, delivered through three elementary schools, an intermediate school (5-6), a middle school (7-8), and a high school (9-12), with non-resident students admitted via Wisconsin's open enrollment program. Supporting services include athletics, performing arts, summer school, food services, special education, and community education.

Product overview

Waunakee Community School District is a public school district serving over 4,300 students in Waunakee, Wisconsin, offering a comprehensive K-12 educational program through seven schools: three elementary schools (Arboretum, Heritage, Prairie), Waunakee Intermediate School (grades 5-6), Waunakee Community Middle School (grades 7-8), and Waunakee Community High School (grades 9-12). The district also operates a 4K program in partnership with local child care providers. The district's primary digital platform is its website powered by Finalsite, which integrates ParentSquare for family communications and BoardBook for board governance. Beyond core academics, the district offers enrichment programs including Warrior Media (student production), athletics, performing arts, and summer school. Supporting services include food services, transportation, health services, special education, and community education including an Aquatic Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waunakee 4K: Four-year-old kindergarten program serving youngest learners in partnership with local child care providers and preschools.
• Arboretum Elementary School
• Heritage Elementary School
• Prairie Elementary School
• Waunakee Intermediate School
• Waunakee Community Middle School
• Waunakee Community High School
• Warrior Media

Products and services

• K-12 Educational Programs Comprehensive public K-12 education spanning seven schools: three elementary schools (Arboretum, Heritage, Prairie) serving grades K-4, Waunakee Intermediate School (grades 5-6), Waunakee Community Middle School (grades 7-8), and Waunakee Community High School (grades 9-12). Designed for resident K-12 students and open enrollment students.
• 4K Program (Four-Year-Old Kindergarten) Four-year-old kindergarten program delivered in partnership with six community child care providers and preschools (Adventures in Learning, Brilliant Beginnings, The Goddard School of Waunakee, Mary Lake Montessori, Moppet, and Peace Lutheran Preschool), serving children turning 4 before September 1.
• Summer School Programs Summer educational programs for K-12 students including academic credit-recovery courses, Camp Invention STEM enrichment, and recreational summer camps designed for skill-building during summer months.
• Athletic Programs Comprehensive interscholastic athletic offerings across fall, winter, and spring seasons for middle and high school students, with GoFan registration and per-season co-curricular fees ($40/season middle school; $85/season high school). Includes a college-bound athlete support pathway.
• Performing Arts Programs Performing arts programming across all grade levels — elementary through high school — including band, orchestra, theater, and visual arts. Instrument rentals available at intermediate and middle school levels for a fee.
• School Food Services Daily meal service (breakfast, lunch, and dietary accommodations) operated in partnership with Taher Food Services. Per-meal pricing ranges from $2.00 breakfast / $4.50 lunch at elementary to $2.25 breakfast / $5.50 lunch meal deal at middle school, with free and reduced-price meals for qualifying families.
• Community Education and Aquatic Center Community education programs for district residents, including operation of the district Aquatic Center and broader adult/continuing education programming, delivered in partnership with the Village of Waunakee.
• Facility Rentals Rental of school district facilities (gyms, fields, rooms) to community organizations and user groups on a tiered pricing basis by user group classification.

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lamers Bus CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lamers Bus Company for pupil transportation services. All K-12 students within transportation boundaries are automatically enrolled for transportation to and from their home address.
• CESA 2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative educational service agency providing Driver's Education program fees and coordination for district students.
• Adventures in LearningcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4K Community Site partner providing four-year-old kindergarten program at 1036 Quinn Drive location.
• Brilliant BeginningscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4K Community Site partner at 1008 Quinn Drive offering four-year-old kindergarten program.
• The Goddard School of WaunakeecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4K Community Site partner at 1117 Stephenson Lane providing four-year-old kindergarten program.
• Mary Lake MontessoricoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4K Community Site partner at 5464 Mary Lake Road offering four-year-old kindergarten program.
• MoppetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4K Community Site partner at 203 W. Main Street providing four-year-old kindergarten program.
• Peace Lutheran PreschoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor4K Community Site partner at 701 S. Century Avenue offering four-year-old kindergarten program.
• Taher Food ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood service management company providing school meal programs including breakfast, lunch, and special dietary accommodations.
• WipfliminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal financial auditor for the district conducting annual financial audits.
• ParentSquarecoreTechnology or IntegrationFamily engagement and communication platform used district-wide for announcements, alerts, and two-way communication with families.
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)coreOthersState education agency providing report cards, enrollment count requirements, funding formulas, and regulatory oversight for Wisconsin public schools.
• Village of WaunakeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal municipal partnership for community recreation, shared facility use, and community education programs.
• Local Lions ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local Lions Club for annual vision screenings on students grades 4K-4.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Madison Metropolitan School District: Largest Dane County, WI public K-12 district and the urban counterpoint to WCSD; sets the regional benchmark for DPI ratings and competes for open-enrollment students from across Dane County.

Direct peers

• Sun Prairie Area School District: Larger Dane County, WI public K-12 district operating under identical Wisconsin DPI funding and accountability frameworks — most directly comparable in regulatory environment and revenue model.
• Kettle Moraine School District: Wisconsin public K-12 district of comparable suburban profile and size, funded through the same state-aid/property-tax structure and serving as a useful comparison for DPI accountability outcomes.
• Verona Area School District: Suburban Dane County, WI public K-12 district comparable in size and growth profile, participating in the same inter-district open enrollment program and competing for the same demographic families.
• Stoughton Area School District: Dane County-area Wisconsin public K-12 district, comparable in student population scale (~3,000–4,000 students) and subject to the same per-pupil funding, open enrollment, and DPI oversight regime.
• Sauk Prairie School District: Wisconsin public K-12 district comparable in enrollment scale (~3,000–4,500 students) and operating under identical state funding formulas and DPI accountability reporting.
• Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District: Adjacent Dane County, WI public school district of comparable size (similar suburban profile, K-12 grades), funded through the same property-tax / state-aid / open-enrollment system and competing directly with Waunakee for open-enrollment students.
• McFarland School District: Smaller Dane County, WI public K-12 district serving an immediately adjacent community, operating under the same property-tax-levy and state-aid revenue model used by WCSD.
• Oregon School District: Dane County, WI public K-12 district of similar scale, competing with Waunakee for open-enrollment students and operating under identical state funding/reporting requirements.
• DeForest Area School District: Nearby Dane County, WI public school district serving similar suburban communities with K-12 programs under the same Wisconsin funding formula and DPI accountability framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WaunakeeCSD
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSOcnFDAjiGg8mMBqnOfp3w
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaunakeeCSD
• Instagraminstagram.com/waunakeecsd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waunakee Community School District