Wisconsin Elementary School Earns Top Academic Honor

When Wisconsin's state superintendent called Port Washington's school chief last week with big news, he had to guess which elementary school earned the state's top honor. All three were performing so well, he genuinely didn't know.

The answer was Dunwiddie Elementary School, now officially recognized as one of Wisconsin's eight Blue Ribbon Schools for 2026. The designation goes to schools with the highest student performance on statewide assessments, and Dunwiddie earned it in the most competitive category: overall high performance.

The Port Washington school scored 89.6 out of 100 on its latest state report card, making it the only school in the district to land in the "significantly exceeds expectations" category. Those scores reflect how students performed on the Wisconsin Forward Exam and other standardized measures.

Elyse Voskuil led Dunwiddie as principal until this summer and credits the teaching staff for the achievement. "This is testament to the determination and high expectations of the staff, as well as the district's focus on consistency in the classroom," she said.

Voskuil took over Dunwiddie under unusual circumstances in August 2023 when the previous principal resigned just two weeks before school started. She steadied the ship and helped push academic performance even higher before returning to Lincoln Elementary as principal this July.

Her replacement, Jared Kiesow, now leads a school with a shiny new banner and a reputation to maintain. But the real story might be what's happening across the entire district.

The Ripple Effect

Superintendent Michael McMahon says the success at Dunwiddie reflects progress happening at all three elementary schools in Port Washington-Saukville. When the state superintendent called with the Blue Ribbon news, he paused because he couldn't immediately guess which school had earned it.

"What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that the success we are celebrating at Dunwiddie is part of something even bigger," McMahon said. Strong teaching, consistent methods, and collaboration across schools are lifting achievement district-wide.

Voskuil already knows her next goal at Lincoln Elementary: "Now we have to get Lincoln a Blue Ribbon."

The honor marks only the second time a school in the district has earned Blue Ribbon recognition, following Thomas Jefferson Middle School's national award back in 1998.

Wisconsin launched its own Blue Ribbon program just last year after the federal version ended in 2025, creating a new way to celebrate schools where students are thriving and where achievement gaps are closing.