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Oostburg Christian School / Sheboygan Christian School Partnership

History

Sheboygan Christian School was founded in 1898. Oostburg Christian School was founded in 1941, with classes first meeting in 1947. In this era, families who believed in Christian education could send children to a Christian school through 8th grade. They could also send their children to Christian colleges. But there was no Christian high school option in Sheboygan County.

In the 1960’s a group of parents from both of these school communities, Sheboygan Christian Elementary School and Oostburg Christian School, joined together to pursue the question of whether a Christian High School in Sheboygan County could thrive. That group came together to create what would eventually become Sheboygan County Christian High School.

As a result of this group’s work, Sheboygan County Christian High School started in the hallways of Oostburg Christian School in 1969. SCCHS’s second school year of existence (1970-71) was in the Catholic church outside of Oostburg, while the new physical building was being established. The following school year (1971-72) Sheboygan County Christian High School campus was opened at 929 Greenfield Avenue in Sheboygan, WI with the purpose of allowing children from Sheboygan Christian elementary school and Oostburg Christian School to continue their path in a distinctly Christian High School education. For over fifty years, both communities have continuously worked together to accomplish this goal. The Sheboygan County Christian High Association chose property on the south side of Sheboygan, in part, to remain close to our partner families that live in Oostburg, Cedar Grove, and the southern portions of Sheboygan County.

In 2015, when Sheboygan Christian School merged with Sheboygan County Christian High School, the association remained committed to this shared goal of continued support and partnership with the parents and students of the OCS community. The association had options to move campuses to a different location, but opted to stay at 929 Greenfield, in large part, to remain accessible to OCS families.

Over the years, Sheboygan Christian has prioritized efforts to strengthen partnership with OCS, including making it a strategic priority. In 2021, an SCS/OCS joint committee was formed to discuss ways to strengthen the partnership. The committee was paused per OCS’s request because a transition in administration leadership was in process. Most recently, before the start of the 2025-26 school year, our two boards met for a simple time of prayer for both school communities.

OCS/SCS Today

The SCS Board of Trustees makes a regular, intentional, and concerted effort to ensure that this historic and important relationship between our two schools continues for years to come. The association has made investments and commitments in the areas of enrollment, tuition, leadership, athletics and academics. Specifically, SCS offers the following to OCS families:

  • Enrollment
    • Priority application windows – OCS students are afforded the same priorities as SCS returning students and faculty/staff.
    • Application fees – Fees ($50) are waived 365 days a year for any OCS graduate.
    • Guaranteed enrollment – OCS graduates who fit our academic requirements are guaranteed enrollment at SCS.
  • Tuition
    • Discounted tuition- For tuition-paying families, SCS provides a multi-student discount for OCS families. For example, If an OCS family has two students enrolled at OCS and one student enrolled at the SCS high school, the family receives a multi-student discount rate as if all three students are enrolled at SCS.
    • Annually, SCS budgets for over $26,000 in tuition discounts for OCS families.
  • Leadership
    • Our Board Development and Nomination Committees ensure that the association retains OCS and SCS parent membership on the school board. Since the start of the high school, there has never been an SCS school board without parents on it who also send their children to OCS (or have had children graduate from OCS). For over 50 years of consecutive leadership, SCCHS/SCS has had parents on the board who also send their children to OCS, or have had their children graduate from OCS.
    • The Heads of School at SCS and OCS meet regularly with each other and with a principals group of other southeastern Wisconsin CSI (Christian Schools International) schools.
  • Athletics
    • SCS and OCS work together in athletics through the Jr. Eagles program. Several of the SCS and OCS middle school sports teams are able to train and compete together through Jr. Eagles.
  • Academics
    • The faculties of OCS and SCS regularly train together in teacher in-services and other special events and opportunities.
    • The teachers of OCS and SCS collaborate to determine proper course placement of students entering high school.
  • Community and Development
    • The two schools co-host an annual golf outing which is jointly organized. Proceeds are split 50/50 to support Christian education at both schools

If I have questions or concerns, who can I speak with directly?

  • Our enrollment team is a good place to start. They’ll likely have the answers for you. If they don’t, they’re really good at following through and making sure you get connected to the right people and to get the answers you need.
  • SCS’s Head of School, Ann Steenwyk is available to answer questions.
  • The Board of Trustees is available and can be found at SCS board.