Lori Ruebhausen began her career with Highland CUSD #5 in 1996 and has served as Director of Choral Activities at the High School and has since served as Music teacher in all of the grade levels from Kindergarten through Eighth grade during her tenure. Lori graduated from high school in 1977 in Riverside, California. She attended Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and graduated in 1982 with a BS in Music Ed. She received her Masters of Music Ed from SIU-E in 1996.

Lori increased the enrollment of HSH choruses by 30% within two years of taking the job and doubled the enrollment by 2002-03. She implemented and started many extra-curricular programs such as Jazz Choir and an elite Jazz Ensemble, HHS Coffeehouse Cabaret, served as director of Madrigal Music for the annual Madrigal Dinner since 1997 and served as Director of the Madrigal Dinner since 2006. Lori enlarged the Madrigal program from 12 singers to over 60 singers and numerous instrumentalists increasing the program to yearlong as opposed to seasonal, personally writing and arranging numerous pieces. The Madrigal Singers are annual performers at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival since 1999, with much acclaim. Lori proposed, implemented, and taught many new courses at the high school, enriching the music program at HCUSD#5. She takes her assorted choirs and groups to festivals, IHSA Organizational Contests and many other events to sing. Many honors and awards have come to her students. She has also chaired and co-chaired the IMEA District VI High School Choral division. Lori has served on many local, county, and state wide committees. Her list of chairmanships and participation on numerous committees is expansive and too large to list.

Some of Lori’s awards are the SIUE Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006, Readers Choice First Place Teacher in 2009, Readers Choice Second Runner-up Teacher in 2014, and the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award in 2016. Lori has many publications, presentations, and workshops to add to her extensive resume including “Teaching About the Holocaust Through Music in an Integrated Curriculum”, which was also her Masters’ thesis, presenting this workshop at numerous institutes in several counties. Lori has also been guest director for numerous events and organizations throughout the area. She has presented workshops at the Madison County Teachers Institute and for other high schools in the area. Lori has created lesson plans to build and extend the work of the Illinois State Board of Education Learning Standards through ICAP (Integrated Curriculum Arts Project). This project was sponsored by the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education and funded by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Madrigal Singers, under the Direction of Lori Ruebhausen, were considered Ambassadors of the school district. The Madrigal Singers represent Highland in at least 25 public and private performances throughout the area. Lori has raised the level of appreciation of music for her students and the entire community. Lori retired from the Highland district in 2017.