Wayzata High School is located in Plymouth, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The high school, operated by Wayzata Public Schools, has approximately 3400+ students in grades 9 to 12 (2016), making it the largest secondary school by enrollment in Minnesota. It is also the largest Minnesota secondary school by state, with an interior of 487,000 square feet (45,200Â m2). The district boundaries include all or part of eight municipalities: Corcoran, Maple Grove, Medicine Lake, Medina, Minnetonka, Orono, Plymouth and Wayzata. The school just finished an expansion project, with the new capacity of 3900. The school is part of the Lake Conference. Scott Gengler is the Prinicpal.
In 2015, Newsweek ranked the school at 150th on its "List of the 500 Top High Schools in America". U.S. News and World Report ranked the school at #738 among 21,000 schools nationally and #13 in Minnesota.
History
The first school in the Wayzata area was established in around 1855. Classes were taught in homes until a one-room school was built near what is now the second green of the Wayzata Country Club. This school burned down for unknown reasons and a new school was constructed on what is now the main street of Wayzata.
What is now the West and Central middle schools have both once been the high school building. The West Middle School building served as the high school from 1940 to 1960. Central Middle School's campus was home to the high school from 1960 to 1997. The current Wayzata High School campus was completed in 1997 and classes began in the 1997-98 school year.
On February 25, 2014, voters approved a referendum for a $109 million bond request to expand the high school and improve security and technology. Part of the provisions include the purchasing of adjacent land currently belonging to the Elm Creek Golf Course and the building of a new wing. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2014 and last for two years.
Academics
As of the 2015-2016 school year, Wayzata High School offers 24 Advanced Placement classes and 1 Advanced Placement Pilot course (AP Accounting).
The school also serves host to the Minnesota PSEO program, offering students of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade to receive college credit during their high school years.
Wayzata High School has consistently exceeded the state and national average scores on the ACT.
In 2014, the school began a district-wide technology program which issued each student a district-owned iPad.
At the start of the 2016-2017 school year, the school started a new support block called myTime. It is designed to meet the academic needs of students during the school day. During this time, students will receive academic support, participate in relearning, make up labs or tests and quizzes, study quietly and collaborate with classmates on group projects. Students can be assigned by a teacher(s)that may need reteaching or assistance in making up missing work. If they are not assigned they can self-select, meaning that they can select where and what to work on during myTime. The block is 35 minutes and takes place between 1st and 2nd period.
Extracurricular activities
Athletics
Wayzata is part of the Lake Conference and in the Minnesota State High School League. Wayzata was in the Classic Lake Conference prior to the 2010-2011 athletic year. The following sports teams are sponsored by the school:
Girls' cross country won the Nike NXN National Cross Country Championship in 2013.
Clubs and activities
Wayzata's quiz bowl team won both the NAQT Minnesota State Championship and Minnesota High School Quiz Bowl League in 2012 and 2013.
The 9th grade Knowledge Master Open team won the national spring KMO in the 9th grade division in 2009.
The school's newspaper is the Trojan Tribune. Students in journalism and video production classes produce the school's daily news show, Wayzata Newsbreak, a ten-minute block between first and second period. The show features daily school announcements, school and national sports, and local and national news.
Notable people
Politicians
- Amy Klobuchar, (1978), U.S. Senator (DFL) representing Minnesota.
- David Gaither (1975), former Minnesota State Senator, and former Governor Tim Pawlenty's Chief of Staff.
- Betsy Hodges (1987), current Mayor of Minneapolis.
Athletes
- Mike Muller (1991), 2nd round pick in 1990 NHL entry draft, former player for Minnesota Golden Gophers and Moscow Dynamo.
- Marion Barber III (2001), former running back for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and retired NFL running back.
- Dominique Barber (2004), former safety for University of Minnesota, younger brother of Marion, drafted by Houston Texans, and is currently a free agent.
- François-Henri Désérable (2005), French author and professional ice hockey player.
- Andrew Peterson (2003), former defender for the Columbus Crew.
- Dick Beardsley (1975), marathon runner, 2nd place in 1982 Boston Marathon.
- Ben Hamilton (1996), drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2001, signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.
- Shawn Daivari (2002), professional wrestler
- Ariya Daivari (2007), professional wrestler
- James Laurinaitis (2005), Linebacker, Ohio State Buckeyes, 2006 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Winner, drafted by St. Louis Rams.
- Tim Herron (1989), professional golfer.
- Steve Wright (1977), former NFL Lineman and contestant on Survivor: Redemption Island.
- Mario Lucia (2012, transferred out), Notre Dame hockey forward and 2011 2nd round NHL draft pick by the Minnesota Wild.
- A.J. Tarpley (2010), retired Linebacker, Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL).
- Heather Arseth (2011), swimmer in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Entertainment and music
- Charles Nolte (1941), American Broadway and film actor.
- Benjamin Salisbury (1998), former child actor.
- Kirsten Gronfield (1996), actress.
- Kimberly Elise, (1985), actress (John Q, The Manchurian Candidate).
- David Bromstad (1992), interior designer and HGTV television show host.
Faculty
- Terry Steinbach (1980), former head baseball coach.
- David Plummer (2013-2016), former head boys swim and dive coach
References
External links
- Wayzata High School Official Website
- Wayzata Public Schools District Official Website
