Wayzata High School


Wayzata High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Plymouth, Minnesota, United States, a suburb of Minneapolis. The high school, operated by Wayzata Public Schools, has approximately 3600+ students in grades 9 to 12, making it the largest secondary school by enrollment in Minnesota. It is also the largest Minnesota secondary school by size, with an interior of. 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 Principal.
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 #614 among 21,000 schools nationally and #8 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 began in fall 2014 and lasted until 2017.

Academics

As of the 2015–2016 school year, Wayzata High School offers 24 Advanced Placement classes and 1 Advanced Placement Pilot course.
The school also serves host to the Minnesota PSEO program, offering students of 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 teacherthat 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.
SeasonSportChampionships
FallFootball2005, 2008, 2010, 2019
FallSoccer, Boys'1985, 2005, 2017
FallCross Country, Boys'1992, 1993, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
FallCross Country, Girls'2012, 2013, 2014, 2017
FallSwimming, Girls'2013, 2014, 2015
FallSoccer, Girls'1991, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2011, 2012
WinterBasketball, Boys'1959
WinterHockey, Boys'2016
WinterWrestling1941, 1951, 1952, 1953
WinterDance Team1993, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012
WinterSkiing, Nordic Girls'1980, 2013, 2014, 2015
WinterSwimming, Boys'2014
SpringGolf, Boys'1994, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017
SpringGolf, Girls'2011
SpringSynchronised swimming2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
SpringTennis, Boys'1993, 1999, 2013, 2014
SpringTrack and Field, Boys'1977, 1980, 1984, 1995, 2012, 2015, 2016
SpringTrue Team Track and Field, Boys'2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
SpringTrack and Field, Girls'2007
SpringAdapted Bowling2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Total-

Clubs and activities

In the 2019 National Science Bowl Competition, Wayzata High School won the Final Championship against Dulles High School. The school had previously participated in the competition in 2011, 2014, and 2018.
Wayzata's quiz bowl team won both the NAQT Minnesota State Championship and Minnesota High School Quiz Bowl League in 2012, 2013, and 2018.
Wayzata participates in the Minnesota State High School Mathematics League, holding the season champion title for 11 years and producing many state individual champions. Several students from Wayzata travel to the American Regions Mathematics League held in University of Iowa and Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament as members of the Minnesota All-State Mathematics Team.
The 9th grade Knowledge Master Open team won the national spring KMO in the 9th grade division in 2009. The trivia team has been continued by two Questions Unlimited 3-2-1 teams, each composed of students in grades 9, 10, and grades 11, 12.

Notable alumni

Politicians