Waconia High School
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox school
| name = Waconia High School
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| type = Public secondary
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| principal = Paul Sparby
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| headmaster =
| head_name = Second Master
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| head_name2 = Assistant Headmaster
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| teaching_staff = 72.84 (FTE)
| enrollment = 1,342 (2023–2024){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&Miles=10&Zip=55375&ID=274146000358|title=Waconia High School|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|accessdate=January 6, 2025}}
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| grades = 9{{ndash}}12
| streetaddress = 1650 Community Drive
| city = Waconia
| state = Minnesota
| zipcode = 55387
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| country = United States
| coordinates = {{Coord|44.8360|-93.8195|type:edu_region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
| district = Waconia Public Schools
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| colors = Purple and gold {{color box|#4b006e}} {{color box|gold}} {{Cite web|title=Waconia High School|url=https://www.mshsl.org/schools/waconia-high-school|access-date=2024-04-07|website=Minnesota State High School League|language=en-US}}
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| website = {{URL|https://www.isd110.org/our-schools/waconia-high-school}}
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| athletics_conference = Metro West Conference
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Waconia High School is a public high school located in Waconia, Minnesota, United States. A part of Waconia Public Schools, the school has an enrollment of approximately 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12 and serves the communities of Waconia, St. Bonifacius, Minnetrista, Victoria and New Germany.
History
After a previous 2011 referendum failed,{{cite web |title=Waconia voters reject school land referendum |url=https://www.startribune.com/waconia-voters-reject-school-land-referendum/122120169/ |website=StarTribune |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |date=May 17, 2011}} a November 2014 referendum to expand Clearwater Middle School and turn it in to a new high school passed.{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Brian |title=Voters approve $438M in school projects |url=https://finance-commerce.com/2014/11/voters-approve-438m-in-school-projects/ |website=Finance&Commerce |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |date=November 5, 2014}}
Demographics
WHS is 92% white, 4% Hispanic, 1% black and 1% Asian. 1% of students also identify as a part of two or more races.{{cite web |title=Student Body |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/minnesota/districts/waconia-public-school-district/waconia-senior-high-11157/student-body |website=U.S. News & World Report |accessdate=17 February 2019}}
Academics
Advanced Placement program classes are offered at Waconia. About forty percent of WHS students take at least one AP class at some point in high school.{{cite web |title=Test Scores |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/minnesota/districts/waconia-public-school-district/waconia-senior-high-11157/test-scores |website=U.S. News & World Report |accessdate=17 February 2019}}
Athletics
After previously competing in the Wright County Conference, Wildcat teams moved to the Metro West Conference in advance of the 2020–2021 school year.{{cite web |last1=Kraushar |first1=Eric |title=Metro West Conference adds New Prague, Orono and Waconia |url=https://www.swnewsmedia.com/chaska_herald/news/sports/metro-west-conference-adds-new-prague-orono-and-waconia/article_77225072-7a9a-53b5-81a5-01f297e4057e.html |website=SWNewsMedia |accessdate=August 17, 2020 |date=June 10, 2020}}
=Team State Championships=
- Baseball: 2017{{cite web |title=State Baseball Tournament Winners: 1947-2020 |url=https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/championship-games-thru-2020_3.pdf |website=Minnesota State High School League |accessdate=August 17, 2020}}
- Dance: 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997 (high kick/precision), 1999 (tie; jazz/funk){{cite web |title=State Dance Team Tournament Place Winners: 1975-2000 |url=https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/champions-thru-2020.pdf |website=Minnesota State High School League |accessdate=August 17, 2020}}
- Boys golf: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980{{cite web |title=Boys Golf Team Champions 1943-2000 |url=https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/team-champions-thru-2020_1.pdf |website=Minnesota State High School League |accessdate=August 17, 2020}}
=Individual State Championships=
- Stu Oftelie, Boys Golf: 1979, 1980 {{cite web |title=Minnesota Golf: Ninety Years of Tournament History by James E. Kelley |url=https://www.mngolf.org/Res/90years_searchable_2.pdf}}
- Jaye Blanshan, Wrestling: 1980 {{cite web |title=Waconia High School Yearbook, 1980 |url=https://isd110.org/sites/default/files/files/content/1980.pdf}}
- Tyler Wagener, Wrestling: 2017, 2018 {{cite web |title=Augustana College |url=https://goaugie.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tyler-wagener/11169}}
- Cade Mueller, Wrestling: 2018 {{cite web |title=Augustana College |url=https://goaugie.com/sports/wrestling/roster/cade-mueller/11160}}
- Max McEnelly, Wrestling: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 {{cite web |title=McEnelly joins wrestling royalty with fourth state title in 4 years |url=https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_patriot/sports/state-champion-mcenelly-joins-wrestling-royalty-with-fourth-state-title-in-4-years/article_747b3052-c169-11ed-bd34-07c86a6323bd.html |website=The Waconia Patriot |accessdate=March 9, 2023}}
- Jack Hackler, Boys Swimming 100-yard Breaststroke: 2024, 2025
- Kaia Bauerova, Gymnastics Vault: 2025
Performing arts
Waconia has two competitive show choirs: the Varsity-level "Power Company", the Junior varsity-level mixed group "The Current", and formerly, the Junior varsity-level women's group "Illuminations".{{cite web |title=Waconia High School |url=https://www.showchoir.com/choirs/school.php?id=71 |website=showchoir.com |accessdate=17 February 2019}} The show choir program also hosts the annual Waconia Star Power show choir competition the third weekend of February.{{cite web |title=Waconia's Star Power is a singing success |url=https://southwestmetromag.com/article/power-company/waconia%25E2%2580%2599s-star-power-singing-success |website=www.southwestmetromag.com |accessdate=17 February 2019}}
The band program hosts The Lake Waconia Band Festival every year in the third week of June.{{cite web |title=Lake Waconia Marching Band Festival |url= https://www.exploreminnesota.com/events/11428/lake-waconia-marching-band-festival |website=Explore Minnesota |accessdate=31 December 2019}}
Notable alumni
- Maxx Williams, NFL tight end{{cite web |title=Maxx Williams - Football |url=https://gophersports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1616 |website=University of Minnesota |accessdate=1 June 2019}}
- Jenn Bostic, singer/songwriter{{cite web |title=Jenn Bostic: From Waconia to Nashville |url= https://southwestmetromag.com/jenn-bostic-waconia-nashville |website=Southwest Metro Magazine |accessdate=31 December 2019}}