Wayzata High School

To whoever said the Wayzata school district is going downhill-- This is just not true. They are expanding the elementary schools, and are considering an expansion on the high school. Every student will be getting an iPad in the coming years, as well as other technological advances in the many schools. Now. Back to the high school. Wayzata High School is amazing. Because of it's immense size, there is a huge variety of classes offered, far more than the average high school. I actually am sad because I will not be able to take all the classes I want--there are so many that look good, and only four years. There are also different levels of nearly every required class, allowing for students to be challenged if they wish. There are also a wide range of activities offered, and everyone can find some sort of club to join. It's really easy to get around, everything is laid out very nicely and logically. For the most part, the teachers are good. Some are better than others, but I've had mostly good ones. There is a school-wide policy on late work, tardies, and absences. The counselors are helpful in making class switches, and probably other things too. All in all, a great school.
—Submitted by a student

While the school is currently in decent shape, the Wayzata School District is quickly going downhill. For anyone considering our "great schools", I would warn you that you may not get what you pay for. If I could afford it, I would sell my house and move to a district without outrageous house prices and use the savings to send my children to a district that's not falling apart.
—Submitted by a parent

Wayzata High School! Where does one start? Probably the BEST high school in the state of Minnesota. Academically, it is tailored to meet the needs of any student that walks through the doors and past the Trojan Head, from developmentally disabled to ultra-braniac. The special education programs have been ranked very well, and the school is able to challenge academically capable students with over 26 AP Courses and 1 AP Pilot course. The sports are some of the best in the state; cross country and track haven't lost a state tournament in the recent past, football has won state 3 out of the 5 past years, boys and girls golf have both won state in 2011. WHS offers many sports. In addition to sports, Wayzata also offers dozens of extracurricular activities which it has performed very well in, such as Speech, Debate, Marching Band, DECA, BPA, YES, KMO, Student Council, and many others. The only complaints one could have is that the school is very cliquey, but this diminishes as one progresses through the school and that the presence of drug use is high. Despite this, Wayzata High School has proved to be one of the best schools in the nation in all areas. I am proud to be a Trojan.
—Submitted by a student

Wayzata Sr. High continues where the Middle School left off. Though an incredibly huge school, they are able to create a small school atmosphere. My student is challenged and there are programs such as AVID to challenge the student when they do not live up to their potential. Programs like this are so important for our late bloomers not to miss out. Hopefully AVID and the other incredible resources will continue to be at Wayzata to challenge and create amazing students. Wayzata is for all students, not just those who excel from the get go. GO TROJANS - YOU ROCK!!!
—Submitted by a parent

Wayzata is truely an amazing school!!! I just graduated this year (2010) and I had the best 4 years of my life. I loved the big school atmosphere because there was something for everyone from class selections to extracurriculars. Also, if you got sick of some friends, there were always other people. The academics were fantastic!! Even though it is really competitive I think it taught me that it doesn't matter if I had the best test score in the class, it only matters if I did the best that I could do. I learned so much from the competitive nature of this school. Teachers vary from outstanding to decent. I learned so much from this school that I do not believe I could have learned from any other school. I am proud to have graduated from Wayzata and I will always be a Trojan at heart.
—Submitted by a student

I am a graduate of the Class of 2008. My family moved to Wayzata schools from Osseo during my elementary school days specifically because Wayzata's quality of education is so high. Wayzata offered me opportunities that kids in many other schools couldn't dream of; the diversity of AP options is (almost) unmatched, and the school did I wonderful job of trying to prevent boredom or tedium. I have several friends who attend Ivies and report that many of their intro level classes are only as challenging as their high school courses, and I was offered so many AP classes that I was able to start at a large public university as a junior, credit-wise. Can I make an objective case for Wayzata over, say, Eden Prairie or Minnetonka? Probably not. But overall Wayzata excels.
—Submitted by a student

I've one child at WHS and know several others due to my job as a tutor. The bright kids at WHS do exceptionally well, as other reviewers have noted. The average kids who work, also do very well. The average kids who refuse to study, won't do well. The below average kids however, are not served as well as they should be---I tutor some of these, remember, and while they do have a Resource Center, pull-outs for tests, and incredibly involved Spec Ed teachers, IMHO I believe that the LD kids (those who will be competing with the 'normal' learners for jobs in the real world, not the Down Syndrome who will be sheltered) , the LD kids are not having the Attitude that they CAN learn and be brilliant at something... the LD kids are being told, you can go to Vocational School. Not good enough!

This school is amazing, when I first walked in the doors as tiny ninth grader I felt overwhelmed and withdrawn. But as soon as some one said hi to me and I began to see my friends from middle school a little bit more I came to feel completely at home, I spent 5 years making friends for life at my middle school, but It only took me one year to make friends for life at Wayzata, The school is big but the hearts of most students there are bigger. They have a great arts program for any student coming from F.A.I.R. and the clubs and extra curricular activities are through the roof! GO TROJANS! :)
—Submitted by a student

Too big! if we could do over again we would be in a much smaller school district its really hard to compete in a school this large.
—Submitted by a parent

Overall WHS is a great school. It's easily in the top 5 of all public schools in Minnesota. The school is extremely competitive academically. Those who cannot stay with the flow seem to be forgotten. The Math program is Wayzata's storgest and weakest point. Wayzata uses integrated math which is different than traditional programs. Parents of students have a hard time giving their children help because of the vast differences in the math program. It's also very easy to get behind in the Math program. The large size of the school creates a very unique atmosphere that not many will encounter. The fear of being 'left behind' is rarely a problem. The teachers at Wayzata are generally top notch. Overall, a great school.
—Submitted by a former student

Our experience at WHS was not positive. Our child has learning disabilities and they did not address her needs at all. You really have to stay on top of things or they just push them through without teaching the skills. Be careful if you sent your child there and your child is not one of the 'gifted' students.
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from Wayzata in 2003, and although it was overall a decent education, with some fantastic teachers, their math program is dismal. While the top math students seem to get decent classes, those of us who were tracked into average math classes in junior high were stuck with an 'integrated' program that wastes time and money. I still got a 28 in math on my ACTs because they taught enough of the basic knowledge, but when I went to college, I started all over again at Algebra. defintiely something to consider.
—Submitted by ben, a former student

I would say that this school is very challenging and could probably be qualified as a private school because of the great acedemics! I would Strongly adise going to this school!
—Submitted by a student

Wayzata High is a big school. I was concerned that my student would be 'lost' among so many smart and talented kids. The key to my student's success has been to immediately get involved in a school activity and use the considerable academic counseling resources to plan a successful four-year program. That and constant monitoring of adademic performance, which requires some work on my part.
—Submitted by a parent

I had my complaints about Wayzata when I went there, and I still think that many teachers and administration had a lack of respect for the students. In addition, Wayzata seems to have their priorities backwards lately, cutting funding to some outstanding programs. However, courses were rigorous for the most part and the opportunities to participate in extracurriculars were outstanding. I now attend a highly ranked private liberal arts school and I discovered soon after coming here that my high school education prepared me for college better than almost anyone I know. I was able to take many classes that my friends are amazed to hear existed at my school, and I participated in other activities that very few schools provide.
—Submitted by a former student

I graduated Class of 2001 from Wayzata High School, and now attend one of the top 20 schools, as ranked by Princeton University, so I can't say I have all too much to complain about. I had a very good experience, for the most part, attending Wayzata (7-12). Most of the teachers I had, mainly AP instructors, were excellent. They are the main reason that Wayzata continues to be a positive place to learn. I can never forgive this district, however, for cutting their award-winning, nationally recognized orchestra program almost completely out of the budget. I would be weary of any administration and school board that would go completely against such a strong, committed outpouring from students and parents.
—Submitted by a former student