Wauconda High School

Wauconda High School
Location
555 North Main Street

Wauconda
,
Illinois
60084

United States

42°16′03″N 88°08′51″W / 42.2675°N 88.1474°W / 42.2675; -88.1474
Information
TypePublic secondary
MottoFor the W
Established1915
School district
Wauconda Community Unit School District #118
Principal
Jamie Born
Staff90.80 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,480 (2023–2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio
16.30[1]
CampusSuburban
ColorsPurple and Gold   
Athletics conference
Northern Lake County Conference
MascotBulldogs
NewspaperPurple Press
YearbookThe Bulldog
Websitewww.d118.org/schools/whs

Wauconda High School, officially Wauconda Community High School, and most commonly WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Wauconda, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Wauconda Community Unit School District 118.

History

Wauconda has been home to a high school dating back to the 1870s, a time when many other Lake County villages did not have high schools. Residents from Ela and Fremont, for instance, paid taxes to transport their high school students to Wauconda for high school[2]. The high school was located in a 3-room building on the corner of Barrington Rd. and Main St. in Wauconda, with both the 8th grade and high school taught in the same room by the same teacher[3].

The original Wauconda High School building (middle school today) built in 1916. Prior to that time high school classes were conducted on the second floor of the old village (100 Main Street). This picture was taken in 1918.

On March 15, 1915 the Wauconda Township High School District was established. This date is used as the official founding date for Wauconda High School, as the school celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2015[4]. The school first met on the second floor of the Village Hall located at 100 N. Main St in Wauconda[2]. In May of 1916 the village voted to approve the sale of bonds to finance a dedicated high school building. The new school building was dedicated on December 20, 1916[5], located at the corner of Slocum Lake Rd. and Osage Rd. - the site of the current Wauconda Middle School.

The current Wauconda High School building first opened its doors in September 1962 to around 600 students, and was hailed as a “Million Dollar Beauty.”[6] The school has been added onto multiple times in the 1970s, increasing the number of classrooms, adding a second gymnasium (now Auxiliary Gym 2), and increasing the size of the cafeteria[7]. The most recent and largest addition to the high school opened in September of 2008. This addition added a dedicated 512 seat auditorium, band and choir rooms, a 2,000 seat competition gymnasium, and the two story classroom wing with 24 new classrooms[8].

Campus

Wauconda High School has a medium-sized campus. It is divided into wings lettered A-G, an auditorium, 3 gymnasiums (not including the fitness center), a common area for all students, and several courtyards.

There are two cafeterias, the smaller of which is only used by freshmen. The school has a full-time police officer employed, as well as a number of security officers. There is a cafe inside the school, called the Bulldog Brew, which sells items such as snacks, muffins, and most popularly coffee which is operated by student volunteers in yearbook, and is open from 6:50 until 7:20 in the morning, and for a few minutes after the final bell.

There are many outside facilities used for athletic events and gym classes, including two baseball fields, a softball field, a tennis court complex with eight total courts, a track and football field, and a soccer field.

The school has a 500+ seat auditorium that is home to a band, choir, and theatre program as well as being available for rent. The theatre program has taken several productions to the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Additionally, the art program at Wauconda High School is recognized as an Illinois Art Education School of Distinction.[9]

Academics

The staff consists of roughly 110 teachers in various subjects and roles (Athletics, Career Tech Education, Creative Arts, English, Foreign Language Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science, Counseling, Social Work, etc.) as well as 20 or so instructional aides and members of the student services department.[10]

Athletics

Wauconda competes in the Northern Lake County Conference and Illinois High School Association. The school's teams compete as the Bulldogs, and its colors are purple and gold. The following sports are offered at Wauconda:[11][12]

  • Baseball (boys)
  • Basketball (boys & girls)
  • Bowling (boys & girls)
  • Competitive cheerleading (girls)
  • Competitive dance (girls)
  • Cross country (boys & girls)
  • Esports (co-ed)
  • Fishing (boys & girls)
  • Flag Football (girls)
  • Football (boys)
  • Golf (boys & girls)
  • Lacrosse (boys)
  • Soccer (boys & girls)
  • Softball (girls)
  • Tennis (boys & girls)
  • Track & field (boys & girls)
  • Volleyball (girls)
  • Wrestling (boys & girls)

Alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Wauconda High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Wauconda History Timeline" (PDF). Wauconda History Timeline. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Class of 1908 Has Reunion". The Wauconda Leader. October 5, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Lissau, Russel (September 26, 2014). "Blackhawks Voice Helps Wauconda High Celebrate 100th". Daily Herald. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  5. ↑ 183 "New" High School 1916 Gh, retrieved August 6, 2026
  6. ↑ "All Set For New School Opening". The Wauconda Leader. August 30, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved August 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Wauconda High School Yearbook 1976". 1976. p. 3. Retrieved August 6, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ "Updated high school". Metal Architecture. December 31, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "Schools Of Distinction". ilaea.org. Illinois Art Education Association. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ "WHS Academic Departments". D118. Wauconda District 118. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Wauconda". ihsa.org. IHSA. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Wauconda HS". 8to18.com. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bettendorf's former Miss Iowa to see Miss America's 100th anniversary on streaming service". ourquadcities.com. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
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