Wayzata Public Schools

Wayzata High School is located at 4955 Peony Lane in Plymouth MN 55446. Scott Gengler is the current principal and the student day is from 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.[3] The current enrollment is 3,669 students in grades 9 through 12.

The Wayzata High School building was opened in 1997[4] to replace the former high school which is now Central Middle School. It is located north of Highway 55 in Plymouth at the intersection of Peony Lane and Schmidt Lake Road.

WHS's graduation rate is approximately 98 percent. Typically, 87 percent of graduates plan to attend either two-or four-year colleges and universities.[5]

WHS offers 32 college-level AP courses[6] for students. More than 85 percent of students score three or higher on AP exams, making them eligible for college credit. There are more than 60 co- and extra-curricular activities available at WHS. On statewide tests, more than 90 percent of 10th grade students were proficient on the MCA II reading test and more than 70 percent of 11th grade students were proficient on the MCA II math test. WHS students score consistently higher than state and national averages on the ACT and SAT exams. The WHS average score on the 2016 ACT was 25.8,[7] compared to 22.7 at the state level and 21.1 at the national level. On the SAT, WHS students in 2016 scored an average math score of 710 and an average critical reading score of 667[8] - compared to 609 and 595 at the state level and 515 and 501 at the national level. In 2018, six students earned perfect scores on the ACT test.[9]

Aerial photo of Wayzata Central Middle School Campus.

Central Middle School is located at 305 Vicksburg Lane in Plymouth MN 55447. The current principal is Xavier Reed and the student day is from 9:10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The current enrollment is approximately 1,316 students in grades 6 through 8.[10]

The Central Middle School building was opened in 1961 as the senior high school, serving grades 10-12, and converted to Central Middle School in 1997. It is located on the southeast corner of Gleason Lake at the intersection of Gleason Lake Road and Vicksburg Lane. Despite the fact that this building is in Plymouth, Plymouth, growing from a rural area to a more populated suburb, agreed to keep the name Wayzata High School in exchange for being able to connect Plymouth's water system to Wayzata's.[11]

Each year, students are assigned to one of five "teams": Blue, Gold, Silver, Purple, or Green, although the "Purple" team sometimes isn't present for the specific grade. A student's team determines which teachers he or she will have.

Students are required to use a "core" schedule that includes math, science, communications, language arts, social studies (including history and geography). In this schedule there is also a "flex" period that offers time to read or complete homework, as well as an "advisory" time which offers health education among other activities.

Unlike other Wayzata schools, Central does not have a swimming pool, but has a hockey arena. The arena once hosted Wayzata High School home games when the high school was located at the Central building.

Students in Wayzata middle schools are required to take three years of physical education and a performance-based music course (Band, Choir, Orchestra and Music Ex in 8th grade only) from the Encore department. Students must also take one quarter of engineering, technology and design (ETD), family and consumer science (FACS), art and a world language course in sixth and seventh grades. In eighth grade, students have the opportunity to enroll in two of these four offerings in a more in-depth semester-long course.

In addition to standard curriculum, all Wayzata middle schools offer special services and Vision 21 (gifted) curriculum.

East Middle School is located at 12000 Ridgemont Avenue West in Plymouth MN 55411. The principal is Paul Paetzel and the student day is from 9:10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The current enrollment is approximately 690 students in grades 6 through 8.[12]

East Middle School was opened in 1967 and is located approximately one mile east of Xenium Lane on Ridgemont Avenue in Plymouth. It was initially called Ridgemont Junior High School and housed grades 7 through 9 until it was renamed Wayzata East Junior High in the mid-1980s. It converted to a middle school in 1997 after the construction of the current high school.

Middle school students are required to use a "core" schedule that includes math, science, communications, language arts, social studies (including history and geography). In this schedule there is also a "flex" period that offers time to read or complete homework, as well as an "advisory" time which offers health education among other activities.

Students in Wayzata middle schools are required to take three years of physical education and a performance-based music course (Band, Choir, Orchestra and Music Ex in 8th grade only) from the Encore department. Students must also take one quarter of engineering, technology and design (ETD), family and consumer science (FACS), art and a world language course in sixth and seventh grades. In eighth grade, students have the opportunity to enroll in two of these four offerings in a more in-depth semester-long course.

In addition to standard curriculum, all Wayzata middle schools offer special services and Vision 21 (gifted) curriculum.

West Middle School is located at 149 Barry Avenue North in Wayzata MN 55391. The principal is Ryan Carlson and the student day is from 9:10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The current enrollment is approximately 748 students in grades 6 through 8.

The West Middle School building was opened in 1951 as a junior/senior high school, housing grades 7-12 and was converted to Wayzata Junior High School in 1961, housing grades 7-9. The name was eventually modified to Wayzata West Junior High School when Ridgemont Junior High became Wayzata East Junior High School in the mid-1980s. It became a middle school, housing grades 6-8, in 1997. It is located at the intersection of Barry Avenue and Wayzata Boulevard in Wayzata.

Middle school students are required to use a "core" schedule that includes math, science, communications, language arts, social studies (including history and geography). In this schedule there is also a "flex" period that offers time to read or complete homework, as well as an "advisory" time which offers health education among other activities.

Students in Wayzata middle schools are required to take three years of physical education and a performance-based music course (Band, Choir, Orchestra and Music Ex in 8th grade only) from the Encore department. Students must also take one quarter of engineering, technology and design (ETD), family and consumer science (FACS), art and a world language course in sixth and seventh grades. In eighth grade, students have the opportunity to enroll in two of these four offerings in a more in-depth semester-long course.

In addition to standard curriculum, all Wayzata middle schools offer special services and Vision 21 (gifted) curriculum.

Kimberly Lane Elementary School is located at 17405 Old Rockford Rd in Plymouth, Minnesota just outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The student school day is from 7:45 am to 2:25 pm. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 628 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). The school is represented by students and families from diverse backgrounds that include 20 different countries. Dr. Kari Wehrmann is the Principal and the school mascot is the coyote.[13] The school was opened in 1991.[14]

Oakwood Elementary School is located at 17340 County Road 6 in Plymouth, Minnesota. The student school day is from 7:45 am to 2:25 pm. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 458 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). They were named 2017 national blue ribbon school and Oakwood students represent over 30 countries and 17 languages. Sarabeth deNeui is the Principal and the school mascot is the bald eagle.[15] Oakwood Elementary was built on the corner of County Road 6 and County Road 101 in 1958.[16]

Plymouth Creek Elementary School is located at 16005 41st Avenue North in Plymouth, Minnesota. The lementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 624 students in grades K-5 (2021-2022). Their principal is Ashley Paul and their mascot is the panther. For the first two weeks of the school's existence, the mascot was the mallard.[17] Plymouth Creek Elementary was built near the corner of Vicksburg Lane and Old Rockford Road in 1988.[18]

Sunset Hill Elementary School is located at 3005 Sunset Trail in Plymouth, Minnesota. The student school day is from 8:30 am to 3:10 pm. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 618 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). Their Principal is Ross Williams. Sunset Hill Elementary was built in southeast Plymouth in 1963.[19]

Greenwood Elementary School is located at 18005 Medina Road in Plymouth, Minnesota. The student school day is from 7:45 am to 2:25 pm. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 721 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). Their Principal is Dr. Brad Gustafson and their mascot is the grizzly bear.[20] Greenwood Elementary was built in east Plymouth at the corner of Highway 101 and Medina Road in 1965.[21]

Birchview Elementary School is located at 425 Ranchview Way in Plymouth, Minnesota. The student school day is from 8:30 am to 3:10 pm. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 413 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). It was named a Blue Ribbon school in 2016. Their Principal is Ashley Farrington and their mascot is the bobcat.[22] Birchview Elementary was built in 1970 near Central Middle School in southern Plymouth.[23]

Gleason Lake Elementary School is located at 310 County Road 101, adjacent to the Wayzata Public Schools Administration offices, in Plymouth, Minnesota. The student school day is from 8:30 am to 3:10 pm. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has approximately 600 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). They have multiple clubs available after school for students. Their Principal is Mary McKasy and their mascot is the alligator. Gleason Lake Elementary was built in east Plymouth at the corner of Highway 101 and Medina Road in 1989.[24]

Meadow Ridge Elementary School is located at 17905 County Road 47 in Plymouth, Minnesota. The elementary school is a part of the Wayzata Public Schools and has a diverse student body of approximately 768 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). The student school day is from 7:45 am to 2:25 pm. Like many of the district's elementary schools, they celebrate this diversity each winter with a culture week or night. Their Principal is Karen Keffler and their mascot is the cardinal.[25] Meadow Ridge Elementary was built in northwest Plymouth in 2016 and received a 10 classroom addition in 2018.[26]

North Woods Elementary School is located at 18995 54th Ave N, off of County Road 101, and north of Highway 55 in Plymouth, Minnesota. The school was opened in the fall of 2019 after a 2017 voter referendum.[27] Its design is similar to that of Meadow Ridge Elementary School, with a student body of approximately 569 students in grades K-5 (2021–22). The student school day is from 7:45 am to 2:25 pm. Their principal is Jenny Berg and their mascot is the wolf.[28]

The Widsten School, located on School House Hill in Wayzata overlooking Lake Minnetonka, opened in 1921 as the Wayzata Consolidated School housing all grades K-12. In 1951, with the construction of what is now West Middle School, the building was converted to a K-6 elementary school, the second elementary school in the district after Beacon Heights. In 1953, it was renamed Widsten School after the principal Halvor Widsten.[29] In the 1980s, the school needed to be brought up to code, but it was determined that the cost would be too high relative to the cost of selling the school to residential developers and building a newer larger school at a different location. The district closed the school in the fall of 1989 and all students were moved to the newly opened Gleason Lake Elementary School on October 30. The media center at Gleason Lake was named the Widsten Learning Center in tribute.[30] The school was designed in a Pueblo Revival style by architect Edwin Hawley Hewitt, unique for the area, and attempts were made to save the building from demolition by having it declared an historic landmark. However, in 1993, it was demolished and replaced with townhomes.[31]

The Beacon Heights School was built in 1940 to house all students in the Beacon Heights District 95, serving parts of Plymouth and all of Medicine Lake. In 1946, the Beacon Heights District consolidated with the Wayzata School District and the Beacon Heights School became the first K-6 elementary school to serve Wayzata Public Schools. Several additions were made to the original building over the years to serve the growing population. In 1982, the district closed the school. The building currently houses a childcare and preschool facility.[32] U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar attended Beacon Heights Elementary School and was sent home in 4th grade for wearing pants.[33]