Wauconda High School

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.

Wauconda High School
Location
555 North Main Street Wauconda , Illinois 60084 United States
Coordinates	42°16′03″N 88°08′51″W
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	1915
Principal	Dan Nicholas
Staff	90.80 (FTE)[1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	1,480 (2023–2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	16.30[1]
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Purple and Gold
Athletics conference	Northern Lake County Conference
Mascot	Bulldogs
Newspaper	Purple Press
Yearbook	The Bulldog
Website	www.d118.org/schools/whs

History

Wauconda High School first opened its doors in September 1915.

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.

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.

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:^[2][3]

• 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

• Dr Manhattan, Rock Band
• Grace Lynn Keller (class of 2017), Miss Iowa 2021 and Miss Iowa USA 2023^[4]