Waunakee High School

Waunakee was growing, but in the early 1900s, the village still had no high school. Kids who wanted to go to school had to take the train for 25 cents each day, but many students could not afford to go, so they built a new high school. A motion was made in 1902 to build a new high school, but it was denied. Then the school districts of Waunakee and Westport joined together and, in a special election in 1902, decided to build the school.

In the early 1900s, Waunakee High School was actually near Saint John's Catholic church. Eventually, school enrollment started to increase. It was slow at first, and the first enrollment was only 25 seniors by the year 1940. The growth that the school started to experience called for a bigger building. The original building was eventually replaced in the 1950s. Class sizes in this school were also extremely small; there were only 16 Waunakee High School graduates in 1929 for example.

Some of the most vital people in the Waunakee community came out of the class of 1940. One of these people was Lloyd Ottenson, who became the town veterinarian. Also, one of the most important people in the community came out of the class of 1930, which included David O'Malley, who would go on to be a representative in the Wisconsin state legislature. Thus, Waunakee High School has had a big impact on the community.

Brenner, Katie. Waunakee and Westport. Images of America. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub., 2012.

“Old High School.” Waunakee, WI. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.vil.waunakee.wi.us/gallery.aspx?PID=8.