Minnetonka High School
Encyclopedia
Minnetonka High School is a public comprehensive high school
that is located in Minnetonka
, Minnesota
, a western suburb
of Minneapolis-St. Paul. With almost 3,000 students, it is the 3rd largest high school in Minnesota behind neighboring Wayzata
and Eden Prarie
high schools. Newsweek
ranked the school #285 in their "List of the 1200 Best High Schools in America." Minnetonka High School pulls students from western Minnetonka, Chanhassen, Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Victoria, Woodland, and northern Eden Prairie, but students come in from all over the western suburbs due to open enrollment.
influence, and is considered one of the most affluent areas in the state. Since the 2000's, Minnetonka has actively tried to recruit a more diverse student body through advertising
and shuttle services to the inner suburbs.
. An average of 88% of students pass the IB exams (score of 4 or higher), along with an 83% pass rate for AP exams (score of 3 or higher). Minnetonka averages a score of 1901 on the SAT, and 25.8 on the ACT. The top 100 students score an average of 32.2 on the ACT.
It is identified as a "National School of Excellence" by the U.S. Department of Education, and has been given a "Five Star" rating by the Minnesota Department of Education. According to No Child Left Behind Minnetonka High School has made Adequate Yearly Progress
in 2006.
.
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
that is located in Minnetonka
Minnetonka, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,301 people, 21,393 households, and 14,097 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,893.0 persons per square mile . There were 22,228 housing units at an average density of 818.9 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, a western suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Minneapolis-St. Paul. With almost 3,000 students, it is the 3rd largest high school in Minnesota behind neighboring Wayzata
Wayzata High School
Wayzata High School is located in Plymouth, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The high school, operated by the Wayzata School District, has approximately 3,060 students in grades 9 to 12 , making it the largest secondary school by enrollment in Minnesota. It is also the largest Minnesota...
and Eden Prarie
Eden Prairie High School
Eden Prairie High School is a four-year public high school located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The present high school opened in 1981 and was significantly added to in 1990, 1994 and 1997. Eden Prairie High School has been graduating students for over seventy years. The school was named a Blue...
high schools. Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
ranked the school #285 in their "List of the 1200 Best High Schools in America." Minnetonka High School pulls students from western Minnetonka, Chanhassen, Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Victoria, Woodland, and northern Eden Prairie, but students come in from all over the western suburbs due to open enrollment.
History
In 1952, both Excelsior and Deephaven High Schools were consolidated into the newly constructed Minnetonka High School. In 1997 Minnetonka High School underwent a significant renovation to better meet student's needs for learning in the 21st century. More classrooms, new science and technology wings, an enlarged and enhanced media center and new athletic facilities were added. The ArtsCenter, a cultural/performing arts center at the high school was added in 2000 as a partnership project with the City of Minnetonka. A year later, a partnership with the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association built the Pagel Center, a sports, strength training, and hockey facility on the high school site. In 2004, partnerships with many youth athletic associations resulted in a new artificial turf stadium field, inflatable dome (November - April) and a new track. During the summer break of 2006 Minnetonka High School got a new baseball facility, the first turf baseball facility at a Minnesota high school. In 2006 the largest freshman class in the history of Minnetonka entered the school, the graduating class of 2010 being over 750.School Overview
Minnetonka High School is one of the largest schools in the state with a student population of 2,823 that is 1% American Indian, 1% Hispanic, 1% black, 3% Asian, and 94% white. Minnetonka School District has a population of 53,000 and is characterized as a wealthy bedroom community. It is predominantly white with a strong ScandinavianScandinavian
Scandinavian refers to a resident of or something associated with Scandinavia, including:* Scandinavians, a Nordic ethnic group* Scandinavian Airlines , an aviation corporation* Scandinavian Defense, a chess opening...
influence, and is considered one of the most affluent areas in the state. Since the 2000's, Minnetonka has actively tried to recruit a more diverse student body through advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
and shuttle services to the inner suburbs.
Academic Assessment
Minnetonka High has some of the highest test scores in the state and is one of the top academic high schools in the country. It is one of the few schools to concurrently run Advanced Placement classes and the IB Diploma ProgrammeIB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
. An average of 88% of students pass the IB exams (score of 4 or higher), along with an 83% pass rate for AP exams (score of 3 or higher). Minnetonka averages a score of 1901 on the SAT, and 25.8 on the ACT. The top 100 students score an average of 32.2 on the ACT.
It is identified as a "National School of Excellence" by the U.S. Department of Education, and has been given a "Five Star" rating by the Minnesota Department of Education. According to No Child Left Behind Minnetonka High School has made Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
in 2006.
Athletics
Minnetonka High School is part of the Lake Conference in the Minnesota State High School LeagueMinnesota State High School League
The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools...
.
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Tennis Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... , Girls |
2 | 1974, 1975 |
| Soccer, Girls | 1 | 2001 | |
| Cross Country Running, Girls | 4 | 1981, 1982, 1991, 2004 | |
| Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... , Girls |
1 | 1976 | |
| Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
1 | 2004 | |
| Swimming Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... and Diving Diving Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one... , Girls |
2 | 1975, 1976 | |
| Winter Winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:... |
Alpine Skiing Alpine skiing Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four... , Boys |
3 | 1996, 1998, 2000 |
| Alpine Skiing, Girls | 3 | 1987, 1993, 2011 | |
| Wrestling Scholastic wrestling Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently... |
1 | 1974 | |
| Hockey, Girls | 1 | 2011 | |
| Swimming and Diving, Boys | 9 | 1978, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2011 | |
| Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... , Boys |
3 | 1965, 1998, 2008 | |
| Spring Spring (season) Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and... |
Tennis, Boys | 1 | 1974 |
| Softball Softball Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand... , Girls |
2 | 1999, 2000 | |
| Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... , Boys |
1 | 2009 | |
| Track and Field Track and field Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area... , Boys |
1 | 1976 | |
| Track and Field Track and field Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area... , Girls |
5 | 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1992 | |
| Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... , Boys |
2 | 2004 , 2005 | |
| Adapted Bowling | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2008 | |
| Total | 46 | ||
Notable alumni
- Zach Peterson ('03) - Minor League Baseball Player Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(2007–Present) - Ryan LiestmanRyan LiestmanRyan Matthew Liestman is an American pop musician. Ryan is the Keyboardist/Guitarist for the Jonas Brothers. He primarily uses his birth name but is also known as Dung-Sty, a title given to him by friend and musician Michael Bland. He also plays keyboard and sings vocals for Ocean Grove...
('01) - Keyboardist for popular teen band Jonas BrothersJonas BrothersThe Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas... - Jake GardinerJake GardinerJake Gardiner is an American ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:Gardiner was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League in the first round, 17th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft...
('08) - Professional Hockey Player, Anaheim DucksAnaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(17th Overall) - Dmitry ChaplinDmitry ChaplinDmitry Chaplin is an Russian dancer and an Emmy Nominated choreographer, best known for being a Top 10 finalist on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance . He was famous for constantly performing shirtless, with one solo routine having him rip off his shirt.-Biography:Chaplin was born in...
('00)- Professional dancer - Steve ComerSteve Comer (baseball)Steven Michael Comer is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for seven seasons. He played for the Texas Rangers from 1978 to 1982, the Philadelphia Phillies in 1983, and the Cleveland Indians in 1984...
('72)- Professional Baseball Player, Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1978–82), Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(83), Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(84) - Bennie JoppruBennie JoppruBenjamin Paul Joppru is an American football tight end in the NFL and is currently a free agent. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan...
('99)- Professional Football Player, Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(2003–05), Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(06), Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
(06-07) - The SuburbsThe SuburbsThe Suburbs were an alternative punk rock/funk/new wave band from Minneapolis, Minnesota popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s. The band frequently headlined at Minneapolis's most influential music clubs including Jay's Longhorn Bar and First Avenue....
- Rock band - Arick WiersonArick WiersonArick Wierson is an American-born media executive and entrepreneur. His has business interests that span television and film production, political consultancy, and a variety of business interests in the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and Africa...
('90) - Emmy-award winning Hollywood Film and Television Producer; former Senior Political Advisor New York City Mayor Michael BloombergMichael BloombergMichael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States... - Sam Buckman ('06)- Former Michigan football player and high school All-American
- David WheatonDavid WheatonDavid Wheaton is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Born in Minneapolis, Wheaton played in his first tournament at age eight, and won the Minnesota State High School tennis title in 1984, as a ninth grader. In 1987, he won the US Open junior title and was ranked the No. 1...
Former professional tennis player - Will LeerWill LeerWill Leer is an elite American mid-distance runner. He graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California in May 2007.-High school career:...
('03) Multiple All-American elite college runner at Pomona Pitzer who recently ran a 3:41.98 1500 on May 12. On January 19, 2008, Will ran a 3:59.83 mile, on an indoor track - Lee BlessingLee Blessing-Biography:Blessing's best-known play is A Walk in the Woods, which depicts the developing relationship between two arms limitation negotiators, one Russian and one American, over years of negotiation...
('67) Pulitzer and Tony nominated Playwright. - Alex Kubal ('05) - Former Alabama center fielder who recently signed with the St. Paul Saints
- Raina HeinRaina HeinRaina Hein is an American fashion model. She is best known as the runner-up of the fourteenth cycle of America's Next Top Model.-Early life:...
('06)-Runner-Up on America's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top ModelAmerica's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
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