How safe is the school, really?
Based on Niche’s student poll, 87% of the 82 Waubonsie Valley students who answered agree that students feel safe at school, and the only incident we found in the last five years is a bomb threat in April 2022, after which classes resumed once the building had been searched; no incident from 2023 to 2026 turned up, and the school publishes no incident or discipline figures.
| Signal | What is reported | Who reports it |
|---|---|---|
| Students who say students feel safe at school | 87% (82 responses) | Niche student poll |
| Out-of-school suspensions, 2021–22 | 55, in a year with 2,454 students enrolled | Civil Rights Data Collection, via PlainSchools |
| Chronic absence | 22.4% (2022–23); 21.7% (2023), against 29.7% for Illinois | PlainSchools; Public School Review |
| Regular attendance, 2025 | 74% of students present nearly every school day, against a state average of 75% and a district figure of 84% | GreatSchools, from Illinois State Board of Education data |
| April 25, 2022 | A bomb threat reached the front office and officers arrived at about 7:30 a.m.; students were kept in their classrooms under a “hold in place and teach” order while the building was searched, and “classes resumed normally after a search of the building determined it was safe”; no arrests or source of the threat were reported | Daily Herald |
| Campus rules | A closed campus; students not under staff supervision must leave school property at 2:45 p.m.; possession of a weapon is prohibited under district policy 7:120 | District student handbook 2026–27, which covers all three District 204 high schools |
| Building security | The district’s “Safer, Stronger 204” update lists “a new secure entry vestibule” among the work at Waubonsie Valley; the post gives no completion date for it | District 204 news post, 2026 |
| Reporting concerns | The school’s Resources page links a 204 Tipline and a form for school-specific concerns; we did not read either | School Resources page |
Niche’s review summaries, which Niche says are generated by AI from student reviews, describe the building as dated and sometimes confusing to navigate, with bathroom-cleanliness concerns and ongoing construction, and praise the principal as approachable; those are impressions from reviews, not data. The two absence figures are for nearly the same year and differ, and the poll counts 82 of about 2,800 students, so this answer is Inferred. The main office, (630) 375-3300, and the attendance line, (630) 375-3303, are the reliable check on this year’s record.
What's the true total cost, including fees — and how has it moved over the last few years?
Based on the district’s 2026–27 fee page, Waubonsie Valley’s required fee is $225.00 for registration and technology, with athletics and activities listed at “$225/$450 max.” and engineering courses costing $15 to $50 each; no earlier year’s fees were found, so how they have moved is not shown.
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and technology, grades 9–12, 2026–27 | $225.00 | The district’s required fee; for high school, lab, music and activity fees are “collected per school instructions” |
| Athletics and activities, grades 9–12 | “$225/$450 max.” | The page explains the per-sport rule only for middle school ($150 per sport, $300 maximum), so the high-school meaning is not spelled out |
| Optional Indian Prairie Educational Foundation gift | $25.00 | Tax-deductible and optional |
| Lunch · breakfast, 2026–27 | $3.95 paid, $0.40 reduced, $0 free · $2.50 paid, $0.30 reduced, $0 free | Second meal $5.75; entree only $4.40; milk sold alone $0.85 or $0.95 for chocolate |
| Engineering and technology course fees | $15 (Engineering Technology 1 and 2); $20 each for Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Aerospace Engineering and 3D Printing and Design; $50 for the PLTW Capstone | The district list covers all high schools and does not say which of them offer each course; Business computing electives, among them Coding and Cybersecurity, are listed at $0.00 |
| Other course fees | Sports Medicine 1/2 $14; AP Statistics workbook $30; Instrumental Music $120; Driver Education behind-the-wheel $425 | As listed on the same document |
| Advanced Placement exam | $104 per exam, plus $40 if registered late | Registration runs from September 1 to November 3, 2026; the school says it “desires that all students take AP exams for the AP classes” |
| Student parking permit | No amount listed | The page, still dated 2025–26, limits permits to juniors and seniors and says the cost is added to the student’s PushCoin account |
| Fee waiver | Application due July 31, 2026 | Fees and meals are paid through PushCoin |
No fee schedule for 2025–26 or earlier was found; the district’s page lists only 2026–27, so a trend over the last few years cannot be shown. A student who takes no sport and no fee-bearing course owes at least $225 before meals; every course, exam, instrument and sport adds to it, and the amounts that apply depend on a schedule the district publishes by course, not by school. The school office, (630) 375-3300, is the reliable check on this year’s total.
How do students perform on state assessments in reading and math?
Based on Niche, 70% of Waubonsie Valley students were proficient in reading and 64% in math in the 2024–25 state testing, while Public School Review and PlainSchools give 49% in reading (2022) and 47% in math (2023); the years differ and the two sets do not agree, which is why this answer is Inferred.
| Measure | Waubonsie Valley | Who reports it |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and math proficiency, 2024–25 | 70% and 64% proficient | Niche, citing the Illinois State Board of Education |
| Math proficiency | 47% (2023), against 27% for Illinois; earlier 52% (2019) and 56% (2018) | Public School Review; PlainSchools gives 47% for 2022–23 |
| Reading proficiency | 49% (2022), against 30% for Illinois; 52% in 2021 | Public School Review; PlainSchools gives 49% for 2021–22 |
| Four-year graduation rate | 94% for the class of 2023 (686 students), against 87.6% for Illinois and 95% for the district | PlainSchools; Niche also gives 94% |
| Advanced Placement | 38% of students in at least one AP course; 24 AP courses; 84% of AP students pass at least one exam | Niche |
| SAT and ACT averages reported by users | SAT 1300 (972 responses); ACT 29 (424 responses) | Niche users |
The 2024–25 figures are 21 points (reading) and 17 points (math) higher than the 2022 and 2023 ones, and the sources do not say whether that is real improvement or a change in test or scoring, so the two sets should not be read as a trend. Both are third-party republications; the Illinois Report Card, where the state publishes the results, could not be read here. The SAT and ACT averages come from students who chose to report a score, so they describe a self-selected group, and the school’s own profile for 2025–26 could not be read.
How qualified and stable are the teachers?
Based on federal and state data republished by PlainSchools, Waubonsie Valley had 180.0 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024–25 and 15.8 students per teacher; no source we could read gives teacher experience, credentials or turnover, so how qualified and stable the teachers are cannot be settled from public sources.
| Signal | What is reported | Who reports it |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time-equivalent teachers and students per teacher | 171.9 and 16.1 (2022–23); 174.3 and 16.0 (2023–24); 180.0 and 15.8 (2024–25), against an Illinois high-school median of 13.5 | PlainSchools |
| Student-teacher ratio | 16:1 (Niche, against 16:1 nationally); 16:1 in 2025 against 13:1 for Illinois (Public School Review) | Niche; Public School Review |
| Counselors, 2021–22 | 10.5 full-time-equivalent | PlainSchools |
| Niche teacher grade and poll | A; of 104 respondents, 83% agree lessons are engaging, 83% agree teachers care about students and 88% agree teachers control the classroom | Niche |
| Experience, credentials and turnover | Not found; Public School Review lists none, and the Illinois Report Card could not be read | — |
| Long-serving staff named in school pages | The planetarium director is listed as in post from 2006; the Media Production teacher is listed as teaching it since 2008 | School planetarium and Technology & Engineering pages |
| Shared staffing | The Aerospace Engineering teacher is described as “currently traveling between Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley” | School Technology & Engineering teachers page |
| Principal | Jason Stipp; named Outstanding Administrator by the Illinois PTA in February 2025; his start date was not found | School administration page; NCTV17 |
Two long-serving teachers are examples, not a measure of stability, and the teacher count rising from 171.9 to 180.0 says nothing about who stayed. Niche’s grade and poll are impressions from students, and the ratio counts every teacher against every student, so a lab or elective can be smaller. We found no section sizes. The school’s department chairs and the main office, (630) 375-3300, are the reliable check on who teaches the courses a student wants.
Which future-critical STEM fields is this school genuinely strong in—and which ones are major gaps?
Based on the school’s department pages and press reports, Waubonsie Valley is developing in robotics, computer science, Earth systems, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, thin in AI and data, cybersecurity, clean energy and biotechnology, and absent in battery storage. The overall score is 52/100, Developing.
| Field | Our grade | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Robotics | Developing · 3.0/5 | A competitive WV Robotics club; Team 8780A was the first Waubonsie team at the VEX World Championship in 2023, and Team 355P Powerhouse, shared with Neuqua Valley, qualified in 2026; Project Lead The Way Digital Electronics and Principles of Engineering; no robotics course |
| Computer Science | Developing · 3.0/5 | Coding, AP Computer Science Principles (after Algebra 1) and AP Computer Science A (after Geometry), with Web Design and Emerging Technology electives and a Girls Who Code club; no computing competition record |
| Earth & Geospatial | Developing · 3.0/5 | Environmental Earth, Earth & Space, Botany, Cosmic Journey and AP Environmental Science, a student prairie restoration running since 2001 with the Fox Valley Park District, and a school planetarium; no geospatial course |
| Aerospace | Developing · 3.0/5 | A Project Lead The Way Aerospace Engineering course covering airfoils, propulsion, rockets, orbital mechanics and remotely operated vehicles, plus the planetarium; no rocketry club or competition |
| Advanced Manufacturing | Developing · 3.0/5 | A Project Lead The Way sequence from Introduction to Engineering Design to Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Aerospace Engineering and a Capstone, with drafting, 3D printing and woods courses and College of DuPage dual-credit sections; no industry certification found |
| AI & Data | Weak · 2.0/5 | AP Statistics, AP Calculus and the computer science courses; no AI, machine-learning or data-science course, club or result |
| Cybersecurity | Weak · 2.0/5 | One Business elective, Cybersecurity, on the district fee list, and SkillsUSA Illinois placings in 2025 reported by the school; no second course, CyberPatriot team or certification |
| Clean Energy | Weak · 2.0/5 | AP Environmental Science, Environmental Earth and Botany, with an Environmental Society club; no energy course or project |
| Biotechnology | Weak · 2.0/5 | AP Biology, Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology with a dual-credit section, and SkillsUSA health contests; no biotechnology course |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | Weak · 0.0/5 | No course, club or record found |
No field reaches the Excellent band, and five of the fifteen future-critical fields reach Level 3. The grades rest on department pages, the district’s 2026–27 fee list and Google-hosted course sequences, because the district’s course catalog is hosted where automated reading is not allowed; evidence confidence is lowest for batteries (30) and highest for robotics (50).
Do students get access to advanced coursework, specialist electives and serious competitions?
Based on Niche, Waubonsie Valley offers 24 Advanced Placement courses, 38% of students are enrolled in at least one, and 84% of AP students pass at least one exam; its Science Olympiad team has placed 7th to 9th at the Illinois state tournament in each of the last four years, according to independent results.
- Advanced Placement: 24 courses, with AP math and science enrollment rated “Very High” and other AP enrollment “Very Low” by Niche. The mathematics sequence runs to AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A, and the science sequence to AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science. No score by course is published; the school “desires that all students take AP exams for the AP classes” and charges $104 per exam.
- College credit: the College of DuPage lists 11 Waubonsie courses it maps to its own courses, among them Project Lead The Way Digital Electronics, Architect Draft Dual, Drafting & Design, Anatomy & Physiology, Media Comm & Prod I and Digital Photography. The page maps courses; it does not say how many students earn credit.
- Specialist electives: the Technology & Engineering department says it “offers 26 courses in five different areas”, among them the Project Lead The Way engineering sequence, drafting, architecture, woods, construction, automotive and media production; the Business department lists technology courses, among them Coding and Cybersecurity; the Art department offers 3D Printing and Design. The district’s course catalog could not be read, so which of these run this year is not confirmed.
- Competitions with independent records: Science Olympiad finished 9th of 54 teams at the 2026 state tournament, 9th of 53 in 2025, 8th of 50 in 2024 and 7th of 50 in 2023, won its regional in February 2026 and took second of 43 at the UChicago Invitational that January. VEX Team 8780A was the first Waubonsie team at the World Championship in 2023, and Team 355P Powerhouse, shared with Neuqua Valley, was listed among the District 204 qualifiers for the 2026 World Championship. The chess team finished state runner-up in 2026, “the best in school history” (NCTV17).
- Competitions the school reports: its Technology & Engineering news page says students medaled in 23 categories at the SkillsUSA Illinois championships in Peoria, with 1st and 2nd in Cybersecurity, 1st in Principles of Engineering and 3rd in Mobile Robotics Technology; it also says the department was named a PLTW Distinguished School in 2024–25. We found no independent results list for SkillsUSA and did not find the school on PLTW’s own recognition pages, and the post carries no date beyond a 2025 web address.
The independent records are strongest for Science Olympiad and VEX; the engineering and cybersecurity results rest on the school’s own pages, which is why this answer is Inferred. The school’s 2026–27 profile, which would carry course counts, could not be read.
How strong is it in robotics, engineering and hands-on problem solving?
Based on the department’s pages and the district fee list, Waubonsie Valley runs a Project Lead The Way engineering sequence from Introduction to Engineering Design through Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering & Architecture and Aerospace Engineering to a Capstone, with a competitive WV Robotics club beside it; we grade robotics and advanced manufacturing Developing (3.0 out of 5).
| Course or group | What it is |
|---|---|
| Project Lead The Way engineering | Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Aerospace Engineering and a Capstone are on the district’s 2026–27 fee list, and the department’s teacher page names a teacher for Principles of Engineering and the Capstone, one for Digital Electronics and one for Aerospace Engineering; which run this year is not confirmed |
| Aerospace Engineering | The department describes airfoils, propulsion, rockets, orbital mechanics and remotely operated vehicles; the teacher is shared with Neuqua Valley |
| Engineering Technology 1 and 2 · drafting and 3D printing | Engineering Technology 1 and 2, Drafting & Design, Architectural Drafting and 3D Printing and Design are on the fee list; the College of DuPage maps Drafting & Design and Architect Draft Dual to its own courses |
| Fabrication and transport | Woods, construction, auto mechanics, auto maintenance and power mechanics, taught within the department’s five areas: manufacturing, communication, transportation, energy and power, and construction |
| WV Robotics club | Described as “a team-oriented competitive club in which students work together to build robots and program them to compete in events against teams from other schools”; Team 8780A was the first Waubonsie team at the VEX World Championship (Dallas, May 2023), and Team 355P Powerhouse, listed as Neuqua/Waubonsie, qualified for 2026; no record of the club for 2024 or 2025 was found |
| SkillsUSA | The school reports 1st in Principles of Engineering, 3rd in Mobile Robotics Technology and 2nd in Internet of Things and Smart Home at the 2025 Illinois championships; the results are on the school’s own page |
| Student-led projects | Students grow native-prairie seedlings in the school greenhouse and plant them on Eola Hill, working out their own germination methods; the planetarium was built as part of the original school |
| Facilities | The district reports that “work is underway on a fully renovated Technology Engineering Education suite” at Waubonsie Valley, part of $125 million in capital projects launched in summer 2026; the post gives no completion date for it, so the suite students use this year may be in transition |
| Recognition | The department says it was named a PLTW Distinguished School in 2024–25; we did not find it on PLTW’s own pages, and no industry certification is named |
Robotics is taught inside the engineering sequence rather than as a course of its own, with a club that reached the world stage in 2023 and 2026 beside it, which is why it is graded Developing; advanced manufacturing is graded Developing as well, because the sequence is a structured Project Lead The Way pathway with dual-credit sections but no industry certification, no readable current course description and results that are mostly the school’s own. The robotics team for 2026 is shared with Neuqua Valley.
How strong is this school in AI, data science and computer science compared with other schools?
Based on the mathematics department’s slides and the district fee list, Waubonsie Valley teaches computing through Coding, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A, with AP Statistics for data, and lists no AI or data-science course; we grade computer science Developing (3.0 out of 5), AI and data Weak (2.0) and cybersecurity Weak (2.0).
| Course or group | Field | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Coding | Computer science | A Business elective on the district’s 2026–27 fee list at $0.00; its content was not readable |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Computer science | Open after Algebra 1, according to the mathematics department’s undated slides |
| AP Computer Science A | Computer science | Open after Geometry, according to the same slides |
| Web Design · Emerging Technology | Computer science | Business electives on the fee list; content not readable, so they are not counted as AI provision |
| AP Statistics · AP Calculus AB and BC · College Algebra | Data | The mathematics and statistics that data work builds on; no data-science course |
| Girls Who Code · Math club | Computer science, data | Listed on the school’s clubs pages with no description |
| Cybersecurity | Cybersecurity | One Business elective on the fee list; at the 2025 SkillsUSA Illinois championships the school reports Marco Campagna and Jay Singh 1st and Ethan Dave and Krish Lingayat 2nd in Cybersecurity, a contest whose entrants are tested on the NIST 800-181 workforce framework; no second course, CyberPatriot team or certification was found |
No AI, machine-learning or data-science course appears in the department pages we could read, and we found no computing competition or computer science certification. The district’s course catalog could not be read, so the content of the Business electives and which run this year are not confirmed, and the SkillsUSA results are on the school’s own pages only, which is why cybersecurity is graded Weak (2.0) rather than higher.
Will your child be ready for jobs that don’t exist yet?
Here’s what the evidence actually shows for Waubonsie Valley — not what the brochure claims.
52/100 — Developing overall. Waubonsie Valley’s strongest provision is structured: a Project Lead The Way engineering sequence that runs from Introduction to Engineering Design through Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics and Aerospace Engineering to a Capstone, with dual-credit drafting and electronics courses; a computer science route from Coding through AP Computer Science Principles to AP Computer Science A; a robotics club that has reached the VEX World Championship; and Earth-systems work that includes a school planetarium and a student prairie restoration.
But: battery storage is absent, and AI and cybersecurity are thin.
Best positioned forNone
Underdeveloped inBatteries, AI & Data, Cybersecurity
Future-critical exposure5/15 domains
Very strong
- None
Strong
- None
Limited
- Robotics
- Computer Science
- Earth & Geospatial
- Aerospace
- Advanced Manufacturing
Little / no pathway
- AI & Data
- Cybersecurity
- Clean Energy
- Biotechnology
- Batteries
Less ideal for
Where the school is stronger than its marketing suggests
The description names no result, and no record of the club for 2024 or 2025 was found.
Curriculum
- AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A on the Mathematics department’s course progression, with AP Calculus AB and BC and College Algebra
Evidence seen
- A Math club is among the clubs listed on the school’s clubs page, without a description
- Emerging Technology and Coding are Business electives on the district’s 2026–27 fee list, which covers all three District 204 high schools; their content was not readable and they are not counted as AI provision
What's missing
- No artificial-intelligence, machine-learning or data-science course found
- No AI or data club, competition or project found
- The district’s course catalog is hosted where automated reading is not allowed, so current course descriptions could not be read
Curriculum
- A Business elective, Cybersecurity, is on the district’s 2026–27 fee list, which covers all three District 204 high schools; no Waubonsie course description or timetable was readable
Evidence seen
- The Technology & Engineering news page reports SkillsUSA Illinois results for Waubonsie students: Marco Campagna and Jay Singh placed 1st and Ethan Dave and Krish Lingayat 2nd in Cybersecurity, and Sanandh Tummuri won 2nd in Internet of Things and Smart Home. The Illinois contest page says Cybersecurity entrants are tested on the NIST 800-181 workforce framework
What's missing
- No second cybersecurity course, no CyberPatriot or other cyber club in the clubs found, and no industry certification
- The results come from the school’s own pages; no independent results list was found
Curriculum
- No robotics course of its own. The Aerospace Engineering description says students “explore robot systems through projects such as remotely operated vehicles”; Digital Electronics and Principles of Engineering sit in the same Project Lead The Way sequence
Evidence seen
- The WV Robotics club, contact Steve Meyer, is described as a competitive club where students build and program robots to compete against other schools
- Team 8780A was the first from the school to qualify for the VEX Robotics World Championship, in Dallas in May 2023 (NCTV17, 5 June 2023); Team 355P Powerhouse, listed as Neuqua/Waubonsie, qualified for the 2026 VEX V5 World Championship in St. Louis (NCTV17, 27 April 2026)
- At the 2025 SkillsUSA Illinois championships Salily Patki and Sanjith Yelevarthy took 3rd in Mobile Robotics Technology (school pages)
What's missing
- No robotics course found
- No record of the club’s activity or results for 2024 or 2025 found, and the 2026 team is shared with Neuqua Valley
Curriculum
- AP Environmental Science, Environmental Earth and Botany on the Science department’s course sequence
Evidence seen
- The Environmental Society and Enviro Vending Machines are among the clubs listed on the school’s pages, without descriptions
- The Technology & Engineering department names energy and power among its five areas of study
What's missing
- No energy or climate-technology course, laboratory or project found; the nearest course title on the district fee list is Power Mechanics, whose content was not readable
Curriculum
- AP Biology, Genetics and Anatomy & Physiology, including a dual-credit section, on the Science department’s course sequence; the College of DuPage’s Waubonsie page maps Anatomy & Physiology to a College of DuPage course
Evidence seen
- At the 2025 SkillsUSA Illinois championships Waubonsie students placed in Basic Health Care Skills (1st and 3rd), Medical Assisting (1st and 2nd) and Medical Math (1st) (school pages)
What's missing
- No biotechnology course found: biotechnology is not simply biology, so the biology, anatomy and health provision is not graded as biotechnology
- No laboratory-technique record, research project or biotechnology competition result found
- No HOSA or biotechnology club among the clubs found; the Project Lead The Way courses found at Waubonsie are engineering courses, not its biomedical pathway
Creativity cannot be graded the way a course can. It can only be evidenced through what students made.
| Criterion | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art + technology | ||||
| Design | ||||
| Architecture | ||||
| Engineering design | ||||
| Media / digital production | ||||
| Maker learning | ||||
| Interdisciplinary projects |
One strand runs for three years or more; the rest are single years. 2023 is the densest, at 2 of 7 criteria.
The record — 2 artefacts
Students collect native grass seed each autumn, grow it into seedlings in the school greenhouse under their own germination methods, and plant them on Eola Hill beside Lake Waubonsie each spring, working with the Fox Valley Park District. The project began with the class of 2001; in 2023 the students grew 5,000 plants, up from 3,500 the year before.
WBEZ, 23 May 2022; Nature in Chicago, 6 June 2023; Fox Valley Park District
Team 8780A designed, programmed and built a robot that made it the first Waubonsie Valley team to qualify for the VEX Robotics World Championship, held in Dallas in May 2023.
NCTV17, 5 June 2023
Nothing found for
No student work was found evidencing these. For a school this well documented, an unrecorded programme is unlikely to be a large one.
What a family should ask about directly
- The district’s course catalog is where Waubonsie’s current courses are listed, and it is hosted where automated reading is not allowed, so courses here are known from the department pages, the district’s 2026–27 fee list, the College of DuPage dual-credit list and the Mathematics and Science course sequences. Ask for the current course descriptions, which courses run this year, and how many sections of each there are.
- The Technology & Engineering department lists eight teachers for its courses, and the Aerospace Engineering teacher is “currently traveling between Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley”. The contact listed for the WV Robotics club and for SkillsUSA also teaches Auto Mechanics, Auto Maintenance and Power Mechanics. Ask who teaches each engineering course, how many students are in each, and how the sequence is covered when a teacher is shared.
- Robotics sits inside the engineering courses and a club: Team 8780A reached the VEX World Championship in 2023, and Team 355P Powerhouse, listed as Neuqua/Waubonsie, qualified in 2026, but no record of the club for 2024 or 2025 was found. Ask which robotics teams compete this year, what students build, who coaches them, and how the team is shared with Neuqua Valley.
- Cybersecurity rests on one Business elective on the district fee list and a SkillsUSA pair that placed first and second at the 2025 state championships; the results appear only on the school’s own pages, and no second course, CyberPatriot team or certification was found. Ask whether the Cybersecurity course runs at Waubonsie this year, who teaches it, what follows it, and whether students can earn an industry certification.
- There is no artificial-intelligence or data-science course, and no AI club or competition: the groundwork is AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Battery storage has no course, club or record at all — treat it as absent, not just thin. Ask whether any AI, data-science or energy course is planned, and who teaches computer science.
- Clean energy rests on AP Environmental Science, Environmental Earth and two clubs, and biotechnology is not taught as such: AP Biology, Genetics and Anatomy & Physiology are the nearest provision. The Technology & Engineering department names energy and power among its five areas, but the nearest course title found is Power Mechanics. Ask what the energy and power area covers and whether a genetics or biotechnology laboratory course is planned.
- Niche reports 70% of students proficient in reading and 64% in mathematics on the 2024–25 state testing, and 38% taking at least one AP course; these are a third party’s figures from state data, and the Illinois Report Card could not be read directly. Ask for the school’s own results by subject, how many students reach AP Calculus, and how it supports students who arrive behind in mathematics.
- The school began its largest renovation in 2025, covering the auditorium and classroom spaces, expected to finish by 2030 (NCTV17, December 2025), and the district reports that “work is underway on a fully renovated Technology Engineering Education suite” with no completion date given (District 204, 2026). Ask which rooms are being rebuilt, whether the engineering, drafting and science rooms are open this year, and what the timetable means for lab access.
- The College of DuPage’s Waubonsie page maps eleven courses to College of DuPage courses, among them PLTW Digital Electronics, Architect Draft Dual and Drafting & Design. Ask which courses earn college credit this year, what grade is needed, whether there is a fee, and how the credit transfers. The path dots show how far each field reaches across Grades 9–12; the grade in which each course is taken is mostly not published, so they mark the stage only.
| Domain | Evidence class | Key sources |
|---|---|---|
| AI & Data | Verified | Mathematics department 8th-grade orientation slides (AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus); clubs page (Math); district 2026–27 fee list (Coding, Emerging Technology, AP Statistics, not mapped to the school); no AI or data-science course found |
| Cybersecurity | Verified · School-reported | District 2026–27 fee list (Cybersecurity, not mapped to the school); Technology & Engineering news page (SkillsUSA Illinois results, school-reported); SkillsUSA Illinois contest page (NIST 800-181 framework); no second course, club or certification found |
| Robotics | Verified · Corroborated · School-reported | Technology & Engineering clubs page (WV Robotics club) and home page (Aerospace Engineering); NCTV17, 5 June 2023 and 27 April 2026 (VEX World Championship teams); SkillsUSA Mobile Robotics result (school-reported); no robotics course found |
| Clean Energy | Verified | Science department course sequence (AP Environmental Science, Environmental Earth, Botany); clubs pages (Environmental Society, Enviro Vending Machines); no energy course found |
| Computer Science | Verified | Mathematics department slides (AP Computer Science Principles from Algebra 1, AP Computer Science A from Geometry); district 2026–27 fee list (Coding, Web Design, Emerging Technology); clubs page (Girls Who Code); no computer science competition or certification found |
| Earth & Geospatial | Verified · Corroborated | Science department course sequence (Environmental Earth, Earth & Space, Botany, Cosmic Journey, AP Environmental Science); WBEZ, 23 May 2022 and Nature in Chicago, 6 June 2023 (student prairie restoration); Fox Valley Park District; Planetarium page; no geospatial course found |
| Aerospace | Verified · School-reported | Technology & Engineering home page (Aerospace Engineering description) and fee list; Planetarium page (K–12 programme, 8,000 student visits in 2022–23, school-reported); Science sequence (Cosmic Journey); no rocketry club or competition found |
| Advanced Manufacturing | Verified · School-reported | Technology & Engineering teachers page and district 2026–27 fee list (Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering & Architecture, Aerospace Engineering, PLTW Capstone, Engineering Technology, drafting, woods, construction, automotive); College of DuPage dual-credit list; PLTW Distinguished School and SkillsUSA results (school-reported); no industry certification found |
| Biotechnology | Verified · School-reported | Science department course sequence (AP Biology, Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology, dual-credit Anatomy); College of DuPage dual-credit list; SkillsUSA health results (school-reported); no biotechnology course found |
| Batteries & Energy Storage | Unsubstantiated | No coursework, club or competition record found |
Academics
Our high school day is made up of 8 class periods broken down into 7 classes and 1 lunch period, with 5 minute passing periods in between each class period.
Our mission is to foster students’ learning to its highest potential while providing diverse and challenging educational experiences. Below are the requirements we set, the departments that teach the courses described on our pages, and the help we offer. Our Course Catalog and Planning Guide lists every course; ask us below to confirm a course before you plan around it.
Graduation requirements
We require 24 credits: 18.0 credits of requirements and 6.0 additional elective credits.
- English, 4 credits; Mathematics, 3; Science, 3; Social Studies, 2.5; PE, 3.5; Health, 0.5; Consumer Education, 0.5
- Elective, 1 credit chosen from music, art, foreign language, or career and technical education
- Social Studies includes 1 credit of either Honors World History, AP World History, AP Human Geography or World Geography, and 1 credit of US History, AP US History, American Society or American Studies, and 1 semester of Government
- All students must pass the State and Federal Constitution Exam
Technology & Engineering Education
Waubonsie Valley’s Technology & Engineering Education Department offers 26 courses in five different areas of study: manufacturing, communication, transportation, energy and power, and construction.
- What we offer: Engineering Technology; Manufacturing & Construction Technology; Communication Technology; Transportation Technology; Project Lead the Way; College Dual Credit
- Aerospace Engineering propels students’ learning in the fundamentals of atmospheric and space flight: students design an airfoil, propulsion system, and rockets, learn basic orbital mechanics using industry-standard software, and explore robot systems through projects such as remotely operated vehicles
- Lab fees on the district’s 2026–27 list are $20 for each Project Lead The Way course, and $50 for the PLTW Capstone
Business, Mathematics & Science
Our Business Department offers 24 courses in four different areas of study for students to explore.
- Business course groups: Technology Courses, Finance Courses, Business Professional Courses, College and Career Courses, and College Dual Credit
- Mathematics: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, AP Calculus, AP Statistics and AP Computer Science A, with honors in Geometry, Algebra 2 and Precalculus; also College Algebra, AP Computer Science Principles and Math Foundations. AP Computer Science Principles can be taken after Algebra 1, and AP Computer Science A after Geometry
- Science: Biology, Honors Biology, Environmental Earth, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, Earth & Space, Botany, Genetics, Anatomy & Physiology, Cosmic Journey, Physics, Honors Physics, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science, with a dual-credit Anatomy section
Help, activities & the planetarium
We encourage students to first seek out their teachers and to regularly ask for help when they struggle.
- The Academic Resource Center, in the LMC, is available during the lunch periods (3rd – 7th), with teachers from Math, Social Studies, English, and Science for students who need assistance
- We have over 60 clubs and activities, and our IHSA competitive events are Scholastic Bowl, Chess, Speech, Journalism, Drama, Group Interpretation and Music Sweepstakes
- Our science clubs and teams include AMP, Environmental Society, GEMS and Science Olympiad; the WV Robotics club and SkillsUSA are advised through Technology & Engineering Education
- Indian Prairie School District 204 built a planetarium as a part of its original high school, Waubonsie Valley; our 1974 Minolta Series IIB star projector is affectionately known as “Big Blue Guy”
- Advanced Placement exams are $104 per exam, and we desire that all students take AP exams for the AP classes
Advanced Placement courses named on our pages
Ask about academics
Calendar
Inspire all students to achieve their greatest potential.
The dates below come from our school news posts; our calendar page lists no upcoming events yet. Ask below if you need us to confirm a date, a time or a later date before you plan around it.
October
November
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Our Story
Our next 50 years
At Waubonsie Valley High School our mission is to foster students’ learning to its highest potential while providing diverse and challenging educational experiences that academically, socially, and emotionally shape our students into independent and productive members of society. Waubonsie is a community where students, staff, and parents can safely and collaboratively work to create a culture that promotes student learning, self-advocacy, and tradition & spirit.
Student learning
We foster students’ learning to its highest potential.
Self-advocacy
We encourage students to first seek out their teachers and to regularly ask for help when they struggle.
Tradition & spirit
Warriors in academics, Warriors in competition, Warriors in life!
Milestones
Our district, Indian Prairie Community Unit School District #204, was formed in the fall of 1972, and in December of 1972 a referendum was passed to build and equip a high school at a projected cost of $8.2 million.
Construction on Waubonsie Valley High School began in the spring of 1973.
In September of 1975, Waubonsie Valley opened its doors for its first school year; two-hundred-ninety-three Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors attended the new high school.
In 1997, we were bursting at the seams with over 3,700 students.
In 2003, the Gold Campus opened across the street from the Green Campus; Gold housed our Freshmen students while Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors attended classes at Green.
In 2009, the third high school in District 204, Metea Valley, opened, and we initiated a “house” concept to support students.
Class Rankings were discontinued in 2012.
We revised our school crest in preparation for the 50th anniversary in September 2025.
Leadership
Jason Stipp
Through the main office: (630) 375-3300.
Montrine Johnson
Through the main office: (630) 375-3300.
Jason Schmidtgall
Through the main office: (630) 375-3300.
Ryan VanKampen
Through the main office: (630) 375-3300.
Chris Neibch
Through the main office: (630) 375-3300.
Keely Hanley-Anshel
Through the main office: (630) 375-3300.
Our four Houses are Pride (families A–E), Tradition (F–L), Spirit (M–Rod) and Warrior (Roe–Z) · We are Waubonsie Valley High School, Home of the Warriors · Our name refers to Chief Waubonsie (1765–1848) of the Potawatomi, and our prairie-grass logo is a tribute to the Eola Hill Prairie & Lake Waubonsie adjacent to our campus, planted by students since 2001.
Ask about our story
News
Waubonsie Valley High School News
Recent posts from our school news page, newest first.
Attention Seniors: Order Caps & Gowns Now!
Order your caps and gowns and other senior items now online at HerffJonesIL.com. Early Bird Pricing Ends on November 1st, 2026.
Illinois Seal of Biliteracy Applications
Do you want to be recognized for being proficient in one or more languages in addition to English? Students need to demonstrate proficiency in English and Intermediate-High proficiency in a second language. We will offer the STAMP 4S or ALTA test on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 8:00 a.m.; registration closes 10/9/26, and questions go to Mrs. McAran in room 290.
November 2 | NO SCHOOL & Parent-Teacher Conferences
There will be no school for students on Monday, November 2. Parent-teacher conferences will be held from 8 am–8 pm.
October 23 | NO SCHOOL – INSTITUTE DAY
There will be no school for students on Friday, October 23 due to a scheduled Institute Day for staff.
Parent Teacher Conferences October 22, 2026
Parent Teacher Conferences are on October 22, 2026.
October 14 | PSAT/NMSQT & Academic Support Day
Information about PSAT and Academic Support Day on 10/14.
Ask about the news
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