Wahconah Regional High School


Wahconah Regional High School is a high school in Dalton, Massachusetts, United States and is part of the Central Berkshire Regional School District. The school opened in 1961.

History

Wahconah was a Mahican Indian Princess who the elders wanted to marry a Mohawk warrior. She, however, loved an Algonquian warrior named Nessacus, who risked his life to save her from a bear attack. The matter was to be decided by fate, whereby her canoe would drift to either man standing on opposite banks of the river. However, Wahconah rigged the boat so that it would go toward Nessacus, and they were married.
The Building was built shortly after the creation of the district, and was finished by the start of the 1961 school year. It was originally built to hold about 650 students. During the boom of GE Plastics in Pittsfield, enrollment was as high as 1,300. Accordingly the building has undergone some expansion, including two portable classrooms and the addition of five classrooms onto one of its corridors.

Campus

Wahconah sits on of land off Route 8 in Dalton. The building is shaped like a ladder, with two main corridors that run North-South, and three hallways that run East-West. Expansion plans originally called for the addition of a fourth hallway connecting the ends of the hallways, but it proved to be too expensive. There are also soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and a track/football field. It is one of the few high schools in the region to have both JV and varsity baseball fields on its campus. Trails that run through the woods are used by track and field and cross country running, as well as connect the school to Nessacus Regional Middle School.
On April 6, 2019, the citizens of the seven towns that are serviced by the Central Berkshire School District narrowly approved the $70 million dollar project to build a new Wahconah High by 88 votes. It is expected to open in the Fall of 2021.

Curriculum

Courses of Study at WRHS include Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. Business courses and tech classes are also offered. In the 2006-2007 school year, Wahconah became part of VHS, in which schools provide a teacher to teach online courses in exchange for the ability for 25 students to take other online classes.

Extracurricular activities

Wahconah is well-known across Berkshire County for its highly competitive and successful athletic teams. All of its major sports have held numerous county titles. Furthermore, it also is building strong Swimming and Lacrosse programs.

Notable alumni