WACC History
Planning for Whiteside County Vocational High School began in 1965. Whiteside County Vocational High School became the first area vocational school in the state of Illinois as it officially opened its doors at the beginning of the 1966-67 school year with Erie, Fulton, Lyndon, Morrison, Newman, Prophetstown, Sterling and Tampico as the original eight participating high schools.
In 1969 the cooperative was reorganized into the Whiteside Area Vocational Center (WAVC) with Rock Falls, Polo, Milledgeville and Thomson becoming additional members.
Additional school districts were added to the membership during the 1970¹s and 1980¹s bringing the membership to eighteen by the end of the 1980’s. In 1987 control of WAVC was transitioned to the Whiteside Regional Vocational System Board of Control. Consolidations of the mid 1990’s reduced the membership to seventeen high schools and when Ashton and Franklin Center consolidated in 2004, that number dropped to sixteen high schools.
Name Change
On July 1, 2001 the name of Whiteside Area Vocational Center (WAVC) was officially changed to the Whiteside Area Career Center (WACC). Members and participants of WACC presently include Amboy, Ashton-Franklin Center (AFC), Bureau Valley, Dixon, Eastland, Erie, Forreston, Fulton, Milledgeville, Morrison, Ohio, Oregon, Polo, Prophetstown, Rock Falls, Sterling, Newman Central Catholic, Unity Christian, and Faith Christian.
The purpose of the name change reflects a changing image and changing mission that has evolved over the past several years. The term “vocational” has had a negative image for students, parents and business partners, perceived as being directed toward students not going on to post-secondary education. Narrow in scope, the term vocational gave primary emphasis to occupational skill training for entry-level jobs immediately after high school.
Planning for Whiteside County Vocational High School began in 1965. Whiteside County Vocational High School became the first area vocational school in the state of Illinois as it officially opened its doors at the beginning of the 1966-67 school year with Erie, Fulton, Lyndon, Morrison, Newman, Prophetstown, Sterling and Tampico as the original eight participating high schools.
In 1969 the cooperative was reorganized into the Whiteside Area Vocational Center (WAVC) with Rock Falls, Polo, Milledgeville and Thomson becoming additional members.
Additional school districts were added to the membership during the 1970¹s and 1980¹s bringing the membership to eighteen by the end of the 1980’s. In 1987 control of WAVC was transitioned to the Whiteside Regional Vocational System Board of Control. Consolidations of the mid 1990’s reduced the membership to seventeen high schools and when Ashton and Franklin Center consolidated in 2004, that number dropped to sixteen high schools.
Name Change
On July 1, 2001 the name of Whiteside Area Vocational Center (WAVC) was officially changed to the Whiteside Area Career Center (WACC). Members and participants of WACC presently include Amboy, Ashton-Franklin Center (AFC), Bureau Valley, Dixon, Eastland, Erie, Forreston, Fulton, Milledgeville, Morrison, Ohio, Oregon, Polo, Prophetstown, Rock Falls, Sterling, Newman Central Catholic, Unity Christian, and Faith Christian.
The purpose of the name change reflects a changing image and changing mission that has evolved over the past several years. The term “vocational” has had a negative image for students, parents and business partners, perceived as being directed toward students not going on to post-secondary education. Narrow in scope, the term vocational gave primary emphasis to occupational skill training for entry-level jobs immediately after high school.