Hillcrest High School (Country Club Hills, Illinois)

Last updated
Hillcrest High School
Address
Hillcrest High School (Country Club Hills, Illinois)
17401 S. Pulaski Road

,
60478

United States
Coordinates 41°34′27″N87°42′43″W / 41.5742°N 87.712°W / 41.5742; -87.712
Information
School type Public Secondary
MottoSoaring with unity, pride, and excellence
Opened1967
School district Bremen High School District 228
SuperintendentDr. Brad Sikora [1]
PrincipalRonald Towner
Associate PrincipalEric Washington
Athletic DirectorMaurice Young
Staff107
Teaching staff77.00 (FTE) [2]
Grades 912
Gender coed
Enrollment1,314 (2022-23) [2]
   Grade 9 348 students
   Grade 10 312 students
   Grade 11 313 students
   Grade 12 341 students
Average class size23 [3]
Student to teacher ratio17.06 [2]
AreaSouth Suburbs
Campus type Suburban
Color(s)  Columbia Blue
  Navy Blue
  White [4]
Athletics conference South Suburban Conference [4]
MascotHenry the Hawk
Team name Hawks [4]
PublicationFlight [5]
NewspaperPinion [5]
Website https://hillcrest.bhsd228.com

Hillcrest High School is a public four year high school located in Country Club Hills, Illinois. It is part of Bremen High School District 228 which also includes Tinley Park High School, Oak Forest High School, and Bremen High School. The name "Hillcrest" aside from the obvious connotation of being "the highest point of a hill", is a portmanteau of the two towns which the school primarily serves: Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest.

Contents

History

The first principal of Hillcrest, William Henry Reeves, was appointed in May 1965, leaving his job as principal of Bremen High School to start the new school. [6] Groundbreaking took place in November of that year, with a needed bond referendum passing in December 1966 to cover construction of an addition, even before the school was opened. [7] [8] [9] The school opened in February 1967. [10]

The early 1970s at Hillcrest saw a number of racially motivated incidents as the demographics of the school's attendance area began to shift. A late April 1970 incident, coupled with similar incidents in other local schools led to the spread of attacks beyond the school to the local community of Markham. [11] [12] In 1971, the school was temporarily closed after a racially motivated fight that resulted in 48 students being suspended. [13] 1973 saw a 14 May riot that resulted in 34 suspensions and the recommendation for 20 expulsions. When the school board, under pressure from parents, decided to rescind some of the punishments without consulting the building staff or administration, the school's principal, Lee Cox, requested reassignment. [14] [15]

In 1990, the FBI investigated an incident involving several students from the school who claimed they had been harassed by a Forest Preserve officer while taking a day off from school illegally. Among those counseling parents at the time was R. Eugene Pincham. [16] [17]

In February 1994, the school cancelled planned parent-teacher conferences and a day off of school to accommodate a visit by President Bill Clinton. Students were banned from parking at the school that day to accommodate the president's helicopter, Marine One, landing in the parking lot. The visit coincided with the Brady Bill becoming law. [18] [19]

Student life

Activities

Hillcrest sponsors over 35 extracurricular activities ranging from academic competition and performing arts to cultural and special interests. [5] Activities which are chapters or affiliates of nationally notable organizations include Business Professionals of America, DECA, FCCLA, Key club, and National Honor Society. [5] In the performing arts, the school supports a band, chorus, and drama club. [5]

Athletics

Hillcrest competes in the South Suburban Conference (SSC) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. Teams are stylized as the Hawks.

The school sponsors interscholastic sports teams for both men and women in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, tennis, track & field, and wrestling. [20] Men may also compete in baseball, football, and lacrosse while women may compete in cheerleading, softball, and volleyball. [20]

The new Athletic Director is Maurice Young.

The following teams won or placed top 4 in their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament/meet: [21]

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois)</span> Secondary school in the United States

Adlai E. Stevenson High School (AESHS), commonly called Stevenson High School (SHS), is a four-year public high school located in Lincolnshire, Illinois, United States. It is named after Adlai E. Stevenson II, the 31st Governor of Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine South High School</span> Secondary school in Park Ridge, Illinois, United States

Maine South High School is a public four-year high school located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Maine Township High School District 207.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine West High School</span> Secondary school in Des Plaines, Illinois, United States

Maine West High School, also known as Maine West or MWHS, is a public four-year high school located in Des Plaines, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Maine Township High School District 207, which also includes Maine East High School and Maine South High School. Maine Township High School West serves most of Des Plaines and a portion of Rosemont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Ignatius College Prep</span> Private college-preparatory school in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Saint Ignatius College Prep is a private, coeducational Jesuit college-preparatory school located in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The school was founded in Chicago in 1869 by Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J., a Dutch missionary to the United States. Saint Ignatius College Prep is Chicago’s flagship Jesuit high school and one of the preeminent Catholic college preparatory schools in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naperville North High School</span> American public high school

Naperville North High School is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Mill Street in the northern-central part of Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It’s a part of Naperville Community Unit School District 203. Naperville North is fully recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education and is a member of the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois High School Association</span> School and sports organization that represents the high schools from the State of Illinois.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The IHSA regulates 14 sports for boys, 15 sports for girls, and eight co-educational non-athletic activities. More than 760 public and private high schools in the state of Illinois are members of the IHSA. The Association's offices are in Bloomington, Illinois.

Gary E. Dotson is an American man who was the first person to be exonerated of a criminal conviction by DNA evidence. In May 1979, he was found guilty and sentenced to 25 to 50 years' imprisonment for rape, and another 25 to 50 years for aggravated kidnapping, the terms to be served concurrently. This conviction was upheld by the appellate court in 1981. In 1985, the accusing witness recanted her testimony, which had been the main evidence against Dotson. He was not exonerated or pardoned at that time, but due to popular belief that he was a victim of a false rape accusation, Dotson went through a series of paroles and re-incarcerations until DNA evidence proved his innocence in 1988. Dotson was subsequently cleared of his conviction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Leyden High School</span> Public school in Franklin Park, Illinois, United States

East Leyden High School is a secondary school located in Franklin Park, Illinois which educates grades 9-12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Carmel High School (Chicago)</span> Private school in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Mount Carmel High School is an all-boys, Catholic high school in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school has been operated by the Carmelite order of priests and brothers since 1900. Several priests and brothers who teach at the school live in the nearby Saint Cyril Priory, though most of the staff consists of lay teachers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libertyville High School</span> Public secondary school in Libertyville, Illinois, United States

Libertyville High School, or LHS, is a public four-year high school located in Libertyville, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Located at the intersection of Park Avenue and Dawes Street, on the shore of Butler Lake, it is part of Community High School District 128, which also includes Vernon Hills High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proviso West High School</span> Public secondary school in Hillside, Illinois, United States

Proviso West High School (PWHS) is a public high school located in Hillside, Illinois, United States. It is a part of Proviso Township High Schools District 209, and was opened in 1958. Its sister schools are Proviso East High School and Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy.

Oak Forest High School is a public high school located in Oak Forest, Illinois. It is part of Bremen Community High School District 228 which also includes Tinley Park High School, Hillcrest High School and Bremen High School. It serves most of the community of Oak Forest, as well as portions of Midlothian and Crestwood in Bremen Township in the south suburbs of Chicago in Cook County.

Bremen High School, BHS, or simply Bremen is a public four year high school located in Midlothian, Illinois. It is the first school built as part of Bremen Community High School District 228 which also includes Tinley Park High School, Hillcrest High School and Oak Forest High School. Bremen High School was opened in 1953 along with the creation of Bremen High School District 228 to serve students in the newly developing areas at the time. Bremen High School is named after the township in which it is located, Bremen Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinley Park High School</span> Public secondary school in Tinley Park, Illinois, United States

Tinley Park High School, TPHS or simply Tinley is a public high school located in Tinley Park, Illinois, approximately 30 miles southwest of Chicago. It is part of Bremen Community High School District 228 which also includes Oak Forest High School, Hillcrest High School and Bremen High School.

Thornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a public high school founded in 1899, located in Harvey, one of the South Suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The school is one of three administered by Thornton Township High Schools District 205. It is occasionally confused with the two other similarly named schools in the district, Thornridge High School and Thornwood High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Vocational High School</span> School in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago Vocational High School is a public 4–year vocational high school located in the Avalon Park neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1941, the school is operated by the Chicago Public Schools district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Suburban Conference</span>

The Southwest Suburban Conference is an athletic and competitive activity conference consisting of public secondary schools located in the south and southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship</span> American high school basketball tournament

The Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring in the United States. It is organized by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naperville Central High School</span> American public high school

Naperville Central High School is a four-year public high school located in Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. The school, which enrolls students in grades nine through twelve, is a part of the Naperville Community Unit School District 203.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilden High School (Chicago)</span> Public secondary school in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Edward Tilden Career Community Academy High School is a public 4–year high school bordered between the Canaryville and Fuller Park neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in Chicago as Lake High School in 1889, Tilden is operated by the Chicago Public Schools district.

References

  1. "Superintendent". Bremen Community High School District 228. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "Hillcrest High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  3. "Illinois School Report Card". Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Country Club Hills (Hillcrest)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 26 November 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Activities". directory. Hillcrest HS. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  6. Reeves to head Hillcrest High, 27 May 1965, Chicago Tribune, p. S11; accessed 31 August 2008
  7. Begin work on school, 21 November 1965, Chicago Tribune, p. S1; accessed 31 August 2008
  8. Elliott, Michael, Bremen Schools Seek a Tax Levy Increase, 20 November 1966, Chicago Tribune, p. R1; accessed 31 August 2008
  9. Bremen voters OK 1.9 million school bonds, 5 December 1966, Chicago Tribune, p. 2; accessed 31 August 2008
  10. Bremen District Hires 11 Teachers, 7 July 1968, Chicago Tribune, p. S2; accessed 31 August 2008
  11. 12 Suspended at Hillcrest High School, 24 April 1970, Chicago Tribune, p. 7; accessed 31 August 2008
  12. Markham hit by 2nd night of race turmoil, 1 May 1970, Chicago Tribune p. 18; accessed 31 August 2008
  13. 3 Hurt in Hillcrest High Fight: Hyde Park Boycott Continues, 22 May 1971, Chicago Tribune, p. 2; accessed 2008
  14. Lannon, Linnea, Integrated schools; Racial tensions: a ritual of spring No.2 -- Integrated schools Suburbs find trouble in classrooms, 31 May 1973, Chicago Tribune, p. W_A1; accessed 31 August 2008
  15. Hillcrest unrest leaves question, 21 June 1973, Chicago Tribunelie, p. W_A6; accessed 31 August 2008
  16. Copeland, Monica, FBI to probe police brutality charges, 14 June 1990, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
  17. Koziol, Ronald, Students found innocent in 'ditch day' disturbance, 26 July 1990, Chicago Tribune, p. 4; accessed 31 August 2008
  18. Rubin, Bonnie Miller, No School, but when the White House called, 25 February 1994, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
  19. Elsner, David, Anti-crime theme echoes at Hillcrest, 1 March 1994, Chicago Tribune, p. 1.
  20. 1 2 "Hillcrest High School". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  21. "School Directory | IHSA". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  22. Maurice Acker profile at Marquette University; accessed 9 March 2009
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bell, Taylor (24 November 2009). "Hillcrest". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  24. Maurice "Mobetta" Brown#cite note-1
  25. Danny Clark bio & stats (under personal section); accessed 30 August 2008 Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  26. Reinmuth, Gary, Future in theater is not an act for Illinois linebacker, 15 October 1999, Chicago Tribune, p. 9; accessed 31 August 2008
  27. Bagnato, Andrew (April 25, 1995). "49ers Find A Big Package At Tiny Trinity". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  28. Lipinski, Ann Marie, Rape case is exhumed, re-examined, 31 March 1985, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
  29. Ann Marie Lipinski; John Kass; Lynn Emmerman; R. Bruce Dold; Andy Knott; Marianne Taylor (31 March 1985). "Rape Case Is Exhumed, Re-Examined". Chicago Tribune .
  30. Lipinski, Ann Marie, Mystery deepens in Webb rape case; Dotson balks at lie test, attorney, 5 May 1985, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
  31. Ann Marie Lipinski (5 May 1985). "Mystery deepens in Webb rape case; Dotson balks at lie test, attorney". Chicago Tribune.
  32. "'He checks all the boxes': Hillcrest's Mar'Keise Irving, a Minnesota recruit, is the Daily Southtown Football Player of the Year". Chicago Tribune.
  33. District 228 Board of Education minutes 1 April 2008, p. 2; accessed 2 September 2008 [ permanent dead link ]
  34. Corey McPherrin bio at myfoxchicago.com; accessed 2 September 2008