This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2020) |
Hinsdale Central High School | |
---|---|
![]() | |
| |
Address | |
![]() | |
5500 South Grant Street , 60521 United States | |
Coordinates | 41°47′14″N87°56′0″W / 41.78722°N 87.93333°W |
Information | |
School type | public secondary |
Opened | 1879 |
School district | Hinsdale Township High School District 86 |
Superintendent | Tammy Prentiss |
Principal | William Walsh |
Teaching staff | 189.58 (FTE) [1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Gender | coed |
Enrollment | 2,436 (2023-2024) [1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 12.85 [1] |
Campus | suburban |
Color(s) | Red White |
Athletics conference | West Suburban Conference |
Nickname | Red Devils |
Publication | Solstice |
Newspaper | Devils' Advocate |
Yearbook | El Diablo |
Website | https://central.hinsdale86.org/ |
[2] [3] |
Hinsdale Central High School, or HCHS (locally referred to as simply "Central") is a public four-year high school located at the corner of W. 55th St. and S. Grant St. in Hinsdale, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois. It is located in the United States. Founded in 1879, the school is well known for its large spending per student, academic excellence, and athletic programs. It is part of Hinsdale Township High School District No. 86, which also includes Hinsdale South High School. The school is 17 miles west of Chicago and serves a suburban residential area of approximately 35,000 people. The Central campus draws its students from all of the village of Hinsdale, majority of Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook, and small parts of Burr Ridge, Darien, Willowbrook and Westmont. [4]
The official name of the school is Hinsdale Township High School Central, often abbreviated Hinsdale TWP HS Central. This name is derived from the school's original name: Hinsdale Township High School (HTHS). "Central" was added to the original name when Hinsdale South High School opened in 1965.
The high school began as a single classroom added in 1879 to the elementary school, then known as South Side School. [5] The classroom was added when community members saw the need for education beyond eighth grade. All twelve grades shared the ca. 1866 schoolhouse, built at Garfield and Third Streets by William Robbins. At this time, there were five teachers, including the principal, teaching about 120 students grades 1 through 12. The first high school class graduated in 1883 and had four students: Alice Warren, Minnie Hinds, Grace Redfield, and Florence Webster. [5]
In 1894 the school building burned, and was replaced by a new building on the same site. In 1911 the school district was reorganized, and the school became officially known as Hinsdale Township High School. In 1916 a new school building was completed nearby.
By the 1930s, a site for a new school to serve the growing community was purchased south of town at the corner of 55th & Grant Streets. Though a new football field was dedicated on this property in 1932, Depression and World War II constraints postponed construction until 1948. The current high school building was dedicated in 1950.
By the 1960s, two additional school sites were purchased. Hinsdale South High School opened in 1965 at the corner of Clarendon Hills Road and 75th Street in Darien. It was then that the word "Central" was added to the name of the school. The other property at the corner of Midwest Road and 31st Street in Oak Brook, for a potential Hinsdale North High School, was later determined to be not needed, and was sold. This property now forms part of the Trinity Lakes Subdivision.
In 2004, the school underwent additional construction to alleviate crowded hallways and rebuild deteriorating parts of the building. The reconstruction included a new 5 million dollar library, extended cafeteria, and connected hallways greatly opening up the campus and improving the flow of traffic.
In 2007, it was the only high school in the country to be nominated as a Character Counts school and was named Character Counts School of the Year [6]
In 2009, Hinsdale Central was named the National School Of Character by the Character Counts! organization.
In 2015, Hinsdale Central set a record, winning eight state athletic championships in a single season. [7] The state championship teams included girls tennis, girls golf, boys wrestling, boys cross country, boys soccer, boys golf, boys swimming, and boys tennis . [7]
In April 2019, a $140 million referendum was passed that would renovate the buildings of Hinsdale Central High School and Hinsdale South High School. [8] Many Hinsdale Central Students were in favor of the referendum, citing outdated infrastructure and mold, and supported the Vote Yes campaign. [9] The referendum would be passed in April with nearly 60% of voters voting in favor of the referendum. [10]
In the years of 2021 and 2022, various construction projects within the referendum would be completed. In the summer of 2021, the Don Watson Aquatic Center replaced the old pool as the primary aquatics facility. The $20.5 million pool was mainly funded by the aforementioned 2019 referendum. [6] The former pool was filled in and temporarily used as a multipurpose room. In addition, many classrooms received renovation and were fitted with new desks and chairs, whiteboards, carpets, and walls. In the spring of 2022, the Student Commons were constructed and replaced an old wing of the school that contained a few conference rooms. Within the Commons are a set of large steps that the administration referred to as the "Learning Stairs". The Activities Office and Counseling Department were also moved to section near the Student Commons. In the summer of 2022, more construction was completed. A new entrance on Grant Street known as the Grant Street Plaza replaced the old entrance to the old pool. A new band practice room was constructed. The multipurpose room from the 2021-2022 school year was converted to a gymnastics gym. The Student Cafeteria was also completely redone, with new floors and tables, as well as creating a new system of lunch lines. The basement of the school, where Career and Technical Education was taught, also received renovation, giving it wider spaces for woodworking, metalworking, and robotics classes.
In 2021, Hinsdale Central High School was rated the 52nd best public high school in the U.S. and ranked #7 in Illinois-based high schools by Newsweek Magazine's annual “America’s Best High Schools” feature. [11]
The Class of 2017 average SAT score was 1218, 8th in the state of Illinois. [11] Hinsdale Central students are well-prepared for success, and flourishing in a challenging environment with a 13:1 student-to-teacher ratio. [11]
The school had an enrollment of 2,472 students in the 2022-2023 school year. In the same year, 62% of students identified as non-Hispanic white, 22% were Asian or Asian-American, 10% were Hispanic or Latino, 4% were multiracial, and 2% were black or African-American. Around 6% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. The school has a student to teacher ratio of 14.2. [12]
The school competes within the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), and has won at least 106 state championships to date. [13] Current sports include boys' and girls' lacrosse, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo. [14]
In addition, the school has boys; baseball, football, and wrestling teams and girls' badminton, wrestling, and softball teams. [14]
Furthermore, while not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors girls' lacrosse, and a boys' hockey team (known as the "Ice Devils"). [14]
The school offers eighty clubs, [15] including community service organizations, academic competition teams, foreign language groups, and special interest clubs. Many clubs have won local and state awards and competitions.
The following IHSA sponsored competitive activities have finished in the top 4 of their respective state tournament: [16]
After their April 2022 4th place win in the State finals, the Illinois High School Association awarded one member of the Scholastic Bowl team with a trip to Africa. John Hines-Shah represented the team and visited Tanzania. The Junior Varsity Scholastic Bowl team is coached by Eric Gunnar Jensen, and the Varsity team is coached by Alan McCloud. [17]
In November 2013, the school newsmagazine, Devils' Advocate, was awarded the National Scholastic Press Association Newspaper Pacemaker Award for the 2012-2013 school year's publication.
Grade notification, attendance, discipline records, schedules, and registration information are available online. Hinsdale Central has integrated their server with Microsoft's SharePoint Services solution as opposed to their original use of Blackboard in the 2003-2004 school year. Students and faculty members are also given a school email, running Microsoft Exchange Servers.[ citation needed ]
The school provides teachers with Tablet PCs, and the school is equipped with wireless internet access points. Tablet PC carts and desktop PC workstations are also available to students. Starting in the 2018-19 school year, all students at HCHS were given Chromebooks to use for taking notes and accessing the internet. The school offers several wifi networks, each with varying degrees of access control and freedom. However, student access to the Wi-Fi was removed beginning in the 2018-19 school year, and devices have to be manually added to the new system by the school technology team. [ citation needed ]
Hinsdale Central has a fully equipped and operating radio room which powers its own radio station, WHSD 88.5 FM. This station is also operated by Hinsdale Central's sister school, Hinsdale South High School.[ citation needed ]
Glenbrook North High School is a public high school in Northbrook, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, United States. It was established in 1953 and is part of the Northfield Township High School District 225.
The DuPage Valley Conference (DVC) is an organization of six high schools in northeastern Illinois, representing seven communities in Chicago's suburbs. These high schools are all members of the Illinois High School Association. The Conference, organized in 1975, exists primarily for inter-school athletic competition in 21 sports. There are also four non-athletic competitions in which DVC schools participate: Chess, Math competitions, Scholastic Bowl and Speech.
Buffalo Grove High School (BGHS) is a public high school located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. It is one of six four-year comprehensive high schools in Township High School District 214, serving portions of the villages of Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, and Wheeling. Feeder schools are Cooper Middle School, Thomas Middle School, and London Middle School.
Loyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school run by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, and in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association and the largest Jesuit high school in America, with over 2,000 students from more than 80 different zip codes throughout the Chicago area. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1909.
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.
Deerfield High School is a comprehensive public high school in Deerfield, Illinois, United States. It is part of Township High School District 113, which also includes Highland Park High School. DHS opened in 1959, and graduated its first class in 1963.
Downers Grove South High School, or DGS, and locally referred to as "South", is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dunham Road and 63rd Street in Downers Grove, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Its principal is Arwen Lyp. It is part of Community High School District 99, which also includes Downers Grove North High School. The South campus draws students from Downers Grove, the majority of Woodridge, half of Darien, and small sections of Bolingbrook and Westmont.
Hinsdale South High School, or HSHS, and locally referred to as "South," is a public four-year high school located at the corner of 75th Street and Clarendon Hills Road in Darien, Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The South campus draws its students from the nearby communities of Darien, and portions of Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, and Westmont. It is part of Hinsdale Township High School District 86, which also includes Hinsdale Central High School. Hinsdale South is home to the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE) Deaf and Hard of Hearing program.
The Independent School League (ISL) is an athletic conference comprising 9 private secondary schools in the Chicago metro area. All but one of the schools are also full members of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for most high school athletics and competitive activities in the state. The schools are all relatively small, most belonging to the smaller classes of competition offered by the IHSA.
James B. Conant High School is a public four-year high school located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes William Fremd High School, Hoffman Estates High School, Palatine High School, and Schaumburg High School. Feeder schools are Mead Junior High, Keller Junior High, Frost Junior High, and St. Hubert Catholic School.
Wheaton Warrenville South High School (WWSHS), locally referred to as "South", is a public four-year high school in Wheaton, Illinois. It is one of two high schools part of Community Unit School District 200, the other being Wheaton North High School.
Wheaton North High School (WNHS), locally referred to as "North" is a public four-year high school in Wheaton, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. It is one of two high schools that are part of Community Unit School District 200, the other being Wheaton Warrenville South High School.
Hoffman Estates High School (HEHS) is a public four-year high school located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B. Conant High School, William Fremd High School, Palatine High School, and Schaumburg High School.
Community High School, also known as West Chicago Community High School, WCCHS, or simply WE-GO, is a public four-year high school located in West Chicago, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the sole school in the Community High School District 94.
St. Patrick High School is an all-boys college preparatory Catholic high school located in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1861, it is among the oldest continuously open high schools in the Chicago area.
Lincoln-Way East High School or LWE, is a four-year public high school located approximately three miles south of Interstate 80 near the intersection of Colorado Avenue, U.S. Route 45 and U.S. Route 30 in Frankfort, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is a part of Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, which also includes Lincoln-Way Central High School and Lincoln-Way West High School and formerly Lincoln-Way North High School.
Lincoln-Way Central High School,LWC, or Central is a public four-year high school about 3.5 miles south of Interstate 80 near the intersection of Schoolhouse Road and Lincoln Highway in New Lenox, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the original school of Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, which also includes Lincoln-Way East High School and Lincoln-Way West High School. Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West are located in New Lenox, and Lincoln-Way East is located in Frankfort. Effective since the 2016–2017 school year, Lincoln-Way North High School, in Frankfort Square, closed due to financial troubles and the district is now a three-school district. District 210 offices are located at Lincoln-Way Central.
Niles West High School (NWHS), officially Niles Township High School West, is a public four-year high school located in Skokie, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, in the United States. NWHS is part of the Niles Township Community High School District 219, which also includes Niles North High School. The name of the school teams originally was the Indians, which later was changed to the Wolves, in 2001. The feeder middle-schools for NWHS are Lincoln Junior High School (Skokie), Fairview South School (Skokie), Lincoln Hall Middle School (Lincolnwood), Culver Middle School (Niles), and Park View School. Niles West High School also matriculates many students from MCC Academy, Morton Grove, Illinois.
Bolingbrook High School or The Brook is a public four-year high school located in Bolingbrook, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Bolingbrook High School is the second high school in the Valley View Community Unit School District 365U.
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.