Orr Academy High School

Orr Academy High School
Location
730 N. Pulaski Road Chicago , Illinois 60624 United States
Information
School type	Public Secondary
Opened	1918 1973 (present building)
School district	Chicago Public Schools
CEEB code	140696 [1]
Principal	Karen M. Carpenter
Enrollment	516 (2013–14)
Color(s)	Gold   Black
Athletics conference	Chicago Public League
Team name	Spartans
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Website	orracademy.org

Rezin Orr Academy High School is a public four-year high school bordered between the neighborhoods of West Garfield and Humboldt Park located on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools district and is managed by the Academy for Urban School Leadership. The school is named after labor leader Rezin Orr.

History

Orr traces its origins to 1918, when it was opened as an elementary school in a building, which is currently the Brian Piccolo Specialty School. Orr began hosting high school students in the 1920s, when it became a branch of Austin High School. From the 1940s to the 1950s, Orr was used a vocational school for seventh and eighth grade boys, and for a short period it served as a temporary home for Our Lady of the Angels School after that school was ravaged by a fire in 1958. Orr was then used as a branch of Marshall High School before becoming an independent high school in 1963. ^[2]

Orr Academy High School moved into a new building in 1973. ^[3] The old Orr school building then became the Brian Piccolo Specialty School.

The current high school building was designed by the firm of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. ^[4]

Academics

Orr Academy is rated a 1 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site. ^[5] GreatSchools’ Summary Rating is based on four of the school’s themed ratings: the Test Score Rating, Student or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, and Equity Rating and flags for discipline and attendance disparities at a school.

Athletics

Orr competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). ^[6] The boys' basketball team were state champions in 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. ^[7]

Rauner field

Notable alumni

• Jay Davis (class of 1998), professional baseball player ^[8]
• Myke Henry (class of 2011), professional basketball player ^[9]

References

1. "High School Code Search". College Board. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
2. Barbara Leahy. "Early labor leader inspires school name". Chicago Tribune. May 12, 1966. 11. Clipping at Newspapers.com.
3. Casey Banas. "Students now take their hats off to Orr High's no-nonsense principal". Chicago Tribune. November 9, 1975. 20. Clipping at Newspapers.com.
4. Robert Colvin. "Plans O.K.'d to build new high school". Chicago Tribune. February 7, 1971. W10. Clipping at Newspapers.com.
5. "Best High Schools in Chicago, IL | GreatSchools". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
6. "IHSA Season Summaries". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). November 16, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
7. "Orr beats Winnebago, repeats 2A championship".
8. "Jay Davis missed majors in two decades, became star in Korea".
9. "Myke Henry - MEN'S BASKETBALL". DePaul University Athletics.

External links

• Official website