William Fremd High School

Last updated
William Fremd High School
William Fremd High School.jpg
Address
William Fremd High School
1000 S. Quentin Road

Palatine
,
Illinois
60067

United States
Coordinates 42°05′39″N88°03′58″W / 42.0943°N 88.0661°W / 42.0943; -88.0661
Information
School typepublic secondary
Opened1961 [1]
School district Township H.S. 211
SuperintendentLisa A. Small [2] [3]
PrincipalMark Langer [4]
Teaching staff163.10 (on an FTE basis) [5]
Grades9–12
Gendercoed
Enrollment2,657 (2023–2024) [5]
Average class size22.0 [6]
Student to teacher ratio16.29 [5]
Campussuburban
Colour(s)  Forest Green
  Gold [7]
Fight song "Viking Fight Song"
Athletics conference Mid-Suburban League
MascotViking
PublicationThe Conspiracy [8]
NewspaperThe Viking Logue [9]
YearbookValhallan [10]
Average ACT25 [11]
Average SAT1178.5 [12]
Website adc.d211.org/Domain/9

William Fremd High School, or Fremd (initially Palatine High School South), is a public four-year high school located in Palatine, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates High School, Palatine High School, and Schaumburg High School. Academically, Fremd High School has also been recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Best High Schools" and by U.S. News & World Report as one of 99 outstanding high schools in the United States [13] with the average AP test taker in the class of 2018 taking 5.4 exams. [14] Fremd serves the portion of Palatine that is southwest of the UP NW Line railroad tracks as well as north Hoffman Estates, west Rolling Meadows, north Schaumburg, east South Barrington and southeast Inverness. [15] Feeder schools include Plum Grove Junior High, Carl Sandburg Junior High, Walter Sundling Junior High and Margaret Mead Junior High. Feeder elementary schools are Pleasant Hill, Paddock, Hunting Ridge, Central Road, Willow Bend, Thomas Jefferson, Marion Jordan, Fairview, and Frank C. Whiteley.

Contents

History

Fremd opened in 1961 as Palatine High School South. [1] The school was later named after William Fremd who had been a member of the high school board of education for over 30 years and had served on school boards in the area for a consecutive period of more than 45 years. Fremd donated the land for the school. In the first yearbook the school was said to 'blend and stretch into the cornfields'. The school was the second high school to be built in Palatine, Illinois after Palatine High School. Palatine South and then Fremd originally served as the school for all Palatine freshman and sophomores while Palatine High School was the school for juniors and seniors. This plan was only in effect for three years before Fremd was expanded to serve as a 4 year high school. In the fall of 1966 the first junior class entered, and they became the first Fremd graduating class in 1968. Then Junior Cathy Klep designed the Viking logo, based on the Minnesota Vikings logo. Junior, Colleen McGrath designed the school crest, incorporating the Viking logo and modeled after her family crest. A school motto was adopted in 1995 after a contest for students. Sophomore Jessica Frank won the contest. In 2001, construction began to create a new science wing. The courtyard which stood in the center of the school was demolished. After two years of year-round construction, the new science wing was built along with a heating and ventilation facility on the roof of the building. [16]

In the early 2000s, Fremd underwent several construction projects, including the replacement of bleachers in the main gymnasium, renovated tiling, and additional classrooms. The music department added a rehearsal room, larger practice rooms with more advanced sound-proof walls, and increased storage space. [17] In the newest addition to the school, a synthetic turf football field was added. In 2016, a new pool facility was added to Fremd.

On November 2, 2015, The New York Times reported that the federal government determined that Fremd's administration violated anti-discrimination laws because "it did not allow a transgender student who identifies as a girl and participates on a girls’ sports team to change and shower in the girls’ locker room without restrictions." The New York Times added that the student in question "identifies as female but was born male." [18]

As of 2018, Fremd is one of the largest high schools in the region, with a student body of approximately 2600. The school is also noted for its high operating costs: in the 2016–2017 school year, Fremd's district spent $18,721 per pupil, with the average teacher being paid $99,474. [6]

Academics

In 2018, Fremd had an average SAT score of 1178.5 [12] and a four-year graduation rate of 97.9%. The average class size is 24.7. On the mathematics portion of the SAT, 71.3% of students met or exceeded standards, while on the English/language arts portion, that figure was 68.5%. Additionally, 66.5% of students showed proficiency on the Illinois Science Assessment. [6]

From April 1998 to September 2019, 75 students from Fremd earned the highest possible composite score on the ACT, a 36. [19] In the same time frame, only six students earned the highest possible score on the SAT, a 1600. [20]

In 1987, Fremd was named among the top in the nation in the United States Department of Education's National Secondary School Recognition Program. Fremd High School has also been recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Best High Schools" and by U.S. News & World Report as one of 99 outstanding high schools in the United States. [13] In 2006, Fremd was recognized as the 302nd best high school in the nation by Newsweek, with an average of 1.3 AP tests taken per graduating senior. [21]

Demographics

In the 2022-2023 school year, the school had 2,708 students. 47% of students identified as non-Hispanic white, 32% were Asian, 12% were Hispanic or Latino, 5% were black or African-American, and 4% were multiracial. The school has a student to teacher ratio of 16.7, and 21% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. [22]

Athletics

Fremd competes in the Mid-Suburban League (west division), and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities in the state. Its mascot is the Viking.

Fremd sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, chess, and water polo. Men may also compete in baseball, football, and wrestling, while women may compete in badminton, bowling, and softball. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors separate teams for young men and women in lacrosse. Hockey is also a club sport for men. [23]

The following teams have won their respective IHSA state tournament or meet:

The twelve state titles in girls gymnastics is a state record. [30] The girls gymnastics team also holds state records for appearances at the state meet, top three team finishes, sectional titles, and regional titles. [31]

Activities

Fremd sponsors 60 clubs and activities ranging from cultural and artistic to academic and technological. Among the activities which are chapters or affiliates of more nationally notable groups are: BPA, Chess, Robotics, FCCLA, Model UN, Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Honor Society, Vikettes (Colorguard), and National Science Bowl. [32]

Five activities have won their respective IHSA sponsored state competition:

The Fremd Vikettes have won state titles in Team Dance Illinois, earning a First Place State Championship in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and Second Place State Titles in 2013 and 2014 for their flag/colorguard performances.

Each year, William Fremd High School hosts Writers Week, which has brought more than 200 writers to the Fremd campus since 1995 to share their work and philosophy on the writing process. Distinguished guest presenters have included Billy Collins, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nobel Prize laureate Leon Lederman; journalists Rick Bragg, Dana Kozlov, Burt Constable, and Eric Zorn; novelists Jane Hamilton, Raymond Benson, Rosellen Brown, Harry Mark Petrakis, and Frederik Pohl; poets Nikki Giovanni, Naomi Shihab Nye, and poetry slam creator Marc Smith; screenwriters Bill Kelly and Craig J. Nevius; and sportswriters Dan Roan and Mike Imrem. Presenters also include selected Fremd students and faculty. [37]

Notable alumni

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References

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  2. ↑ "Illinois Coronavirus Updates: New Closure Order in Chicago, County Reports First Case". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  3. ↑ "Administration / Superintendent & Cabinet". Township High School District 211. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
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  13. 1 2 "A Current Profile" (PDF). District 211 Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
  14. ↑ "Illinois Report Card". www.illinoisreportcard.com. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  15. ↑ "Palatine High School". US News.
  16. ↑ "History of Township High School District 211". District 211 Website. Archived from the original on 2006-02-19.
  17. ↑ "Fremd High School Music Addition" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
  18. ↑ Smith, Mitch; Davey, Monica (2 November 2015). "Illinois District Violated Transgender Student's Rights, U.S. Says". The New York Times.
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  31. ↑ "Table of Titles for girls gymnastics". www.ihsa.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-26.
  32. ↑ "Activities Listing / Activities at FHS". adc.d211.org. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  33. ↑ "Records and History: Debate Champions" . Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  34. 1 2 "Records and History: Drama and Group Interpretation Champions and Runners-Up" . Retrieved 7 June 2019.
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  36. ↑ "Records and History: Drama and Group Interpretation Champions and Runners-Up" . Retrieved 7 June 2019.
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  56. ↑ "Ex-Fremd star Tolzien a proven winner at Wisconsin". Daily Herald. 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
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