Lincoln-Way Central High School Explained

Lincoln-Way Central High School
Zipcode:60451
Country:USA
Coordinates:41.5138°N -87.9298°W
Superintendent:Scott Tingley[1]
Principal:Beth McNamara[2]
Staff:135.34
Ratio:14.50
Grade9:523 students
Grade10:469 students
Grade11:489 students
Grade12:481 students
Average Class Size:22[3]
Act:22.8[4]
Gender:Coed
Schooltype:Public Secondary
Grades:9–12
Campus Size:70 acres
Campus Type:Suburban
Athletics Conference:Southwest Suburban[5]
Fight Song:"Lincoln-Way Loyalty"[6]
Motto:"Once a Knight,
Always a Knight"
Mascot:Knight
Team Name:Knights[7]
Yearbook:Aegis[8]
Newspaper:The Knight Times[9]
Established:1954 (9–12) LW H.S.
1977 (11–12) LW H.S.-Central
2001 (9–12) LWC H.S.[10]
Enrollment:1,962 (2022–23)[11]

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.[12] District 210 offices are located at Lincoln-Way Central.

History

In June 1952, another election provided for the approval and construction of Lincoln-Way High School. The new high school district combined Joliet Township High School, Bloom Township High School, Carl Sandburg High School, and Peotone High School.[13] The cornerstone was ceremonially installed on October 25, 1953, after construction had begun.[13] Lincoln-Way opened its doors to students on September 7, 1954. The name of the school was selected by Mrs. Florence Pittman and the board of education officially adopted it as "Lincoln-Way". The charter members of the student body voted to have red and black as their school colors. Lyrics to the Lincoln-Way Central school song were written by Robert Taylor and Betty Tryon, set to the tune of the University of Chicago pep song.

Bond issues for additions to the original building were approved in 1957, 1960, 1962, and 1969. The 1969 bond issue approved a ninth grade building which was built north of the main building. In 1971 the north building opened up, accommodating 700 students.

In 1994, a field house was added to the campus. Then in 1998, citizens of District No. 210 approved a $60 million building bond referendum to split the existing high school freshmen-sophomore / junior-senior configuration into two separate four-year high schools while adding to the existing two schools an academic wing with 50 classrooms at each campus, Olympic-sized swimming pools, as well as the addition of a fine arts auditorium and music classrooms at Central. The changeover became official for the 2001–02 school year as the Central campus opened as Lincoln-Way Central High School.

Lincoln-Way Central is known as “Lincoln-Way” by area residents because it is the original of the four high schools, rich in over sixty-five years of tradition and history. Students are noted for their exceeding pride. Phrases such as "We are Central", "Once a Knight, Always a Knight", and "Knight Pride" exemplify students' school spirit.

Music

Lincoln-Way Central's Music Department consists of multiple extracurricular music groups, including the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Concert Bands, two jazz ensembles, (Jazz I and II), pep band, orchestra, guitar studio, piano, multiple choirs, including Madrigal Singers, and the school's marching band, the Marching Knights.

The Marching Knights consisted of 101 student members as of the 2012–2013 season. The group marched in the 2005 Presidential Inaugural Parade. The band has been in existence since 1954. In 2017, the Marching Knights combined with the three other Lincoln-Way area High Schools to form the Lincoln-Way Marching Band.

Notable Music Department events include:

Athletics

Lincoln-Way Central competes as a member of the Southwest Suburban Conference. The school is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most athletics and competitive activities in Illinois. Teams are called the "Knights".

The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, esports and water polo.[14] Young women may compete in badminton, cheerleading, poms, and softball, while young men may also compete in baseball, football, and wrestling.[14] Now recognized by the IHSA, the school's athletic department also oversees lacrosse teams for young men and women.[14]

The following teams have won or finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:[15]

Activities and clubs

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Administrative Team at Lincoln-Way District. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151030175027/http://www.lw210.org/administration/list.php. October 30, 2015. dead.
  2. Web site: Administrative Team at Lincoln-Way Central. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151031085907/http://www.lw210.org/Central/administration/. October 31, 2015. dead.
  3. Web site: Lincoln-Way Central High School Illinois School Report Card. Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). August 16, 2015.
  4. Web site: LincolnWay Fact Sheet -July 2015. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305133855/http://lw210.org/documents/board/finance/factsheet.pdf. March 5, 2016. dead.
  5. Web site: IHSA Conferences Affiliated Schools. Illinois High School Association (IHSA). August 15, 2015.
  6. Web site: LincolnWay Central Loyalty & Fight Song. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 14, 2015.
  7. Web site: LincolnWay Central High School. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 15, 2015.
  8. LW Central yearbook staff celebrates 60th edition of Aegis. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305171558/http://lw210.org/news/stories.php?id=2122. March 5, 2016. dead.
  9. Web site: The Knight Times homepage. Lincoln-Way Central High School. August 14, 2015.
  10. Web site: District History . Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 . August 17, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150314225413/http://lw210.org/about/history.php . March 14, 2015 .
  11. Web site: Lincoln-Way Central High School. National Center for Education Statistics. August 22, 2024.
  12. Web site: LincolnWay Board of Education Votes to Close North. Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210. August 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208141545/http://lw210.org/news/stories.php?id=2194. December 8, 2015. dead.
  13. News: Lincoln-Way School to Lay Stone Today. SW A1. Chicago Tribune. October 25, 1953. .
  14. Web site: LincolnWay Central Athletic Department. Lincoln-Way Central High School. August 16, 2015.
  15. Web site: School Directory-->Season summaries for Lincoln-Way Central High School. Illinois High School Association (IHSA). August 17, 2015.
  16. News: Milbert. Neil. Banding together for the whole ride: Friends Dee Brown and James Augustine are nearing the end of four great seasons at Illinois.. Chicago Tribune. February 24, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20121102095404/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-142483351.html. dead. November 2, 2012. September 22, 2009. Illinois will hand out 17,000 headbands ... to honor seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine ... Their paths first crossed during the summer between Augustine's junior and senior year at Lincoln-Way Central.
  17. Web site: 40 James Augustine . biography . University of Illinois Athletics . September 22, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091026183449/http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/augustine_james00.html . October 26, 2009 .
  18. News: Whalen. Randy. Lincoln-Way Central Knights. Chicago Sun-Times. May 27, 2009. September 22, 2009.

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