Waukegan High School Explained

Waukegan High School
Streetaddress:2325 Brookside Avenue
Zipcode:60085
Country:United States
Coordinates:42.3638°N -87.8651°W (Brookside)
42.3586°N -87.8441°W (Washington)
Superintendent:Theresa Plascencia
Principal:Timothy Bryner
Students:4,609 (2017–18)[1]
Teaching Staff:215.00 FTE
Avg Class Size:20.4[2]
Act:22
Gender:coed
Schooltype:Public
Grades:9–12
Campus:Suburban
Song:The Purple, Green And Gold
Fightsong:The Purple, Green And Gold
Accreditation:AdvancED[3]
Mascot:Bulldog
Team Name:Waukegan Bulldogs
School Colors:Purple, Kelly green and gold
[4]
Newspaper:The Dog Times
Opened:1870

Waukegan High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Waukegan, Illinois, USA, a city to the north of Chicago, Illinois. It is part of Waukegan Community Unit School District 60. Students attend classes at the Washington Campus (EAST Campus), located at 1011 Washington Street, and also at the Brookside Campus (WEST Campus), at 2325 Brookside Avenue.

History

Waukegan High School has been in operation for over 150 years, though the name and buildings used have changed as the town grew.

Early years

WHS was established in 1870, with classes held inside the pre-existing 1868 Waukegan Central School; the first high school class graduated in 1874. That building and all teaching materials inside were destroyed by a fire one evening in early January 1889; it was soon replaced by a new building with the same name.

WTHS era

Due to continuing population growth and the mid-1905 mission change from a city school to one serving the entire township), additional space was soon needed. A building that would become known as the 'Senior School' was constructed between 1908 and 1910; the complementary 'Junior School' was opened at the corner of Washington and Jackson in 1921. These buildings were the initial elements of the aforementioned Washington Campus.[5]

From July 1905 until the construction of the Brookside Campus, it was known as the Waukegan Township High School (W.T.H.S. or WTHS).

Post-war changes

The Brookside Campus was built to accommodate the baby boomer generation after WWII and opened in 1974.[6] Brookside Campus originally held the Freshmen and Sophomore classes, while Washington Campus housed the Junior and Senior classes. Between the 1975–76 school year, and the 1989–90 school year, Waukegan High School split into two completely separate campuses. The East (Washington) campus is considered to be one and the same as the current and previous Waukegan High School. The West (Brookside) Campus was, during those years, a separate high school known as Waukegan West. After 1990, the two campuses combined, with Washington Campus becoming a 9th grade center, while Brookside Campus became a 10th–12th grade center.[7] One small development of the two schools combining was the new mascot, a bulldog with an eye-patch. The eye-patch is an homage to Waukegan West's mascot: a raider.

21st Century

After the 2004 school year, a new program called "Houses" was created, with the goals of creating smaller learning environments for the student body, and allowing for those students to learn with like-minded people. All even number houses up to eight were located at Washington Campus, while all odd-numbered houses up to seven were located at Brookside Campus. Each house contained their own principal, dean, secretary, and several counselors. The program ended by the 2017–2018 school year, and instead a change was opted where Brookside Campus became a 9th–10th grade learning center, while Washington Campus became an 11th–12th grade learning center.

Today, it is one of the largest high schools in the United States.[8]

Demographics

According to the Illinois School Report Card for 2018, the demographics are as follow: 79.2% Hispanic, 13% Black, 3.5% White, 1.6% Asian, 1.7% Two or More Races, 0.8% American Indian, and 0.2% Pacific Islander.[9]

Feeder Schools

Public schools

Name of feeder schoolName of feeder school's school district
Edith M. Smith Middle School[10] Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
Jack Benny Middle School[11] Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
Miguel Juarez Middle School[12] Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
Robert E. Abbott Middle School[13] Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
John Lewis Middle School[14] Waukegan Community Unit School District 60

Athletics

The Waukegan Bulldogs are members of the North Suburban Conference. They also compete as a part of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which sponsors the state tournaments for most of the sports and activities in the state.

During the time when Waukegan High School was split into Waukegan East and Waukegan West High Schools, East retained the "Bulldog" nickname that had been in use, while the West school took the name "Raiders". When the schools merged again, the traditional Bulldog name was retained, however, a pirate's eye patch was added to depictions of the bulldog to honor the "Raiders" legacy of the West campus.[15]

Waukegan sponsors the following interscholastic athletic teams for men and women:

While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams in pom poms for women, and coed teams in drill team and rifle team.[16]

The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective state championship tournaments, sponsored by the IHSA:[17]

The 1982–83 baseball state title, the 1983–84 4th-place finish in girls golf, and the 1989–90 3rd-place finish in boys track & field were won by Waukegan West High School. The IHSA recognizes the current Waukegan High School as the caretaker of these victories.[17]

The Purple, The Green, The Gold (Fight Song)

Also known as the School Song, or Purple, Green, and Gold, it was originally composed by Otto E. Graham in 1959.[18]

Notable alumni

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Waukegan High School. National Center for Education Statistics. November 5, 2019.
  2. Web site: Archived copy . August 6, 2015 . March 7, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180307022838/http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/publicsite/getReport.aspx?year=2014&code=3404906000022_e.pdf . dead .
  3. http://www.advanc-ed.org/oasis2/u/par/accreditation/summary?institutionId=8592 Institution Summary
  4. Web site: Waukegan High School. 2024-03-27. Illinois High School Association. en-US.
  5. Book: 1923 Annual W . 1923 . May 8, 2023.
  6. Web site: Waukegan West High School. www.illinoishsglorydays.com. October 15, 2019.
  7. Web site: CITY PUTS OLD SCHOOL BACK IN BUSINESS . March 31, 1996 . May 9, 2023 . Chicago Tribune.
  8. Web site: Top 100 Largest High Schools in America. Did You Attend One Of Them? (8) UniversityPrimetime. www.universityprimetime.com. February 2, 2019 . October 15, 2019.
  9. Web site: Illinois Report Card. www.illinoisreportcard.com. October 15, 2019.
  10. Web site: Home. webster.wps60.org. en-US. October 31, 2019.
  11. Web site: Home. benny.wps60.org. en-US. October 31, 2019.
  12. Web site: Home. juarez.wps60.org. en-US. October 31, 2019.
  13. Web site: Robert Abbott Middle School . abbott.wps60.org . March 11, 2023.
  14. Web site: Home. jefferson.wps60.org. en-US. October 31, 2019.
  15. Web site: Waukegan HS history. April 11, 2009.
  16. Web site: Waukegan HS Athletic Department. athletics2000.com.
  17. Web site: Season Summaries for Waukegan High School. April 11, 2009. ihsa.org.
  18. Web site: WHS Bands History – Waukegan High School Bands. sites.google.com. October 31, 2019.
  19. News: Sadin . Steve . Paul Adams, legendary Deerfield football coach, dies at 82 . March 18, 2019 . Deerfield Review . Pioneer Press . March 17, 2019.
  20. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/preps/highschool/585327,CST-SPT-spot03.article Bell, Taylor; Waukegan: High School of the Week; 3 October 2007; Chicago Sun- Times; accessed 13 April 2009
  21. Web site: 11th Round of the 1990 MLB June Amateur Draft - Baseball-Reference.com. Baseball-Reference.com.
  22. Web site: 1931 – 1940 Illinois State Society History: Jack Benny. illinoisstatesoceity.typepad.com.
  23. Web site: Corky Calhoun Stats - Basketball-Reference.com. Basketball-Reference.com.
  24. Web site: Mayor Cunningham . City of Waukegan website. January 17, 2021.
  25. Web site: Johnny Dickshot Stats. Baseball Almanac. December 3, 2012.
  26. https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00014210.html Schwartz, Larry; Automatic Otto defined versatility; espn.com; accessed 11 April 2009
  27. Web site: Otto Graham stats and profil . April 11, 2009 . databasefootball.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090114085041/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=GRAHAOTT01 . January 14, 2009 .
  28. Web site: Waukegan High School classmates recall Trump's new interim national security adviser as 'very smart guy' with open ambition. Coleman. Emily K.. September 11, 2019 . chicagotribune.com . Lake County News-Sun. September 12, 2019.
  29. Web site: Jermaine Lewis stats and profile at Arena Football League. April 24, 2009. AFL.
  30. Web site: Analyzing the Rise of Adam Pearce as the Authority Figure of WWE. February 20, 2021. Bleacher Report.
  31. Web site: Jerome Whitehead Stats - Basketball-Reference.com. Basketball-Reference.com.

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