Willowbrook High School

Willowbrook High School
Address
1250 S. Ardmore Ave. Villa Park, Illinois 60181 United States
Coordinates	41°51′53″N 87°58′57″W / 41.8647°N 87.9825°W / 41.8647; -87.9825
Information
School type	public secondary
Opened	1959
School district	DuPage H.S. District 88
Superintendent	Dr. Scott Helton[1]
Principal	Dan Krause[2]
Staff	139[3]
Grades	9–12
Gender	co-ed
Enrollment	2,145[4]
Average class size	24.5[4]
Campus	suburban
School colour(s)	columbia blue      silver[5]
Fight song	Fight Roman Warriors[6]
Athletics conference	West Suburban Conference
Nickname	Warriors[5]
Average ACT scores	21.6[4]
Publication	Mindprints[7]
Newspaper	Skyline[7]
Yearbook	Centurion[7]
Website	www.dupage88.net/site/sub/3

Willowbrook High School (WBHS) is a public four-year high school located approximately half a mile north of Illinois Route 38 on Ardmore Ave in Villa Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of School District 88,^[8] which also includes Addison Trail High School. Willowbrook draws its students from Villa Park, Oakbrook Terrace, and portions of Elmhurst, Oak Brook and Lombard.

History

Planning for the school began as early as 1950 when projected growth for the area suggested that a new high school would soon be needed.^[9] In January, 1958, the school board not only decided that the new school was to be called Willowbrook (referring to a nearby creek running thru a stand of weeping willow trees), but that the school would be prepared to admit students in all four grades once the school opened in 1959.^[9]

When the school opened, the principal drafted a group of upperclassmen to help shape the schools traditions (colors, team nickname, student council constitution, etc.).^[9] Until the middle of the 1969-1970 school year, students were required to follow a dress code which prohibited (among other things) jeans for both genders and long hair for young men.^[9]

In 1961, a bust of Thomas Jefferson was added to the southeast wall of the school. The bust had been recovered from the demolition of the Louis Sullivan designed Garrick Theater in Chicago by relatives of a (then) current student who were contractors in the theater's demolition.^[9]

In 1963, a north wing was added, including district offices located on the first floor portion of the wing.

In the 1980s, improved vocational education areas were added, as was a greenhouse, and expansion of the library.^[9]

In 2007, a referendum was passed to make infrastructure improvements and help improve the students' learning environment. Groundbreaking began the week of June 9, 2008 and continued year-round. Some holidays were ignored in order to allow construction to be continue longer during summer recesses. Such improvements included the expansion of music facilities, addition of a fieldhouse and other athletic areas, enhancements to existing science labs, mass improvement to electrical/plumbing, technological enhancements, a more student-centered foyer/commons and guidance areas, renovation to the library/media center, expansion of learning spaces and classrooms, installation of air-conditioning, enhancement to traffic flow and parking, the updating of handicap accessibility, and funds put toward the improvement of the auditorium/drama facilities.^[10]

In 2008, the district offices were relocated from the first floor of the north wing to the building previously used by the Addison Public Library.

In 2010, referendum totals came out to be $115.3 million among Willowbrook and sister school Addison Trail High School. After completion of "Building the Future" in the Fall of 2010, dedication ceremonies were held at Willowbrook and Addison Trail on October 17, 2010.^[10]

Academics

In 2008, Willowbrook had an average composite ACT score of 21.6 and graduated 94.2% of its senior class.^[4] Willowbrook made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT, are used as the assessment tools to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act.^[4]

In June 2009, Newsweek, using the Challenge Index, ranked Willowbrook #1464 on their annual list of top American high schools.^[11] The school had been on the list once before; ranked #1343 in 2008.^[11]

Student life

Athletics

Willowbrook competes in the West Suburban Conference. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities. Teams from the school are stylized as the "Warriors" (in the tradition of a mj≠Roman soldier).

The school sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in: basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Young men may also compete in baseball, football, and wrestling, while young women may compete in badminton, bowling, cheerleading, and softball.^[12] While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors a poms team, as well as a basketball team which competeBs in the Special Olympics.^[12]

The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournaments or meets:^[13]

• Badminton: 4th place (1999—2000, 05—06); 3rd place (1994—95, 2002—03); 2nd place (1985—86, 95—96, 96—97); State Champions (1997—98, 98—99)
• Cross Country (boys): 2nd place (1978—79)
• Football: semifinals (1974—75, 75—76)
• Gymnastics (boys): 4th place (1959—60, 64—65, 2014—15); 2nd place (1961—62, 65—66); State Champions (1963—64)
• Baseball: Semifinals (1973)

Activities

The Rock

The Rock is a tradition in Willowbrook High School. It was dug up when the new auditorium was built in the 1960s. It was then positioned outside the main entrance doors of the high school. Students usually paint it in the night with various slogans or colors of their discretion. People use it to express how they feel and to show what's going on. According to the school's website. Neither the school nor the police have issued an official statement. So if you get caught you are on your own.^[14]

In February 2012 the rock was painted red because of freshman Darnell Holt Junior, who was murdered along with his mom, brother and cousin. The rock, painted red because it was Darnells favorite color, had Darnell's name, hundreds on student signatures, and "once a warrior, always a warrior" on the back facing the school. On February 24, 2012, the rock was painted blue (Darnell's second favorite color) to preserve the red paint against the will of some of the students.

On October 5, 2013, the class of 1993 painted the rock after their 20th reunion.

Notable alumni

• Sandra Bland is known for her controversial death, possibly by racially motivated police violence.^[15]
• Robert Falls (class of 1972) is the Artistic Director for the Goodman Theatre in Chicago (1986—present). He won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play, for his direction of Death of a Salesman.^[16]
• Jody Gerut is a former Major League Baseball outfielder (2003—2010) who played for the Milwaukee Brewers.^[17]
• Tom Hicks was an NFL linebacker (1976—80), playing his entire career for the Chicago Bears.^[18]
• Tom Higgenson (class of 1997) is the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated band, Plain White T's.^[19][20]
• Matt Roth (class of 2001) is an NFL defensive end (2005—2011), having played for the Miami Dolphins after college until 2009 when he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Before the 2011-2012 season, he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars^[21][22]
• Rick Santelli, (Class of 1974) is an on-air editor/reporter for the CNBC Business News network.^[23] He joined CNBC as an on-air editor on June 14, 1999, reporting primarily from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. He was formerly the vice president for an institutional trading and hedge fund account for futures-related products. He is credited with being a catalyst of the Tea Party movement via a statement he made on February 19, 2009.^[24]
• Mike Rowland, major league baseball pitcher, San Francisco Giants, 1981-1982
• Dan Schatzeder (class of 1972), major league baseball pitcher, and World Series game winner with the Minnesota Twins.^[25]
• Mike Sheldon (class of 1991) was an NFL offensive lineman (1997—99) for the Miami Dolphins.^[26]
• Dave Tirio (class of 1997) is the guitarist for the Grammy-nominated band, Plain White T's.^[19]

References

External links

• Official website