School type public secondary Superintendent Bill Kendall Staff 107 Average ACT scores 17 | Opened 1967 Principal Renee A. Simms Phone +1 708-799-7000 | |
Motto Soaring with unity, pride, and excellence District Bremen Community High School District 228 Similar Tinley Park High School, Homewo High School, Rich Central High Sch, Thornwood High School, Dwight D Eisenhow High Sch | ||
Hillcrest High School is a public four year high school located in Country Club Hills, Illinois. It is part of Bremen High School District 228 which also includes Tinley Park High School, Oak Forest High School, and Bremen High School.
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The name "Hillcrest" aside from the obvious connotation of being "the highest point of a hill", is a portmanteau of the two towns which the school primarily serves: Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest.
History
The first principal of Hillcrest, William Henry Reeves, was appointed in May 1965, leaving his job as principal of Bremen High School to start the new school. Groundbreaking took place in November of that year, with a needed bond referendum passing in December 1966 to cover construction of an addition, even before the school was opened. The school opened in February 1967.
The early 1970s at Hillcrest saw a number of racially motivated incidents as the demographics of the school's attendance area began to shift. A late April 1970 incident, coupled with similar incidents in other local schools led to the spread of attacks beyond the school to the local community of Markham. In 1971, the school was temporarily closed after a racially motivated fight that resulted in 48 students being suspended. 1973 saw a 14 May riot that resulted in 34 suspensions and the recommendation for 20 expulsions. When the school board, under pressure from parents, decided to rescind some of the punishments without consulting the building staff or administration, the school's principal, Lee Cox, requested reassignment.
In 1990, the FBI investigated an incident involving several students from the school who claimed they had been harassed by a Forest Preserve officer while taking a day off from school illegally. Among those counseling parents at the time was R. Eugene Pincham.
In February 1994, the school cancelled planned parent-teacher conferences and a day off of school to accommodate a visit by President Bill Clinton. Students were banned from parking at the school that day to accommodate the president's helicopter, Marine One, landing in the parking lot. The visit coincided with the Brady Bill becoming law.
As of 2012, 97.8% of the student population is African-American.
Academics
Hillcrest students had an average ACT composite score of 17 and a graduation rate of 81% in 2015. According to the provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Hillcrest has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)in over 10 years.
Activities
Hillcrest sponsors over 35 extracurricular activities ranging from academic competition and performing arts to cultural and special interests. Activities which are chapters or affiliates of nationally notable organizations include Business Professionals of America, DECA, FCCLA, Key club, and National Honor Society.
In the performing arts, the school supports a band, chorus, and drama club.
Athletics
Hillcrest competes in the South Suburban Conference (SSC) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. Teams are stylized as the Hawks.
The school sponsors interscholastic sports teams for both men and women in basketball, bowling, cross country, and track & field. Men may also compete in baseball, football, golf, and wrestling while women may compete in cheerleading, softball, tennis, and volleyball.
The following teams finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament or meet: