School type public secondary Grades 9–12 Average ACT scores 21.5 | Opened 1959 Staff 301 Phone +1 708-799-3000 | |
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Motto Dedicated to Excellence Profiles | ||
Homewood-Flossmoor High School (H-F) is a public high school in Flossmoor, Illinois, in the Chicago metropolitan area. The district encompasses nearly 11.5 square miles, drawing students from the communities of Homewood, Flossmoor, Chicago Heights, Glenwood, Hazel Crest, and Olympia Fields, serving school districts 153, 161 and 167.
Contents
- History
- Academics
- Athletics
- Activities
- International Thespian Troupe 2062
- Notable faculty
- Notable alumni
- References
The campus consists of a North* and South Building. The South Building contains a number of sub-buildings each assigned a letter, and includes the school's radio station (WHFH) 88.5 FM Flossmoor, television station VTV, science labs, a swimming pool, a music building, gymnasium and an auditorium. An ice rink is also located on the campus, owned by the local park district.
In 2014, H-F took part in a multi-milliondollar renovation of the North building on campus. The renovations included a new 200-meter track containing four full-sized basketball, volleyball, and badminton courts in the center of the track. The 9,000-sq. ft. facility also contains a state-of-the-art cardio and training equipment. Additionally, a 50-yard indoor turf has expanded the playing and practice season for a variety of field sports and activities, including football, soccer, field hockey, baseball and marching band. The project was finished in late spring 2014. In 2015, H-F was awarded a Gold LEED Award for outstanding environmental practices in the construction of this addition.
History
Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School site opened in 1959 with enrollment at 1,170 students. There were 51 classrooms, which included 10 English classes, 10 Social Science, eight Science, six Mathematics, five Foreign Language, three Physical Education, one Homemaking, three Industrial Arts, two Art, and three Music classes. A cafeteria, library and administrative area were also included.
By 1965, the school’s population had nearly doubled and additional buildings were added: Auditorium (1965), G Building (1966) and E Building (1966). As growth continued, it became apparent that a major new facility was needed, and in 1971, the North Building and fieldhouse opened when the student population topped 4,000.
Following a decade of preparation and fiscal planning, in 1995 a $25 million renovation and addition program was completed: all classrooms and offices were wired for internet access; a music wing was added, providing student practice and performance; a Technology Center and numerous labs to offer computer assisted instruction were completed; the Mall Building, located mid-campus near the football field and field house, was expanded, modernized and staffed, providing athletic training and rehabilitation of student athletes; a new Olympic sized aqua-center was opened; 14 tennis courts were added; and the student-run WHFH radio and TV stations were modernized.
In 1989, football coach John Wrenn proposed District 233 adopt a mandatory drug-testing policy similar to one at two Lafayette, Indiana high schools, where a recent landmark court case decision allowed the creation of such programs. H-F became the first high school in Illinois to require mandatory random drug testing for its student athletes.
In 1996, the school gained publicity when up to 20,000 people gathered on the school lawn to hear President Bill Clinton deliver a speech on education during his 1996 reelection campaign.
In addition to being named a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education three times, the school has received Department of Education Technology Award twice. In 1995, the school's technology plan was named one of the five best in the nation. In spring 2013, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization granted IB World School status to Homewood-Flossmoor. H-F now joins the exclusive company of approximately 3,000 IB World Schools that dot the globe across 138 countries.
Academics
In 2008, H-F had an average composite ACT score of 21.5 and graduated 89.9% of its senior class. H-F has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, the test used in the state of Illinois to fulfill mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. While the school overall has achieved AYP, one student subgroup has not met AYP in reading.
H-F has been named one of Newsweek's top 1,000 schools on several occasions in recent years: 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009 (#1142), 2008 (#746), 2007 (#682), 2006 (#849), 2005 (#744), and 2003 (#518). H-F has also been ranked for several years as one of America's Most Challenging High Schools by the Washington Post.
H-F's Visual Arts Department was named the Best School Art Program in the state in 2013 by the Illinois Art Education Association.
Athletics
H-F competes in the Southwest Suburban Conference (SWSC) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), the organization which governs most sports and competitive activities in Illinois. Teams are stylized as the Vikings.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and water polo. Young men may compete in baseball, football, lacrosse, and wrestling, while young women may compete in badminton, cheerleading and softball. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors an ice hockey team for young men as well as field hockey and poms teams for young women.
The school also offers a fencing team at a club level, which participates in the Great Lakes High School Conference every winter.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
As of 2009, the girls golf team has finished in the top ten at the IHSA State Finals more than any team in state history; their six state titles is the second highest total in state history.
Activities
The following activities placed in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship competition:
·DECA: Multiple state and national championships in various events including Quiz Bowl
• Journalism: State Champions (2010, 2016)
The H-F Theatre Department has holds the record for top three finishes in Drama and Group Interpretation in Illinois, with having won 17 State Championships in Drama, alone. .
International Thespian Troupe #2062
H-F’s drama programs involve both curricular offerings and co-curricular productions. The quality of an H-F production is matched by few in the southern suburbs, by producing 7 Mainstage shows in a school year. Naturally, due to this reputation, H-F holds the Illinois record for State Championships in Drama, with 17 State Championships. H-F also holds the record for top three finishes in Drama and Group Interpretation. HF also has 3 State Championships in Group Interpretation. Due to these unmatched accomplishments, H-F is known for having one of the most reputable theatre programs in the state, and in the nation, as HF's production of "Once on this Island" was adjudicated and selected to perform at the International Theatre Fest in Dublin, Ireland. International Theatre Festival Thespians of H-F have pursued careers from major universities such as Rutgers, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, CCM, Juilliard, Vanderbilt along with Illinois State, and U of I