McHenry High School

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McHenry High School
Address
4724 W Crystal Lake Rd, McHenry, IL 60050 (Upper Campus) 1012 N Green St, McHenry, IL 60050 (Freshman Campus) United States
Coordinates	42°20′09″N 88°17′23″W / 42.33578°N 88.28971°W / 42.33578; -88.28971 (Upper Campus) 42°20′32″N 88°16′01″W / 42.3421°N 88.2669°W / 42.3421; -88.2669 (Freshman Campus)
Information
Established	1925
Superintendent	Ryan McTague
CEEB code	142830
Principal	Dr. Jeff Prickett Ed.D
Teaching staff	94.72 (FTE)[2]
Grades	10 - 12
Enrollment	2,146 (2019–20)[2][3]
Student to teacher ratio	15.43[2]
Color(s)
Song	McHenry Warrior Fight Song [1]
Athletics conference	Fox Valley Conference
Mascot	Leonidas the Warrior
Newspaper	The McHenry Messenger themchenrymessenger.com
Feeder schools	Parkland Middle School McHenry Middle School Harrison Elementary School
Website	www.dist156.org/o/mchs

McHenry High School is a four-year public high school in McHenry, Illinois that serves 9th to 12th grade students. It is part of McHenry Community High School District 156, which operates two separate campuses. The Freshman Campus was established in 1925, which currently serves 9th grade students. The Upper Campus was established in 1968, which serves students between 10th grade and 12th grade. The principal for McHenry High School is Dr. Jeff Prickett Ed.D. The school colors are orange and black, and the mascot is Leonidas the Warrior.

History[]

The McHenry High School - Freshman Campus (formerly known as McHenry East High School Campus) housed 9th-12th grade students since its establishment in 1925 until 1968. In 1968, McHenry High School Upper Campus (formerly known as McHenry High School West Campus) was first opened to 11th-12th grade students to accommodate McHenry's and surrounding towns' population growth. Both the Upper Campus and Freshman Campus were split between grade levels. The Upper Campus housed students in 11th and 12th grade, while the Freshman Campus housed students in 9th and 10th grade. This structure continued until Johnsburg High School was opened in 1979. With the departure of Johnsburg High School students, the McHenry High School district restructured grade levels between both campuses and renamed them McHenry High School West Campus and McHenry High School East Campus, according to the location of both campuses. The East Campus was located on the east side of McHenry, Illinois, while the West Campus was located on the west side of McHenry, Illinois. Despite two separate campuses, they both operated under McHenry High School to keep the one Warrior identity and spirit between both campuses. After the grade level restructure, both campuses housed 9th-12th grade students from different parts of the City of McHenry and surrounding towns within the boundaries of the school district. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the schools grew to capacity as McHenry County was one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States during the population boom of the 1990s. After several failed referenda attempts during the 1990s to expand the Upper Campus and improve facilities at the Freshman Campus, a referendum was finally approved in 2000. Construction began in 2000 and was finished in 2003 with the additions of a new gym, cafeteria, and staircases to the Upper Campus. The Upper Campus was expanded to have a capacity of close to 1,600 with the Freshman Campus remaining around 950. Following the new addition opening at the Upper Campus, boundaries were then changed to reflect this added facility space. Since the completion of the 2003 expansion of the Upper Campus, inequities between the Upper Campus and Freshman Campus have been growing. During the 2010s, the McHenry High School district has developed over 20 Advanced Placement courses and a variety of dynamic, 21st-century electives. In a statement from the school district, "As our curriculum offerings become more modern and advanced, East [Freshman] Campus students have increasingly been forced to travel to West [Upper] Campus or select other opportunities. About a quarter of all MCHS students travel and about 23% of teachers. The vast majority of East [Freshman] Campus students have to travel at some point during high school and many find themselves attending multiple classes at West [Upper] Campus during the school day."^[4] As these inequities began to grow, district officials approved a $44 million referendum ^[5] that asked voters whether they would approve or reject the addition of a new Science, Technology and Industry Center at the McHenry High School Upper Campus, and building improvements in both campuses such as the replacement of fluorescent to energy-efficient and brighter LED lights in classrooms,^[6] new furniture such as chairs, tables, for the commons areas, an expansion McHenry High School Upper Campus' parking lot to accommodate the additional 10th-12th grade students coming from the Freshman Campus (Formerly East Campus),^[7] expansion of tennis courts, and safety projects. In 2018, the referendum was approved by voters ^[8] and construction started in 2019 ^[9] and was completed in the summer of 2021. With the new addition at the Upper Campus, and the grade restructuring between both campuses, it is the first and only high school in McHenry County that holds a dedicated Science, Technology, and Industry Center as of 2021. It is also the only high school in McHenry County to serve separate grade levels between both campuses.

Academics[]

McHenry High School offers over 30 Advanced Placement courses and dual credit pathways. The AP® participation rate at McHenry High School-Upper Campus is 40%.^[10] The high school also holds a 70,000 square foot State-of-the-Art center for Science, Technology, and Industry Center for courses in biology, computer science, and manufacturing such as a t-shirt print shop, automotive course, technology rooms for robotics, applied engineering, and computer sciences, e-Sports, and classrooms dedicated to biology and medical studies, and new journalism classrooms. McHenry High School is ranked 193 out of 711 in high school academics within Illinois according to US News based on data from the 2018–2019 school year.^[11]

Extracurriculars[]

Symphonic Band[]

Under the direction of Spencer Hile, The McHenry High School Symphonic Band performed at the 2019 SuperState Festival at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The McHenry High School Symphonic Band was also accepted to perform at the 2020 All-State Festival in Peoria, Illinois. Both festivals featured the top high school symphonic bands in the state of Illinois. Most notably, the McHenry High School Symphonic Band was accepted as a featured band at the 2020 Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, as one of the nation's top 16 high school bands. Unfortunately, the 2020 All-State Festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their choir, "Surround Sound," was invited to sing for Eric Whitacre in New York City at Carnegie Hall in November 2020, however, the performance was also canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent festival acceptances were the firsts in the school's history.

The McHenry Messenger[]

The McHenry Messenger, launched in the Winter of 2019, is McHenry High School's student run newspaper. It has received various recognitions from the Illinois Journalism Education Association (IJEA). In its first year of operation, during the school year of 2019–2020, it has received the Best Website, 3rd Best Hybrid Publication, and an All-State Journalism Team recognitions.^[12]

Key Club[]

"Key Club is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization that teaches leadership through service to others. Members of the Kiwanis International family, Key Club members build themselves as they build their schools and communities. Key Club has approximately 260,000 members in approximately 5,000 clubs. Key Club is represented in 37 countries” according to the McHenry Key Club website.^[13] In the Spring of 2021, officers with the Upper Campus Key Club attended the first Key Club Digital District Convention and Leadership Conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic and received several awards.^[14] The McHenry Key Club received 1st place in the platinum division for the James Robert Hall Achievement Award. The club also received the RIOT Award, the Newsletter Award, and the Technology Award. The Advisor Emma Theel said she is proud of how club members adapted to ever-changing conditions during the last year. Theel said the Upper Campus club, one of the largest, was mentioned several times for the efforts to continue to serve during a global pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Yearbook[]

The Warrior, McHenry High School's yearbook, has received several recognitions from Illinois Journalism Education Association (IJEA). In 2017, The Warrior yearbook has received first place in Division 5. Since 2018, McHenry High School is considered a division 6 school, due to an increased enrollment of students that surpassed over 2,100. In 2018, under Division 6, The Warrior Yearbook has received second place in overall general excellence.^[15] However, in 2019, The Warrior only received honorable mentions.^[16] In 2020, despite a turbulent end of the 2019–2020 academic school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Warrior received third place in overall excellence.

Athletics[]

McHenry High School is a member of the Fox Valley Conference and Illinois High School Association (IHSA).^[17]

As of 2021, McHenry High School offers the following sports:

• Football
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Cross Country
• Volleyball
• Golf
• Swimming
• Basketball
• Lacrosse
• Bowling
• Wrestling
• Water Polo
• Baseball
• Badminton

Notable alumni[]

Please note: Prior to the Class of 2021, the Upper Campus (Formerly West Campus) and the Freshman Campus (Formerly East Campus) separately held their own respective class graduation ceremonies. Since the Class of 2022, former East and West seniors merged and graduate at the Upper Campus.

Upper (West) Campus[]

• Matt Skiba (Class of 1994) – lead singer of Alkaline Trio.
• Jason Faunt (Class of 1992) – actor best known for Wesley Collins on Power Rangers Time Force
• Ryan Sierakowski (Class of 2015) – professional MLS player (Portland Timbers)
• Bobby Miller (Class of 2017) – professional MLB pitcher (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Freshman (East) Campus[]

• Chuck Hiller (Class of 1952) – former MLB player (San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates)
• Robert Tonyan (Class of 2012) – professional American football player for the Green Bay Packers.
• Gary Adams (Class of 1961) – founder of TaylorMade Golf Company.

References[]

External links[]

• Official website