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Barrington High School (Lake County, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Barrington High School is a public four-year high school
located in Barrington, Illinois
, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. It is part of Barrington Community Unit School District 220.
incorporated in 1865, the area did not have a dedicated permanent high school until 1949. On February 8, 1947, the village held an election to choose a site for a new high school. Of approximately 1,414 ballots cast, 1,013 were cast in favor of selecting the current location on West Main Street. Voters also granted the village authority to purchase the 70-acre site, issue bonds
for the high school's construction, and build the high school. The original purchase price for the site was $37,000.00. At the time, some residents complained that the tract bought had been too large; the opposition countered that unless the tract stretched far to the north, other residents and/or businesses might purchase that land, and the board would not be able to buy the land as cheaply later. The Consolidated High School Board of Education, now Community Unit School District 220, consulted authorities on location, educational needs and the most fitting type of building allowing for future planning. The board engaged the architectural firm of Perkins and Will
to design the original structure. The village issued $940,000.00 in bonds for the site and building; however, due to rising construction prices at the time, the high school as planned could not be completed for that amount. On June 12, 1948, an election increased the authorization for such bonds by an additional $328,000.00 by a decision of 388 to 71. Groundbreaking
on the high school took place on July 10, 1948, and engineer George Gilfeather supervised the ensuing construction almost daily. Classes began in the new building on September 12, 1949 under Superintendent F.C. Thomas.
's 2008 list of the 1,300 best public high schools in America. Ninety-eight percent of Barrington's graduates enroll in college or post-graduate training programs. However, as of 2008 the state of Illinois found that Barrington had not made Adequate Yearly Progress
as a part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act
, as multiple student sub groups failed to make minimum progress.
According to the College Board
, Barrington High School ranks in the top 1% of more than 14,350 high schools both nationally and internationally for the number of AP exams
taken by students. District 220 has received the 2004 Bright A+ award for academic excellence from SchoolSearch. Barrington schools rank in the top 5% of Illinois districts, and SchoolMatch has selected District 220 as being among the top 16% of the nation's public school districts being recognized through their Educational Effectiveness Audits. The Physics Program, developed over 25 years, was featured in a PBS documentary produced by Kurtgwbusdeagts Productions and in "Beyond 2000", an Australian television production. The Fine Arts Department is also one of the most comprehensive in Illinois. The studio-based art program received a state award for excellence, and an in-house gallery features regional and professional artists. The music department has received two consecutive Grammy Awards for outstanding programs.
. It is also a full member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which governs most high school athletics in the state.
The school sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming & diving
, tennis
, track & field, volleyball
, and water polo
. Men may also compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
. Women may compete in badminton
, bowling
, cheerleading
, and softball
.
While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for men and women in ice hockey
and lacrosse
, in addition to pom poms.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Barrington, Illinois
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of Barrington Community Unit School District 220.
Original structure
Although the village of BarringtonBarrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
incorporated in 1865, the area did not have a dedicated permanent high school until 1949. On February 8, 1947, the village held an election to choose a site for a new high school. Of approximately 1,414 ballots cast, 1,013 were cast in favor of selecting the current location on West Main Street. Voters also granted the village authority to purchase the 70-acre site, issue bonds
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
for the high school's construction, and build the high school. The original purchase price for the site was $37,000.00. At the time, some residents complained that the tract bought had been too large; the opposition countered that unless the tract stretched far to the north, other residents and/or businesses might purchase that land, and the board would not be able to buy the land as cheaply later. The Consolidated High School Board of Education, now Community Unit School District 220, consulted authorities on location, educational needs and the most fitting type of building allowing for future planning. The board engaged the architectural firm of Perkins and Will
Perkins and Will
Perkins+Will was founded in Chicago in 1935 by and ., on the belief that design has the power to transform lives and enhance society...
to design the original structure. The village issued $940,000.00 in bonds for the site and building; however, due to rising construction prices at the time, the high school as planned could not be completed for that amount. On June 12, 1948, an election increased the authorization for such bonds by an additional $328,000.00 by a decision of 388 to 71. Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
on the high school took place on July 10, 1948, and engineer George Gilfeather supervised the ensuing construction almost daily. Classes began in the new building on September 12, 1949 under Superintendent F.C. Thomas.
Additions and expansions
In February 1955, an election to expand the high school granted a bond issue of $850,000.00 by a vote of 880 to 117. These funds were used to add a wing to the west end of the building that connected the school to the gymnasium and add a second story to the original building at the north end; these additions were completed in September 1956. On November 8, 1958, voters permitted bonds in the amount of $1,600,000.00 to be used for a further addition on the east side of the building, including twenty-three classrooms, an auxiliary gymansium, and an auditorium. These improvements began in 1959 and were completed in the fall of 1960. In 1999, Barrington voters approved an additional bond issuance for substantial remodeling and expansion of the high school. This expansion included updating the building's classroom and athletic facilities as well as adding additional accommodations for the school's approximately 2,400 students.Academics
Barrington High School reported that in 2011 its students scored a composite average of 25 on the ACT college entrance exam, which is reportedly the highest average in the school's history and roughly four points higher than the state and national averages. The school is ranked #553 on NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
's 2008 list of the 1,300 best public high schools in America. Ninety-eight percent of Barrington's graduates enroll in college or post-graduate training programs. However, as of 2008 the state of Illinois found that Barrington had not made Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
as a part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
, as multiple student sub groups failed to make minimum progress.
According to the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
, Barrington High School ranks in the top 1% of more than 14,350 high schools both nationally and internationally for the number of AP exams
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
taken by students. District 220 has received the 2004 Bright A+ award for academic excellence from SchoolSearch. Barrington schools rank in the top 5% of Illinois districts, and SchoolMatch has selected District 220 as being among the top 16% of the nation's public school districts being recognized through their Educational Effectiveness Audits. The Physics Program, developed over 25 years, was featured in a PBS documentary produced by Kurtgwbusdeagts Productions and in "Beyond 2000", an Australian television production. The Fine Arts Department is also one of the most comprehensive in Illinois. The studio-based art program received a state award for excellence, and an in-house gallery features regional and professional artists. The music department has received two consecutive Grammy Awards for outstanding programs.
Athletics
Barrington is a member of the Mid-Suburban ConferenceMid-Suburban Conference
The Mid-Suburban League is an Illinois High School Association recognized high school extra-curricular league which includes twelve schools located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The conference is split up into two divisions for all interscholastic activities...
. It is also a full member of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which governs most high school athletics in the state.
The school sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming & diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. Men may also compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
. Women may compete in badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
.
While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for men and women in ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, in addition to pom poms.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:
- Baseball: 1985–86
- Cross Country (girls): 2003–04
- Golf (boys): 1992–93
- Gymnastics (girls): 1999–2000
- Soccer (boys): 2007–08
- Track & Field (girls): 2006–07)
Notable alumni
- Craig Anderson is a professional hockey goalieGoaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, currently playing for the Ottawa SenatorsOttawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. - William BeckettWilliam Beckett (singer),William Eugene Beckett Jr. was the lead singer of the band The Academy Is... , who were signed to Atlantic Records/Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance Records. While still in high school in 2002, Beckett and guitarist Mike Carden came together from rival bands in Chicago to form The Academy Is......
, lead singer of The Academy Is...The Academy Is...The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other... - Kallen EsperianKallen EsperianKallen Esperian, born in Barrington, Illinois on , is an Armenian-American lyric soprano.-History:After earning her degree at the University of Illinois, Kallen Esperian went on to win the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition in 1985...
is an international operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
. - Gary FencikGary FencikJohn Gary Fencik is a former professional American-football free safety and currently an executive with Adams Street Partners. Fencik played twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears and is their all-time leader in interceptions and total tackles. He was the team's defensive captain through the 1980s...
was an NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
safety (1976–87), playing his entire career with the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was a member of the Super Bowl XXSuper Bowl XXSuper Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
champions. - Scott LorenzScott LorenzScott Lorenz is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lorenz attended Barrington High School. At Barrington he played on both the soccer and volleyball teams. Playing volleyball he won all-area and all-conference honors...
is a professionial soccer player for Sporting Kansas City - Ryan Miller is a professional soccer player for Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
D.C. UnitedD.C. UnitedD.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... - Terry MoranTerry MoranTerry Moran is the co-anchor of Nightline.-Biography:Moran was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Lawrence University in 1982.-Professional career:-Career as Correspondent:...
is the co-anchor of the late–night news magazine program, Nightline. - Kristin CavallariKristin CavallariKristin Elizabeth Cavallari is an American television personality and actress. She is best known for her starring roles on the former MTV reality television programs Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off, The Hills.-Early life:Cavallari was born in Denver, Colorado, the second of...
, former reality tv star of The HillsThe HillsThe Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found... - Henry M. Paulson was the U.S. Treasury SecretaryUnited States Secretary of the TreasuryThe Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
(2006–09). - Colleen Zenk PinterColleen Zenk Pinter-Daytime career:She is best known for her role as fashionista-heroine-turned-evil-bitch-cougar-mother-from-hell Barbara Ryan on the daytime drama As the World Turns, a role she began portraying in September 1978....
is an actress, best known for her role as Barbara RyanBarbara RyanFor the Alaska Airlines Flight 261 passenger, see that articleBarbara Ann Coleman is a fictional character on the American soap opera As the World Turns...
on the soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
As the World TurnsAs the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. - Cynthia RowleyCynthia RowleyCynthia Rowley is an American fashion designer. The fashion label she created in the early 1980s bears her name.-Background:...
is a fashion designer. - Brady SmithBrady Smith (American football)Brady McKay Smith is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
was an NFL defensive end (1996–2005) who played for the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Dan WilsonDan Wilson (baseball player)Daniel Allen Wilson , is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and the Seattle Mariners...
was a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher (1992–2005), playing most of his career for the Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July... - Corinne WoodCorinne WoodCorinne J. Wood served as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of the US state of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Illinois and Loyola University School of Law, Wood was named general counsel to the Illinois Commissioner of Banks and Trusts.-Background:Born as...
was the Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant governorA lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
(1999–2003) - Dan StevensonDan StevensonDan Whitney Stevenson is a free agent American football offensive lineman who last played for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
(football player) was in the NFL and played for the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and the Houston Texans
In popular culture
- Alternative rock band The Academy Is...The Academy Is...The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other...
titled their third studio album, Fast Times at Barrington HighFast Times at Barrington HighFast Times at Barrington High is the third and final studio album by American rock band The Academy Is..., released in August 2008. It was produced by S*A*M and Sluggo. The title refers to the high school William Beckett and Adam Siska went to, and a play on the title of the 1982 film Fast Times at...
, after the school because two members of the band are graduates. - An exclusive acoustic performance by BHS alumni William Beckett and Adam Siska of The Academy Is...The Academy Is...The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other...
was held September 11, 2009. It was part of an Awareness Benefit Concert by the HERE In Barrington Coalition. - The rock band Smash MouthSmash MouthSmash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
performed at the football stadium in September 2009. The performance was part of the HERE In Barrington Coalition event "Stomp the Stigma". - As highly publicized and media microscoped as teen suicides have become in America, the school had lost 6 students to suicide within an 18 month period.