Rich Central High School
Encyclopedia
Rich Central High School or RCHS, is a public four-year high school
located in Olympia Fields, Illinois
, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. The Rich Central Campus serves the cities of Olympia Fields, Matteson
, Richton Park,
Country Club Hills
, Chicago Heights, and Tinley Park. It is a part of Rich Township District 227, which also includes Rich East High School
and Rich South High School
.
In 1959, a $1,690,000 bond issue was passed to finance building of the initial stage of a new Central Campus in Olympia Fields. The first stage provided facilities for about 700 students. The building has been recognized as one of the "significant schools of the future" in a monograph published by the Ford Foundation. In its July, 1960 issue, The Nation’s Schools carried a cover picture and a ten-page article on the new school under the title, "An Image of the Future in Olympia Fields, IL." In 1960, a bond issue of $225,000 was approved to equip the new school which opened to approximately 425 students in the ninth and tenth grades in September, 1961. At the same time, the East Campus enrolled about 1,600 students. In 1962, a $1,250,000 bond issue was authorized by voters in the district to build and equip an addition to the Central Campus facility bringing its capacity to 1,500 students. This addition was completed for the opening of school in September 1963.
In 1966, a $2,700,000 bond issue was authorized by voters in the district. $2,500,000 of the bond issue was for the purpose of building and equipping additions to the Central and East Campus facilities. This brings the capacity of the Central Campus to 2,100 students and the East Campus to 1,800 students. $200,000 was used to purchase land for a third high school.
. Its mascots are the Olympians and Lady Olympians. Below is a list of sports through the Illinois High School Association
:
in Atlanta, Georgia.
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 Olympia Fields, Illinois
Olympia Fields, Illinois
Olympia Fields is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club, and is also noteworthy as one of the wealthiest majority black communities in the United States...
, a southern 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...
. The Rich Central Campus serves the cities of Olympia Fields, Matteson
Matteson, Illinois
Matteson is a village in Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,928 at the 2000 census and an estimated 17,080 as of July 2007.-Geography:Matteson is located at ....
, Richton Park,
Country Club Hills
Country Club Hills, Illinois
Country Club Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 16,169 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Country Club Hills is located at ....
, Chicago Heights, and Tinley Park. It is a part of Rich Township District 227, which also includes Rich East High School
Rich East High School
Rich East High School or REHS, is a public four-year high school located in Park Forest, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The Rich East Campus serves the cities of Park Forest, Matteson,Olympia Fields,Chicago Heights, & Richton Park...
and Rich South High School
Rich South High School
Rich South High School or RSHS, is a public four-year high school located in Richton Park, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The Rich South Campus serves the cities of Matteson, Park Forest, Richton Park, Olympia Fields & University Park...
.
History
High School District #227 serves the residents of Country Club Hills, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, a small section of Chicago Heights and adjoining rural areas in South Cook County. The district was formed from non-high school territory in 1949. Construction of the East Campus of Rich Township High School, financed by a $1,600,000 bond issue, began in September, 1952. Twelve months later it was operating as a four-year high school. During the 1952-53 school year, a ninth grade school was operating in the Faith United Protestant Church in Park Forest, Located on a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) site donated by American Community Builders, Inc., the original building accommodated approximately 750 students. In 1955, a $450,000 bond issue financed the addition of 12 classrooms and a gymnasium. This increased the capacity of the school to approximately 1,100 students. In 1957, a $1,050,000 bond issue was passed and the money used to increase the size of the East Campus to accommodate 1,500 to 1,600 students. At the same time, 50 acres (202,343 m²) of land for a new high school site was purchased in Olympia Fields.In 1959, a $1,690,000 bond issue was passed to finance building of the initial stage of a new Central Campus in Olympia Fields. The first stage provided facilities for about 700 students. The building has been recognized as one of the "significant schools of the future" in a monograph published by the Ford Foundation. In its July, 1960 issue, The Nation’s Schools carried a cover picture and a ten-page article on the new school under the title, "An Image of the Future in Olympia Fields, IL." In 1960, a bond issue of $225,000 was approved to equip the new school which opened to approximately 425 students in the ninth and tenth grades in September, 1961. At the same time, the East Campus enrolled about 1,600 students. In 1962, a $1,250,000 bond issue was authorized by voters in the district to build and equip an addition to the Central Campus facility bringing its capacity to 1,500 students. This addition was completed for the opening of school in September 1963.
In 1966, a $2,700,000 bond issue was authorized by voters in the district. $2,500,000 of the bond issue was for the purpose of building and equipping additions to the Central and East Campus facilities. This brings the capacity of the Central Campus to 2,100 students and the East Campus to 1,800 students. $200,000 was used to purchase land for a third high school.
Athletics
Rich Central High School has 21 athletic teams, of 10 boys and 11 girls teams, which play in the South Inter-Conference Association and the Illinois High School AssociationIllinois 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...
. Its mascots are the Olympians and Lady Olympians. Below is a list of sports through 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...
:
- Marching Band
- Girls Volleyball
- Boys Soccer
- Golf
- Football
- Girls Tennis
- Cross Country
- Boys Basketball
- Girls Basketball
- Boys Wrestling
- Girls Gymnastics
- Girls Soccer
- Girls Softball
- Girls Bowling
- Boys Track & Field
- Girls Track * Field
- Scholastic Bowl
- Cheerleading
- Music-Instrumental
- Drama
IHSA State Titles
| State Titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sport | Year | |
| Boys Wrestling | 1973-74 | |
| Girls Volleyball | 1976-77 | |
| Girls Bowling | 1979-80 | |
| Girls Bowling | 1982-83 | |
| Girls Bowling | 1983-84 | |
| Girls Gymnastics | 1989-90 | |
| Total | 6 | |
Activities
The Rich Central High School Band has won several titles in the past years. The band took first place at the 2006 Cotton Bowl Classic, 2006 Bud Billiken Parade and the All Star Music Festival in Orlando, Florida. The band has distinguished themselves with over 40 superior ratings in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble Festival. Rich Central High School band has received invitations to the 2007-2008 Fed-Ex Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, ; the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas; and the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl was the 41st annual edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Louisiana State Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
in Atlanta, Georgia.
Notable alumni
- Kendall GillKendall GillKendall Cedric Gill is a retired American professional basketball player, now a sports analyst for Comcast Sports Net and the Big Ten Network.-Early life:...
, Retired Guard of the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. - Sir Michael Rocks, Musician, The Cool KidsThe Cool KidsThe Cool Kids is an American hip hop group. Consisting of rappers Antoine "Sir Michael Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll , the group is based in Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan...