Evanston Township High School | |
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Address | |
1600 Dodge Avenue Evanston, Illinois 60201 United States |
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Coordinates | 42°02′47″N 87°42′03″W / 42.0463°N 87.70075°W |
Information | |
School type | Public |
Established | August 31, 1883 |
School district | District 202 |
Principal | Marcus Campbell |
Grades | 9–12 (freshman-senior) |
Enrollment | 3,393 |
Campus | Suburban |
Campus size | 65 acres (260,000 m2) |
School color(s) |
Orange (PMS 1665) Blue (PMS 289) |
Slogan | "It's a great day to be a Wildkit!" |
Fight song | ETHS Cheer Song |
Athletics conference | Central Suburban League |
Mascot | Willie the Wildkit |
Nickname | Wildkits |
Rival | New Trier High School |
National ranking | 452nd |
Average ACT scores | 23.3 |
Newspaper | Evanstonian |
Yearbook | Key |
Feeder Schools | Nichols, Haven, Chute |
Website | http://www.eths.k12.il.us/ |
Evanston Township High School (ETHS) District 202, is a four-year public high school occupying a 65-acre (260,000 m2) campus in Evanston, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago along the Lake Michigan shore. ETHS was established in 1883 and serves the city of Evanston and a small portion of the neighboring village of Skokie for a total district population of approximately 78,000.
The attendance area of the school is home to Northwestern University and Oakton Community College. Evanston Township High School has 589 certified staff members. ETHS is fully accredited by the State of Illinois.
The first high school in Evanston, the Preparatory School of Northwestern University, established in 1857, was private. In 1873, public school superintendent Otis E. Haven began teaching Evanston's first public high school class in an upper room of the Benson Avenue School. In 1875, Evanston's first Board of Education voted to establish a "high school" in the room, and the first class, consisting of two students, graduated in 1876. Enrollments grew rapidly and, despite multiple relocations to various buildings, by 1882 the school took four prizes in a statewide competition and was ranked third best in Illinois. Shortly thereafter, voters in April 1882, passed a referendum and bond issue establishing a township school. Construction began promptly in October 1882, and the first building opened in 1883, at Dempster and Elmwood.
Enrollment grew rapidly and by 1913, despite multiple additions to the original building, 740 students occupied space meant for only 600. Crowding increased as several attempts to pass bond issues for further addition were defeated at the polls. In 1915, the Board determined to build a new school at a new location, but progress was stalled for years by a bitter fight over the campus location, which included lawsuits that went all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court. Finally, in 1921, the Board and voters approved a 55-acre (220,000 m2) site at the school's current campus, 1600 Dodge Avenue in central Evanston. Construction began in 1923, and the school opened in 1924 although still incomplete.
With a campus currently listed as 65 acres (263,000 m²), ETHS provides its students with many technically proficient facilities. With more than 1.2 million square feet indoors, it is the largest high school facility under one roof in the United States. The school's science facilities include a planetarium, greenhouse, and a two-acre (8,000 m²), on-site nature center/classroom. The South Technology Center (STC) houses over 200 computers in seven networked labs. Computer software is available for many courses in the curriculum. Near the school is the Edible Acre urban farming project, initiated by The Talking Farm, which is run with the help of ETHS volunteers during the growing season.