Westmont High School (Westmont, Illinois)

Westmont High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Westmont, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Westmont Community Unit School District 201. The student population of 450 students and building size are much smaller than adjacent public high schools such as Downers Grove North and Hinsdale Central.

Westmont High School
Location
909 N. Oakwood Dr.
Westmont
,
Illinois
60559

U.S.
Coordinates41.81898°N 87.96247°W / 41.81898; -87.96247
Information
TypePublic secondary
MottoWhere Choices Become Opportunities
Established1972 (building 1976)
School districtDistrict 201
PrincipalJack Baldermann[1][2]
Grades9–12
Genderco-ed
Enrollment449 (2016-17)[3]
CampusSuburban
Color(s)     Burgundy
     Gold
Athletics conferenceMetro Suburban Conference
NicknameSentinels
Websitewww.cusd201.org/srhigh

History

The school was created as part of the newly formed CUSD 201 in Westmont in 1972, and first opened for education in September 1974.

The community approved building the new high school in 1973, and the current Westmont High School building opened in October 1976. The school mascot, the Sentinel, is a sentry, or guard wearing a uniform of the school colors, burgundy and gold. The name is also word play from "Centennial," since the building was not opened until October 1976, the year of the United States Bicentennial.

The school's original architecture was unique: the building was circular, and class areas were divided by movable partitions, an attempt to make the school easily adaptable to changing needs. More recently, most of the classrooms have been reconstructed with permanent walls and closing doors. Westmont High School did not have windows in its classrooms until they were installed before the 2012-2013 school year. Some of the adaptable rooms did not have walls. Sound echoes very well throughout the building, so the faculty has great control of the student body.

Administration

Westmont High School is part of the Community Unit School District 201.

Demographics

In 2010, Westmont High School enrolled 573 students, 75.9% of whom were White, 9% of whom were Black, 8.8% of whom were Hispanic, and 3.7% were Asian/Pacific Islander. Low-income students comprised 29.3% of the student body; 2.4% had limited English proficiency. The drop-out rate was 0.4% and the chronic truancy rate was 0.2%, which are both slightly better than the state average. The attendance rate was 91.9%.[4]

Academics

In 2010, Westmont had an average composite ACT score of 21.4, and graduated 89.9% of its senior class. The average class size is 22.5. Westmont has made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act.[4]

Athletics

Westmont competes in the Metro Suburban Conference and Illinois High School Association.[5] Its mascot is the Sentinel.

Notable Alum

Sarah Jindra - WGN Reporter

Pierre Pierce - Former Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball Player

References
  1. Ambrosia, Robin. "New Westmont principal builds a shared vision, acknowledges past mistakes". The Bugle. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  2. "Editorial: District 201 raises eyebrows, hires Jack Baldermann as Westmont High School principal". Westmont Progress. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  3. "Westmont High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  4. "Illinois School Report Card". Illinois School Report Card. Illinois State Department of Education. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  5. "Page Not Found". www.ihsa.org.
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