Hillcrest High School (Country Club Hills, Illinois)
Hillcrest High School is a public four year high school located in Country Club Hills, Illinois. It is part of Bremen High School District 228 which also includes Tinley Park High School, Oak Forest High School, and Bremen High School. The name "Hillcrest" aside from the obvious connotation of being "the highest point of a hill", is a portmanteau of the two towns which the school primarily serves: Country Club Hills and Hazel Crest.
Hillcrest High School | |
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Address | |
17401 S. Pulaski Road , 60478 United States | |
Coordinates | 41°34′27″N 87°42′43″W / 41.5742°N 87.712°W |
Information | |
School type | Public Secondary |
Motto | Soaring with unity, pride, and excellence |
Opened | 1967 |
School district | Bremen High School District 228 |
Superintendent | Dr. Brad Sikora[1] |
Principal | Ronald Towner |
Associate Principal | Eric Washington |
Athletic Director | Maurice Young |
Staff | 107 |
Teaching staff | 77.00 (FTE)[2] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Gender | coed |
Enrollment | 1,314 (2022-23)[2] |
• Grade 9 | 348 students |
• Grade 10 | 312 students |
• Grade 11 | 313 students |
• Grade 12 | 341 students |
Average class size | 23[3] |
Student to teacher ratio | 17.06[2] |
Area | South Suburbs |
Campus type | Suburban |
Color(s) | Columbia Blue Navy Blue White[4] |
Athletics conference | South Suburban Conference[4] |
Mascot | Henry the Hawk |
Team name | Hawks[4] |
Publication | Flight[5] |
Newspaper | Pinion[5] |
Website | https://hillcrest.bhsd228.com |
History
editThe first principal of Hillcrest, William Henry Reeves, was appointed in May 1965, leaving his job as principal of Bremen High School to start the new school.[6] Groundbreaking took place in November of that year, with a needed bond referendum passing in December 1966 to cover construction of an addition, even before the school was opened.[7][8][9] The school opened in February 1967.[10]
The early 1970s at Hillcrest saw a number of racially motivated incidents as the demographics of the school's attendance area began to shift. A late April 1970 incident, coupled with similar incidents in other local schools led to the spread of attacks beyond the school to the local community of Markham.[11][12] In 1971, the school was temporarily closed after a racially motivated fight that resulted in 48 students being suspended.[13] 1973 saw a 14 May riot that resulted in 34 suspensions and the recommendation for 20 expulsions. When the school board, under pressure from parents, decided to rescind some of the punishments without consulting the building staff or administration, the school's principal, Lee Cox, requested reassignment.[14][15]
In 1990, the FBI investigated an incident involving several students from the school who claimed they had been harassed by a Forest Preserve officer while taking a day off from school illegally. Among those counseling parents at the time was R. Eugene Pincham.[16][17]
In February 1994, the school cancelled planned parent-teacher conferences and a day off of school to accommodate a visit by President Bill Clinton. Students were banned from parking at the school that day to accommodate the president's helicopter, Marine One, landing in the parking lot. The visit coincided with the Brady Bill becoming law.[18][19]
Student life
editActivities
editHillcrest sponsors over 35 extracurricular activities ranging from academic competition and performing arts to cultural and special interests.[5] Activities which are chapters or affiliates of nationally notable organizations include Business Professionals of America, DECA, FCCLA, Key club, and National Honor Society.[5] In the performing arts, the school supports a band, chorus, and drama club.[5]
Athletics
editHillcrest competes in the South Suburban Conference (SSC) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. Teams are stylized as the Hawks.
The school sponsors interscholastic sports teams for both men and women in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, tennis, track & field, and wrestling.[20] Men may also compete in baseball, football, and lacrosse while women may compete in cheerleading, softball, and volleyball.[20]
The new Athletic Director is Maurice Young.
The following teams won or placed top 4 in their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament/meet: [21]
- Basketball (Boys): State Champions (2009-10); 3rd Place (2011-12)
- Basketball (Girls): 2nd Place (2009-10, 2010-11); 3rd Place (2012-13)
- Bowling (Girls): 3rd Place (1989-90)
- Track (Boys): State Champions (2008-09, 2009-10)
Notable alumni
edit- Maurice Acker. former college basketball player for the Marquette Golden Eagles.[22][23]
- Maurice "Mobetta" Brown, jazz trumpeter, producer and composer.[24] As a member of Tedeschi Trucks Band, he shared the 2011 Grammy for Best Blues Album (Revelator)
- Danny Clark, NFL linebacker, formerly playing for the New York Giants.[23][25][26]
- Marquice Cole, NFL cornerback, formerly playing for the New York Jets.[23]
- Herb Coleman, former American football player[27]
- Gary Dotson, convicted rapist whose conviction was overturned after his accuser recanted.[28][29][30][31]
- Brady Dougan, CEO of Credit Suisse.[23]
- Bucky Irving, NFL running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers[32]
- Jerel McNeal, former basketball player for the Marquette Golden Eagles.[23]
- Corey McPherrin, television sports reporter.[23][33][34]
References
edit- ^ "Superintendent". Bremen Community High School District 228. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ a b c "Hillcrest High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ "Illinois School Report Card". Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b c "Country Club Hills (Hillcrest)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 26 November 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Activities". directory. Hillcrest HS. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Reeves to head Hillcrest High, 27 May 1965, Chicago Tribune, p. S11; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Begin work on school, 21 November 1965, Chicago Tribune, p. S1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Elliott, Michael, Bremen Schools Seek a Tax Levy Increase, 20 November 1966, Chicago Tribune, p. R1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Bremen voters OK 1.9 million school bonds, 5 December 1966, Chicago Tribune, p. 2; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Bremen District Hires 11 Teachers, 7 July 1968, Chicago Tribune, p. S2; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ 12 Suspended at Hillcrest High School, 24 April 1970, Chicago Tribune, p. 7; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Markham hit by 2nd night of race turmoil, 1 May 1970, Chicago Tribune p. 18; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ 3 Hurt in Hillcrest High Fight: Hyde Park Boycott Continues, 22 May 1971, Chicago Tribune, p. 2; accessed 2008
- ^ Lannon, Linnea, Integrated schools; Racial tensions: a ritual of spring No.2 -- Integrated schools Suburbs find trouble in classrooms, 31 May 1973, Chicago Tribune, p. W_A1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Hillcrest unrest leaves question, 21 June 1973, Chicago Tribunelie, p. W_A6; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Copeland, Monica, FBI to probe police brutality charges, 14 June 1990, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Koziol, Ronald, Students found innocent in 'ditch day' disturbance, 26 July 1990, Chicago Tribune, p. 4; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Rubin, Bonnie Miller, No School, but when the White House called, 25 February 1994, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Elsner, David, Anti-crime theme echoes at Hillcrest, 1 March 1994, Chicago Tribune, p. 1.
- ^ a b "Hillcrest High School". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "School Directory | IHSA". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
- ^ Maurice Acker profile at Marquette University; accessed 9 March 2009
- ^ a b c d e f Bell, Taylor (24 November 2009). "Hillcrest". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Maurice "Mobetta" Brown#cite note-1
- ^ Danny Clark bio & stats (under personal section); accessed 30 August 2008 Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Reinmuth, Gary, Future in theater is not an act for Illinois linebacker, 15 October 1999, Chicago Tribune, p. 9; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Bagnato, Andrew (April 25, 1995). "49ers Find A Big Package At Tiny Trinity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
- ^ Lipinski, Ann Marie, Rape case is exhumed, re-examined, 31 March 1985, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Ann Marie Lipinski; John Kass; Lynn Emmerman; R. Bruce Dold; Andy Knott; Marianne Taylor (31 March 1985). "Rape Case Is Exhumed, Re-Examined". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Lipinski, Ann Marie, Mystery deepens in Webb rape case; Dotson balks at lie test, attorney, 5 May 1985, Chicago Tribune, p. 1; accessed 31 August 2008
- ^ Ann Marie Lipinski (5 May 1985). "Mystery deepens in Webb rape case; Dotson balks at lie test, attorney". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "'He checks all the boxes': Hillcrest's Mar'Keise Irving, a Minnesota recruit, is the Daily Southtown Football Player of the Year". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ District 228 Board of Education minutes 1 April 2008, p. 2; accessed 2 September 2008[permanent dead link ]
- ^ Corey McPherrin bio at myfoxchicago.com; accessed 2 September 2008