Morgan Park High School - Morgan Park High School

Morgan Park High School is a public 4â€"year high school and academic center located in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the farâ€"south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Morgan Park opened in 1916 and is a part of the Chicago Public Schools district. Morgan Park sits at the intersection of 111th Street and Vincennes Avenue.

History

The school opened in 1916 with 283 students. By the 1970s, the student population had grown to over 3,300, though the enrollment has decreased since then. In 1934, over two thousand Morgan Park students went on strike, protesting overcrowded conditions and the presence of African-American students in school classes, leaving only one hundred and forty students in class. Parents had met with the school superintendent demanding that classes be kept segregated. Eventually the strike was settled and the white students returned to the integrated school. Segregation became an issue again in 1945 when students at the school circulated a petition to have a separate building built for black students. Frank Sinatra visited the area to support integration during the strike and encourage the students to return to the school.

Academics

In 1983, Morgan Park High School instituted a World Language and International Baccalaureate Studies Program that also allows students to enroll from outside the school's attendance area. The addition of a 7th and 8th grade Academic Center component allows advanced level students to begin earning high school credits and to study languages before 9th grade. Morgan Park High School offers both the IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, and has been an International Baccalaureate Organization member school since 1999. Morgan Park was one of 11 schools nationwide selected by the College Board for inclusion in the EXCELerator "School Improvement Model" program beginning the 2006-2007 school year. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Athletics

Morgan Park competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The school's sport teams are named Mustangs. The boys' baseball team were regional champions three times (2013â€"14, 2014â€"15, 2015â€"16). the boys' basketball team were public league champions three times and Class AA (1973â€"74, 1975â€"76, 2000â€"01), Regional champions six consecutive years (2010â€"16). The team were Class AA in 1974â€"75; but didn't win the public league championship. The girls' basketball team were regional champions seven times (2002â€"03, 2009â€"16) and Class AA twice (1998â€"99, 2002â€"03).

Notable alumni

References