Warren Township High School: Difference between revisions

Warren Township High School
Warren Township High School
	File:Warrenhs.jpg
Address
	Almond Campus:; 34090 Almond Road ; O'Plaine Campus:; 500 N. O'Plaine Road; Gurnee, Illinois
Information
School type	Public High school
Motto	Expect Success, Exceed Dreams
Founded	1917
School district	Warren Township High School District 121
Principal	O'Plaine Campus:; Jeff Brierton; Almond Campus:; Doug Domeracki
Staff	260
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	3851
Language	English
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Royal Blue, Gold
Mascot	Blue Devil
Team name	Blue Devils
Website	www.wths.net

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Warren Township High School, or Warren, is a public four-year high school located in Gurnee, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The school is split across two campuses: the O'Plaine Road Campus for freshmen and sophomores and Almond Road Campus for juniors and seniors. It is part of Warren Township High School District 121.

History

The first high school in Warren Township was erected in 1917. The one-floor school first opened in the fall of 1918 with 57 pupils in attendance. Between the years 1920 and 1924, a Vocational Agriculture Building and Farm Shop (separate from the school) were constructed. In 1926, a second floor and gymnasium were added to the 1917 structure. Additions to this structure were also made in 1951, 1956, 1960, 1968, and 1974.

The school is indirectly named after Joseph Warren, a doctor and patriot soldier in the American Revolution. The settlers who founded Warren Township were from Warren, New York, also named for Joseph Warren.

The original building was destroyed by a major fire on December 20, 1984 just prior to the winter vacation. A Warren Township student set the fire just after a chorus concert. As a result, all students and staff moved to the Lake Forest West Campus. From January 1985 until June 1987, the Lake Forest Campus was the educational facility for all the students of Warren Township High School. Construction on a new facility began in May 1986 and was completed in mid-August 1987.

A referendum for an additional building was successful in the November 1995 election. Warren Township High School's Almond Road Campus subsequently opened in the fall of 1997 and is located on Almond Road behind the Township Center. This location houses the juniors and seniors, while the O'Plaine Road Campus houses the freshmen and sophomores.

The school district had a subsequent referendum in February of 2003 to bring the school's budget out of the red, but the referendum was voted down. As a result, the school had to make significant cuts in programs the following year. A referendum was also on the ballot for 2007, and was subsequently struck down.

Warren Township High School hired a new superintendent, Dr. Philip Sobocinski, for the 2003-2004 school year. Dr. Sobocinski had a brief career as an NFL player ^[1] and then spent most of his working life as a very successful high school football coach. He brought a great deal of football knowledge to the superintendency.

In 2004 and 2005, Dr. Roffman, longtime principal, retired and was later convicted for felony theft of school funds. ^[2] In December, 2004, a special auditor found that there was virtually no control over administrative spending in the school's activity funds. The auditor recommended twenty-five important changes to the district's accounting procedures. In May of 2005, the school board appointed a new business manager, the fifth in only six years. ^[3]

In 2000, Warren won the coveted Blue Ribbon Award for excellence, presented by the U.S. Department of Education. ^[4] - According to Warren's 2006 Report Card, the school failed to meet the minimum requirements for adequate yearly progress for the fourth year in a row. ^[5] The school was placed on the Academic Early Warning list. - In 2005-'06, Warren was given the status of "Choice" under the federal No Child Left Behind law.^[6] This was intended to allow parents to transfer their children to a school with satisfactory scores. No Warren students were actually given the right to transfer. - The school administration said that the most recent failure occurred because the school had twelve too many low-income students. Yet the Report Card says that 7% of Warren's student body are low-income, as compared with the state low-income average of 40%. Nonetheless, Warren is still below the state average for overall test performance. In 2007 the school's status was lowered to "Academic Watch List".

Activities

Warren offers many activities such as: Band, Hockey, Academic Team, Astronomy Club, Art Club, Band, Choir, EXCEL, FBLA (Future Business Leader of America), French Club, German Club, International Club, Knitting Club, MECS (Mother Earth's Concerned Students), Ski Club, Spanish Club, Speech Team, Student Council, Scratch Paper (Student Newspaper), Students of Service (SOS), Yearbook, and Winter Guard. Following criminal investigations and prosecution, the board recently eliminated a number of student activities such as the Varsity Club. These activities did not really exist and had been used only to permit what the fraud audit called uncontrolled administrative spending.

Project Lead the Way

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses began in the 2006-2007 school year with approximately 100 freshman students. This program offers engineering courses to high school students.

Alumni

Additional notable staff and alumni of Warren can be found at wths.net

LaVerne Dixon, Class of 1927, Judge
William G. Stratton, Class of 1930, Governor
John R. Clem, Class of 1956, Author, Internationally recognized professor of physics at Iowa State University
Richard A. Welton, Class of 1960, Chairman of Welton's Food Mart, Mayor of Gurnee
Valerie Boettle-Ceckowski, Class of 1977, Judge
Kevin Anderson, Class of 1978, actor

References

^ "Dr. Sobocinski". Retrieved 2006-11-28.
^ "Metro Briefs". Retrieved 2006-11-28.
^ "Another Warren High Business Chief Resigns". Retrieved 2006-11-28.
^ "Ten Illinois Schools Honored as Blue Ribbon Winners". ISBE Press Release. 2000-05-31. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate-2006-10-23" ignored (help)
^ "Warren Township District 121". Retrieved 2006-11-28.
^ "Report Card" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-11-28.

External links

[1] "Dr. Sobocinski". Retrieved 2006-11-28.

[2] "Metro Briefs". Retrieved 2006-11-28.

[3] "Another Warren High Business Chief Resigns". Retrieved 2006-11-28.

[4] "Ten Illinois Schools Honored as Blue Ribbon Winners". ISBE Press Release. 2000-05-31. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate-2006-10-23" ignored (help)

[5] "Warren Township District 121". Retrieved 2006-11-28.

[6] "Report Card" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-11-28.

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@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 |colors=        [[Royal Blue]], [[Gold]]
 |founded=       [[1917]]
-|enrollment=    3919
+|enrollment=    3851
 |enrollment_as_of=
 |grade9=        <!--grade 9 enrollment-->
@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 |footnotes=
 }}
 '''Warren Township High School''', or '''Warren''', is a public four-year [[high school]] located in [[Gurnee, Illinois]], a northern suburb of [[Chicago, Illinois]], in the [[United States]]. The school is split across two campuses: the O'Plaine Road Campus for freshmen and sophomores and Almond Road Campus for juniors and seniors. It is part of Warren Township High School District 121.
 ==History==
-===Early History===
 The first high school in Warren Township was erected in 1917.   The one-floor school first opened in the fall of 1918 with 57 pupils in attendance. Between the years 1920 and 1924, a Vocational Agriculture Building and Farm Shop (separate from the school) were constructed. In 1926, a second floor and gymnasium were added to the 1917 structure. Additions to this structure were also made in 1951, 1956, 1960, 1968, and 1974.
 The school is indirectly named after [[Joseph Warren]], a doctor and patriot soldier in the American Revolution.  The settlers who founded Warren Township were from [[Warren, New York]], also named for Joseph Warren.
-===Recent History===
 The original building was destroyed by a major fire on [[December 20]], [[1984]] just prior to the winter vacation. A Warren Township student set the fire just after a chorus concert. As a result, all students and staff moved to the [[Lake Forest High School (Illinois)|Lake Forest West Campus]]. From January 1985 until June 1987, the Lake Forest Campus was the educational facility for all the students of Warren Township High School. Construction on a new facility began in May 1986 and was completed in mid-August 1987.
 A referendum for an additional building was successful in the November 1995 election. Warren Township High School's Almond Road Campus subsequently opened in the fall of 1997 and is located on Almond Road behind the Township Center. This location houses the juniors and seniors, while the O'Plaine Road Campus houses the freshmen and sophomores.
+The school district had a subsequent referendum in February of 2003 to bring the school's budget out of the red, but the referendum was voted down.  As a result, the school had to make significant cuts in programs the following year.  A referendum was also on the ballot for 2007, and was subsequently struck down.
-Warren Township High School hired a new superintendent, Dr. Philip Sobocinski, for the 2003-2004 school year. Dr. Sobocinski had a brief career as an NFL player <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlantafalcons.com/history/lineups.j|title=Dr. Sobocinski|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> and was known as a very successful high school football coach.
+Warren Township High School hired a new superintendent, Dr. Philip Sobocinski, for the 2003-2004 school year. Dr. Sobocinski had a brief career as an NFL player <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlantafalcons.com/history/lineups.j|title=Dr. Sobocinski|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> and then spent most of his working life as a very successful high school football coach. He brought a great deal of football knowledge to the superintendency.
-In 2000, Warren won the coveted Blue Ribbon Award for excellence, presented by the U.S. Department of Education. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.isbe.state.il.us/news/2000/may31-00.htm | title = Ten Illinois Schools Honored as Blue Ribbon Winners | publisher = ISBE Press Release | date=2000-05-31 | accessdate-2006-10-23}}</ref>
+In 2004 and 2005, Dr. Roffman, longtime principal, retired and was later convicted for felony theft of school funds. <ref>{{cite web|url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20051217/ai_n15944032   | title = Metro Briefs | accessdate = 2006-11-28}}</ref> In December, 2004, a special auditor found that there was virtually no control over administrative spending in the school's activity funds. The auditor recommended twenty-five important changes to the district's accounting procedures.  In May of 2005, the school board appointed a new business manager, the fifth in only six years. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ADHB&p_theme=adhb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=Another%20AND%20Warren%20AND%20High%20AND%20Business%20AND%20Chief%20AND%20Resigns&s_dispstring=Another%20Warren%20High%20Business%20Chief%20Resigns%20AND%20date(1/1/2005%20to%204/1/2005)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=1/1/2005%20to%204/1/2005)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no | title = Another Warren High Business Chief Resigns| accessdate = 2006-11-28}}</ref>
-===No Child Left Behind===
-According to Warren's 2006 Report Card, the school failed to meet the minimum requirements for adequate yearly progress for the fourth year in a row. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suntimes.com/pcds/html/cache/WARRENTOWNSHIPHIGHWARRENTWPHIGHSCHDIST121.html | title=Warren Township District 121 | accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> The school was placed on the Academic Early Warning list.
-In 2005-2006, Warren was given the status of "Choice" under the federal [[No Child Left Behind]] law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wths.net/visitor/reportcard/repcard05english.pdf|title=Report Card|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> This was intended to allow parents to transfer their children to a school with passing scores.
-==Statistics==
-===Students===
-Warren is one of the most diverse schools in the state of [[Illinois]]. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://iirc.niu.edu/School.aspx?source=School%20Profile&schoolID=340491210170001&year=2006&level=S
-| title=Interactive Illinois Report Card | accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref>
-{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
-|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
-! Ethnicity !! District !! State
-|-
-| African American || 9.7% || 20%
-|-
-| American Indian || 0.5% || <1%
-|-
-| Asian || 9.7% || 4%
-|-
-| Hispanic || 13.6% || 19%
-|-
-| White || 65.9% || 57%
-|-
-|Multiracial/Ethnic || 0.7% || <1%
-|}
-===Average Class Size===
-Warren's average class size is above the state average. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://iirc.niu.edu/School.aspx?source=School%20Profile&schoolID=340491210170001&year=2006&level=S
-| title=Interactive Illinois Report Card | accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref>
-{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
-|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
-! District
-! State
-|-
-| 20.6 || 18.9
-|}
-===Parental Contact===
-Warren is on average with the state for parental contact, which includes parent-teacher contacts, phone contacts, written contacts, and parent visits to the school. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wths.net/images/forms/rc/rc07.pdf
-| title=Warren Township High School’s Illinois Report Card | accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref>
-{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
-|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
-! District
-! State
-|-
-| 96.3 || 96.1
-|}
+In 2000, Warren won the coveted Blue Ribbon Award for excellence, presented by the U.S. Department of Education. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.isbe.state.il.us/news/2000/may31-00.htm | title = Ten Illinois Schools Honored as Blue Ribbon Winners | publisher = ISBE Press Release | date=2000-05-31 | accessdate-2006-10-23}}</ref>
+- According to Warren's 2006 Report Card, the school failed to meet the minimum requirements for adequate yearly progress for the fourth year in a row. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suntimes.com/pcds/html/cache/WARRENTOWNSHIPHIGHWARRENTWPHIGHSCHDIST121.html | title=Warren Township District 121 | accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> The school was placed on the Academic Early Warning list.
+- In 2005-'06, Warren was given the status of "Choice" under the federal No Child Left Behind law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wths.net/visitor/reportcard/repcard05english.pdf|title=Report Card|accessdate=2006-11-28}}</ref> This was intended to allow parents to transfer their children to a school with satisfactory scores. No Warren students were actually given the right to transfer.
+- The school administration said that the most recent failure occurred because the school had twelve too many low-income students. Yet the Report Card says that 7% of Warren's student body are low-income, as compared with the state low-income average of 40%. Nonetheless, Warren is still below the state average for overall test performance. In 2007 the school's status was lowered to "Academic Watch List".
 ==Activities==
+Warren offers many activities such as: Band, Hockey, Academic Team, Astronomy Club, Art Club, Band, Choir, EXCEL, FBLA (Future Business Leader of America), French Club, German Club, International Club, Knitting Club, MECS (Mother Earth's Concerned Students), Ski Club, Spanish Club, Speech Team, Student Council, ''Scratch Paper'' (Student Newspaper), Students of Service (SOS), Yearbook, and Winter Guard.  Following criminal investigations and prosecution, the board recently eliminated a number of student activities such as the Varsity Club.  These activities did not really exist and had been used only to permit what the fraud audit called uncontrolled administrative spending.
-*Band
-*Hockey
-*Academic Team (Scholastic Bowl)
-*Astronomy Club
-*Art Club
-*Choir
-*EXCEL
-*FBLA (Future Business Leader of America)
-*French Club
-*German Club
-*International Club
-*Knitting Club
-*MECS (Mother Earth's Concerned Students)
-*Ski Club
-*Spanish Club
-*Speech Team
-*Student Council
-*''Scratch Paper'' (Student Newspaper)
-*Students of Service (SOS)
-*Yearbook
-*Winter Guard
-*CEC (Counsel for Exceptional Children)
-==Sports==
-Warren's Blue Devils compete in the [[North Suburban Conference]].
-*[[Football]]
-*[[Wrestling]]
-*[[Soccer]]
-*[[Swimming]]
-*[[Cheerleading]]
-*[[Baseball]]
-*[[Softball]]
-*[[Bowling]]
-*[[Basketball]]
-*[[Hockey]]
-*[[Track]]
-*[[Cross Country]]
-*[[Tennis]]
-*[[Golf]]
-*[[Gymnastics]]
-*[[Volleyball]]
-*[[Lacrosse]]
-==Controversies==
-===Racism Allegations===
-Controversy took place on September 27, 2007, when a 17 year old student named Curtis Hiett was arrested for disorderly conduct after he allegedly made racist remarks to two female students. His truck was discovered to have at least one noose made of shoe laces and a Confederate flag hanging in it, though he was arrested for his behavior in the school and not the contents of his vehicle. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailyherald.com/story/?id=48036 | title=Student’s Behavior Led to Arrest | assessdate-2007-11-20}}</ref> While students contacted Democratic state Rep. Eddie Washington for help because they felt the school was not taking their concerns seriously, he did not become involved because the local police were already alerted by the district's administration.
-Hiett later apologized to the school, community and the two girls involved in the incident. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailyherald.com/story/?id=55126 | title=Warren Student Apologizes for Racial Remarks | assessdate-2007-11-20}}</ref>
 == Project Lead the Way ==