- Prospect High School, or Prospect, is a public four-year high school located in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, which also includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High School, Rolling Meadows High School, and Wheeling High School.
- History
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Prospect was opened in 1957 as a freshman campus for the now-defunct Arlington High School. By the next school year, the district had grown enough that Prospect was turned into a full four-year school.
- In August 1995, on only the second day of the new school year, the school's field house suffered a fire. The cause of the fire was nothing short of a freak accident. Thick mats used by the track team (mostly the mats for high jump) had been out in the blistering sun on the previous day. The mats, with the heat of the sun still within them, were placed above a loft in the field house. One of the mats rested against a frayed electrical cord. The heat of the mat combined with the frayed wiring started the fire. The scoreboard and school record plaques were melted in the fire, though the most damage came from the water damage from the fire hoses. The field house was closed off for most of the 1995-1996 school year. The field house re-opened with a much-needed lighting improvement, better basketball floor and new paint.
- The most recent additions to the school have been a library in 2002, a new art wing in 2003, and a new cafeteria in 2004. As of 2007, work is being done to remove asbestos from the older parts of the building.
- Academics
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In 2008 Prospect had an average composite ACT score of 24.6, and graduated 94.9% of its senior class. Prospect has made Adequate Yearly Progress on the combined Prairie State Achievement Examination and ACT, the test used to meet the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
- Since 2005-06, the foreign language department facilitates an exchange program between students studying French and Itailan at Prospect, and students studying English in Sèvres, France and Verona, Italy.
- Athletics
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Prospect competes in the Mid-Suburban League (East Division). The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities in Illinois. Its mascot is the Knight.
- Prospect sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and water polo. Young men may compete in baseball, football, and wrestling while young women may compete in badminton, bowling, cheerleading, and softball.
- The following teams finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament or meet:
- Archery (girls): 4th place (1976-77); 2nd place (1978-79) -- no longer sponsored by the IHSA
- Badminton: 4th place (1981-82); 3rd place (1989-90, 2006-07); 2nd place (1984-85, 99-2000)
- Bowling (girls): 4th place (1998-99, 2001-02); 2nd place (1997-98, 2002-03)
- Cross Country (boys): 4th place (2002-03, 05-06); 3rd place (1969-70); 2nd place (1994-95)
- Cross Country (girls): 3rd (1989-90)
- Football: State Champions (2001-02, 02-03, 05-06)
- Golf (boys): State Champions (1976-77)
- Gymnastics (boys): 3rd place (1962-63, 67-68); 2nd place (1966-67)
- Track & Field (girls): 4th place (1973-74)
- Volleyball (boys): 4th place (1996-97)
- Activities
- Fine & Performing Arts
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The award-winning Fine & Performing Arts Department at Prospect High School provides hundreds of students with a broad exposure to the visual and performing arts. The music curricula consists of many performing ensembles including the Prospect Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble I & II, Symphony Orchestra, Pit Orchestra, Concert Choir, Treble Choir, Varsity Choir, Chamber Choir, Madrigal Singers/Jazz Choir, “Xentricity” (female a cappella ensemble), One Stop (male a cappella ensemble), and two competitive show choirs - Company and Mixed Company.
- The Prospect Marching band is nationally known and has participated in several major parades including the Tournament of Roses parade, Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and most recently travelled to London to march in a parade on New Year's Day, 2009 in addition to consistently winning at University of Illinois's marching band contest for last 26 years ending in 2009
- Students at Prospect are provided the opportunity to study Harmony and Arranging in a fully equipped MIDI lab focusing on music theory, technology, and recording. Art studies include beginning and advanced placement in drawing, painting, sculpting, and photography. In addition, Prospect provides the opportunity to compete in Congressional Debate and Speech. Annual theater productions include the fall and winter plays and spring musical, with corresponding courses focusing in drama and theater tech.
- Notable alumni
- John Ankerberg (class of 1964) is a TV evangelist and author.
- Rosa Blasi (class of 1990) is a film and TV actor best known for her work on the series Strong Medicine.
- Bruce Boxleitner (class of 1968) is a film and TV actor best known for his work in films such as Tron, and in the television series Babylon 5.
- Jeff Bzdelik (class of 1971) was Head Coach of the Denver Nuggets (2003 - 2005) and is currently Head Coach of the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team (2007 - present).
- Randy Clark (class of 1974) was an NFL offensive lineman (1980-87), who played most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Todd Heisler (class of 1990) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist.
- Dave Kingman (class of 1967) was a Major League Baseball player (1971-86). He was a three-time All-Star, and hit 442 career home runs.
- Dale Levitski (class of 1991) was the runner-up on the third season of the reality show Top Chef.
- Jennifer Morrison (class of 1997) is a film and TV actor (Allison Cameron on the TV series House, Star Trek).
- Pari Pantazopoulos (class of 2007) is a professional soccer player who used to play on Cyprus team ASIL Lysi.
- Mike Quade (class of 1975) is the Third base coach for the Chicago Cubs.
- Rich Schutz (class of 1984) is a weightlifting champion who was a member of the 1988 and 1992 US Olympic weightlifting teams.
- Reinhold Weege (class of 1967) was a television writer, producer and director, best known for his writing on the series Barney Miller, and for the creation of and work on the series Night Court.
- Kateryna Yushchenko-Chumachenko (class of 1979) is the first lady of Ukraine.
- Ian Brennan, one of the creators of the FOX show "Glee".
- “Schools soar to new heights in report card”, Chicago Sun-Times, December 15, 2004.
- “Mt. Prospect music teacher gets top honor”, Chicago Sun-Times, March 23, 2003
- “Assault trial ends in guilty pleas, apology, 2 teens get 5 years of probation”, Chicago Tribune, March 12, 1999.
- “Prospect proud of conservatism”, Chicago Sun-Times, January 15, 1992.
- External links
- Official Website
- Propsect-Sèvres Exchange Website
- Prospect Fine Arts Page
- Prospect Marching Knights Home Page
- Prospect Knights Athletic Information Page
- Prospect High School Choir Home Page
- Prospect High Alumni Website
- Bands of American Website
- Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.
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