Young Magnet High School
211 S Laflin St, Chicago, IL, 60607-5305 -  Map
tel: (773)534-7500
View this school's website in a new browser Visit School Website  
View current housing listings in this area
Add School Reviews Review school: Add School Reviews - Recommended Add School Reviews - Not Recommended
 Find your graduating class at Classmates.com Find your graduating class!
     
School Overview:
Definition of Terms Young Magnet High School
School Level High school
School Type Magnet School
Grades Offered Grades 7 - 12
County Cook County, IL
Students & Faculty
Total Students 2119 students
% Male / % Female 43%  /  57%
Total Classroom Teachers 133 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 7 - 112 students
Grade 8 - 106 students
Grade 9 - 492 students
Grade 10 - 467 students
Grade 11 - 564 students
Grade 12 - 378 students
This School ( IL ) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:16 1:17
Students by Ethnicity
This School ( IL ) School Average
% American Indian n/a n/a
% Asian 17% 3%
% Hispanic 22% 16%
% Black 32% 21%
% White 28% 56%
% Unknown 1 % 4%
Additional Student Information
This School ( IL ) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch 28% 39%
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch 9% 6%
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
( IL ) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name City Of Chicago 299 School District
This School's Agency ( IL ) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 633 3
Number of Students Managed 432,702 students 907 students
District Total Revenue $4,135,342,000 $8,184,000
District Expenditure $4,345,502,000 $8,197,000
District Revenue / Student $9,557 $7,864
District Expenditure / Student $10,043 $9,159
District Graduation Rates 47% 70%
School Notes:
  • Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, (commonly known as Whitney Young), is a Chicago public school that opened its doors to students on September 3, 1975 as the city's first public magnet high school. The school has earned numerous accolades and consistently scores among the top high schools in the state of Illinois. It is considered by many one of the most prestigious high schools in Chicago. In 2005, the school earned recognition as one of the top schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report, ranking it among the top 10% of high schools nationally. This ranking includes both public and private high schools.
  • diverse student body. Admission to Whitney Young is granted based on entrance exams and middle school grades, and is open to all residents of Chicago.
  • History: Plans for the school started in 1970, for a school to be built at 211 S. Laflin on an empty lot that was burned out by arson fires from the turbulence of the rioting that had been sparked by the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in April, 1968. The school opened on September 3, 1975, as a selective enrollment school with seven teachers, headed up by the school's first principal, Bernarr Dawson.
  • Academic Decathlon: Whitney Young is known for its record of achievement. The Academic Decathlon team won their 20th state title and finished fourth at the national competition in 2005, 100 graduates were named Illinois State Scholars, and the Whitney Young Math Team finished first at the Chicago Citywide Math League. Additionally, the Class of 2005 had 21 National Merit Semifinalists, the third highest in the State of Illinois. The Academic Decathlon Team have been longtime champions of the Academic Decathlon (USAD); in 1995 the Whitney Young team was beaten by the team from Steinmetz High School who had obtained a copy of the test in advance. This was dramatized in the movie Cheaters. Whitney Young has been the winner of the City Academic Decathlon 22 out of the last 23 years, beaten by Northside College Preparatory Highschool in 2003, state champion 20 of the last 21 years, and finished in the top five nationally for 14 of the last 16 years. The coaches are Mr. Brian Tennison and Mrs. Susan McCannon, two teachers known for their unwavering dedication to the team and its competitive excellence. Every year that the Academic Decathlon team goes to the National Finals, the school holds a pep rally in support of the team.
  • School Sports: Whitney Young has a tradition of excellence in sports and also a wide variety of sports to choose from.
  • Extracurricular Activities: Whitney Young encourages students to actively participate in extracurricular activities, and has over 60 clubs and organizations.
  • The school is also known as being one of the first public high schools in the nation to use podcasts for its school radio. The school's podcasts have been featured on WLS-TV news. The Whitney Young Streaming Radio Station, known as WY Stream, was started on December 9, 2004 as a vehicle to showcase the many talents of the Whitney M. Young High School family. The 100th episode was recorded in November 2005.
  • The Whitney Young theater company ("The Company") has gained a reputation for taking on large, difficult, and technically strenuous productions. Past shows include Tommy, Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Moulin Rouge, for which all of the music was transposed by the students, and West Side Story.
  • Whitney Young Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. (NJROTC) is one of the top NJROTC programs in the nation. Students within the NJROTC program are involved in such teams as the Physical training, Orienteering, Color guard, Armed Exhibition drill Team & Unarmed Drill team.
  • Whitney Young is also one of the few high schools in the Chicago Public School System to have competing dance teams compete at the state level. For the 2005-2006 school year, Whitney Young's Guys and Dolls Dance Team placed in the top ten at the IDTA State competition.
  • Famous & Noted Alumni: NASA Astronaut Joan Higginbotham.
  • NBA star Quentin Richardson of the New York Knicks.
  • Matrix writers and directors Andy and Larry Wachowski.
  • University of Chicago Hospitals Vice President, Michelle Obama, married to United States Senator Barack Obama (D-IL).
  • NBC's "ER" series regular Sharif Atkins.
  • NFL's Super Bowl Champion Russell Maryland (Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers).
  • WNBA star Dominique Canty of the Houston Comets.
  • Broadway actor Darius DeHaas.
  • Television writer-producer and Stomp performer Anthony Sparks.
  • Tony Award Winning actress and author Tonya Pinkins.
  • 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
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (60607)
School Zip (60607) (IL) State Average
Population (Approximate) 15,552 people 12,207,380 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 56% 24%
Population Average Age 31 years old 34.7 years old
Average Household size 2.0 persons 2.6 persons
Median Household Income $40,972 $46,560
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 3.8 rooms 5.4 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 51 years old 49 years old
View current housing listings in this area
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (60607)



What's a Zindex?
Subject to Zillow Terms of Use
% Owning / % Renting 35% / 65% 63% / 37%
School Map:
 Get: driving directions View weather forecasts and averages Weather: 10-day forecast or monthly climate averages.

  Nearby Schools:

1. Linc Alternative High School - 399 students - view location
2. Jones College Prep High School - 734 students - view location
3. Payton College Preparatory High School - 835 students - view location
4. Clemente Community Academy High School - 2384 students - view location
5. Noble Street Charter High School - 480 students - view location
View all schools in: Chicago Town, Cook County, Zip 60607 
Tip: Zoom in/out using the slider below. View aerial photos using the Satellite or Hybrid buttons.
Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

  Quick Links:

 View website: View this school's website in a new browser Visit school website
 Find housing: View current housing listings in this area
 Reconnect: Find your graduating class at Classmates.com Find your graduating class at Classmates.com
 Review:  Add School Reviews Review school: Add School Reviews - Recommended Add School Reviews - Not Recommended
 Tools: Search schools by zip, Compare schools side-by-side
 More schools: Private schools, Boarding schools & military schools
 Return to: Cook County public schools, Illinois public schools, Home

Featured Partners:


Young Magnet High School School Website

School Reviews:

Add School Reviews Review school: Add School Reviews - Recommended Add School Reviews - Not Recommended
Public School Articles
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt
$43.99 $39.99

WHITNEY M. YOUNG Essential T-Shirt
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Essential T-Shirt
$19.99

WHITNEY M. YOUNG Crewneck Sweatshirt
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Crewneck Sweatshirt
$34.99 $29.99

WHITNEY M. YOUNG Embroidered Jersey Knit Sport Shirt
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Embroidered Jersey Knit Sport Shirt
$39.99 $34.99

WHITNEY M. YOUNG Heavy Cotton Long Sleeve T-Shirt
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Heavy Cotton Long Sleeve T-Shirt
$29.99 $24.99

WHITNEY M. YOUNG Cotton Ringer T-Shirt
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Cotton Ringer T-Shirt
$19.99

WHITNEY M. YOUNG Champion® Long Mesh Shorts
WHITNEY M. YOUNG Champion® Long Mesh Shorts
$32.99 $29.99