William Fremd High School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Fremd High School
Established 1961
Type Public secondary
Principal Marina Scott
Students 2,933
Grades 9–12
Location 1000 S. Quentin Rd.
Palatine, Illinois, USA
Campus Suburban
Colors Green, Gold
Mascot Vikings
Yearbook 'Valhallan'
Newspaper 'The Viking Logue'
Website www.fhs.d211.org

William Fremd High School, or Fremd, is a public four-year high school located in Palatine, Illinois , a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates High School, Palatine High School, and Schaumburg High School

Contents

[edit] History

Fremd opened in 1963 as Palatine High School South. The school was later named after William Fremd who had been a member of the high school board of education for over 30 years and had served on school boards in the area for a consecutive period of more than 45 years. The school was the second high school to be built in Palatine, Illinois after Palatine High School. Palatine South and then Fremd originally served as the school for all Palatine freshman and sophomores while Palatine High School was the school for juniors and seniors. This plan was only in effect for three years before Fremd was expanded to serve as a 4 year high school. In the fall of 1966 the first junior class entered, and they became the first Fremd graduating class in 1968. On October 19, 1974, district residents approved a $22 million referendum which included funds for the addition of an auditorium and pool to Fremd. In 2001, construction began to create a new science wing. The courtyard which stood in the center of the school was demolished. After two years of year round construction, the new science wing was built along with a heating and ventilation facility on the roof of the building.[1]

Today, Fremd is one of the largest high schools in the region, with over 2900 students including 689 students in the 2004 graduating class and 727 students in 2006. However, the school is also noted for its high operating costs. The school has the highest average salary for teachers as of May 2005. Criticisms concerning its high spending include the purchasing of an electronic sign, a hall rug with an embroidered Viking logo, and unevenly distributed budgets among both academic departments and after school athletics and activities. Although most of this spending is attributed to the parental organization, the Fremd Booster Club, which was founded by Edwin and Lorraine Gill and not the school itself, the spending of both organizations has been called into question on occasion. For example, from 1999-2001 repairs of a leak in the roof of the newly furnished Kolze Auditorium were put off while the Booster Club focused on purchasing an electronic sign for approximately $50,000.[2][3] Recent attempts to curtail the spending were part of referendums that sought to cut after school activities and athletics. The controversial referendum led to an increase in assessed property tax rates within the school district.

Fremd has seen several construction projects in the last few years, such as new bleachers in the main gymnasium, new tiling and additional classrooms. Recently, the music department finished major construction including a whole new rehearsal room, and the addition of bigger practice rooms with more advanced sound-proof walls as well as storage space.[4]

[edit] Academics

In 2005, Fremd had an average composite ACT score of 23.7, and graduated 99.9% of its senior class. The average class size is 24.7. Fremd has made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act.[5]

Fremd is considered one of the best high schools in the state in terms of quality and standardized test scores. In 1987, Fremd was named among the top in the nation in the United States Department of Education's National Secondary School Recognition Program. Fremd High School has also been recognized by Newsweek as one of “America’s Best High Schools” and by U.S. News & World Report as one of 99 outstanding high schools in the United States.[6] In 2006, Fremd was recognized as the 302nd best high school in the nation by Newsweek, with an average of 1.3 AP tests taken per graduating senior.[7]

Fremd had 37 Academic Scholars representing the highest grade point averages in the Class of 2004. Eight students were National Merit Finalists along with 135 Illinois State Scholars in that same year. The graduates of the Class of 2004 received $3.35 million in collegiate scholarship awards.

[edit] Athletics

Fremd competes in the Mid-Suburban League West Conference and Illinois High School Association. Its mascot is the Viking. The school has 28 athletic activities distributed evenly between males and females to comply with Title IX. Fremd is one of the few public high schools in Illinois to offer Lacrosse and Volleyball to both genders.

[edit] Activities

The school's monthly newspaper is the Viking Logue.

Each year, William Fremd High School hosts Writer's Week, which has brought more than 100 writers to the Fremd campus since 1995 to share their work and philosophy on the writing process. Distinguished guest presenters have included Billy Collins, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman; journalists Rick Bragg, Dana Kozlov, Burt Constable, and Eric Zorn; novelists Jane Hamilton, Raymond Benson, Rosellen Brown, Harry Mark Petrakis, and Frederik Pohl; poets Nikki Giovanni, Naomi Shihab Nye, and poetry slam creator Marc Smith; screenwriters Bill Kelly and Craig J. Nevius; and sportswriters Dan Roan and Mike Imrem. Presenters also include selected Fremd students and faculty. English teachers Gary Anderson and Tony Romano are the lead organizers of Writer's Week.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of Township High School District 211 on the District 211 Website
  2. ^ Forget the new marquee. The Viking Logue. Volume 34, Number 8, 3 March 2000
  3. ^ Booster Club funds new sign. The Viking Logue. Volume 34, Number 11, 26 May 2000
  4. ^ Fremd High School Music Addition
  5. ^ Illinois School Report Card
  6. ^ A Current Profile on the District 211 Website
  7. ^ Newsweek's Top 1,000 High Schools
  8. ^ Dana Kozlov Biography

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Mid-Suburban Conference
East Division: Buffalo Grove • Elk Grove • Hersey • Prospect • Rolling Meadows • Wheeling
West Division: Barrington • Conant • Fremd • Hoffman Estates • Palatine • Schaumburg