Auburn High School (Rockford, Illinois)
Auburn High School is a public high school located in Rockford, Illinois, USA. The school is divided into two campuses: one a campus for freshmen and the other for upperclassmen.
In addition to serving the west side of Rockford for grades 9-12, it houses the high school portions of the Gifted Program (Academy), the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) Program, and the only Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program left in Rockford.
Academics
The Academy program is the high school component of the Rockford Public Schools' enriched program for bright students. This "special education" program continually ranks high in the state with respect to test scores. In fact, with Academy and Non-Academy test scores separated, the Academy ranked number one in the nation. The Academy-dominated quiz bowl team has placed in the Final Four in the Illinois High School Association state finals for the past seven years, including a 3rd place finish in 2007, a 1st place finish in 2008, and a 2nd place finish in 2009. The Academy program is selective, and along with Washington School, which serves grades 1 through 8, forms the Gifted Program in Rockford, with admittance based on testing.
The CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) program is also a K-12 program, and the high-school portion is housed at Auburn, where CAPA students can take academic subjects in regular, honors, or Academy courses while continuing training in art, music, dance, or drama.
The only Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at a Rockford school is housed at Auburn. Many of the top students in the program are a part of the Rifle Team, which is among the top teams in the state, the Drill Team, which has placed at Purdue University in the past few years, the Color Guard, or the program's new Drum and Bugle Corps.
Facilities
Auburn's school complex is located across Pierpont Avenue from McIntosh Elementary school and between School and Auburn Streets. A school board decision combined the Auburn and Wilson Junior High campuses into "North Campus" and "South Campus," with the freshmen housed at the South Campus and the rest of the student body remaining at the North Campus. Cottonwood Airport is located adjacently to the South of the school, and has a north-south grass strip aligned approximately with the current football field.
The gymnasium is named for hall of fame coach Dolph Stanley. For 10 seasons Stanley coached the Knights to four regional and three sectional titles, advancing to the state quarterfinals in 1963.[5] Though his teams didn’t make the finals of the IHSA tournament, Stanley's Auburn teams produced 176 wins to 78 losses.
Around 1970 a football stadium was built next to Auburn High school. Originally, and for many years, the stadium was called "Westburn stadium", and was used by both Auburn and the then West High school which had no field of its own. Currently, Auburn shares the field with Jefferson High School, as Jefferson also has no home field of its own. The football field is surrounded by a new track.
Activities
The following teams have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:[6]
- Chess: 4th place (1995–96); 2nd place (1988–89, 90–91, 93–94); State Champions (1991–92, 92–93)
- Scholastic Bowl: 4th place (2001–02); 3rd place (2003–04, 04–05, 05–06, 06–07); 2nd place (2002–03, 08–09, 09-10); State Champions (2007–08)
Notable alumni
- Adam Arling is a guitarist for the band The Last Vegas.[7][8]
- Charles Box is a former mayor of Rockford; the first African American to hold that office.[9]
- Michael Elston, Chief of Staff & Counselor, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, United States Department of Justice.
- Donald A. Manzullo is a U.S. Representative, representing Illinois' 16th congressional district.[10][11]
- Robert Nardelli is the former CEO of Chrysler and Home Depot.[12]
- Rick Venturi is a football coach who was head football coach for Northwestern University (1978–80) before briefly serving as head coach for the Indianapolis Colts (1991) and New Orleans Saints (1996). He has also been a defensive coordinator.[13]
- Shawn Wade is a former bass player for the band 12 Stones.
- Michelle Williams is a former member of the band Destiny's Child.
- Kimberla Lawson Roby is a New York Times Bestselling Author that published 16 novels. Her novels have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times and those in USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Emerge Magazine, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, The Dallas Morning News, and The Austin Chronicle to name a few.[14]
References
- ^ "Superintendent". Rockford Public Schools. http://webs.rps205.com/departments/superintendent/. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ "Main Page, School Website". Auburn High School. http://webs.rps205.com/schools/auburn/home.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ a b c "Illinois School Report Card". Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 2009. http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/publicsite/getReport.aspx?year=2009&code=0410120500001_e.pdf. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ a b "Rockford (Auburn)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 22 December 2009. http://www.ihsa.org/school/schools/1819.htm. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ IHSA Record Book
- ^ "IHSA Season Summaries". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 16 November 2009. http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1819.htm. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Arco, Paul Anthony (30 June), "Original Mötley Crüe back on tour", MorningSun (GateHouse News Service), http://www.morningsun.net/news/entertainment/x232967176/Original-M-tley-Cr-e-back-on-tour, retrieved 23 December 2009, "The Mötley show also marks the return of Rockford natives Nate and Adam Arling. The brothers are members of The Last Vegas; Nate, a 1996 East High graduate, plays drums and Adam, a 1993 product of Auburn High, plays guitar."
- ^ Braun, Georgette (11 November), "The Last Vegas wins spot on 2009 Mötley Crüe tour", Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1772942953/The-Last-Vegas-wins-spot-on-2009-Motley-Crue-tour, retrieved 23 December 2009, "Arling’s older brother, Adam Arling, a 1993 graduate of Auburn High School in Rockford, plays guitar for the hard-rocking, five-member band."
- ^ Sweeny, Chuck (May 1991). "Mayor Box at mid-term: keeping taxes low and understanding Rockford's 'Mr. Larsons'". Illinois Issues (Springfield, Illinois, USA: University of Illinois at Springfield (Sangamon State University)) XVII (5): 10. ISSN 0738-9663. http://www.lib.niu.edu/1991/ii910510.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009. "In his first venture into electoral politics, Democrat Box, a former athlete and scholar at Rockford's Auburn High School, then at Dartmouth College, slam-dunked his opposition."
- ^ "Biography for Donald A. Manzullo". U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. 21 June 2005. http://www.uscc.gov/bios/2005bios/05_06_21bios/manzullo_don.htm. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ "Manzullo, Donald A.". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m001138. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Durbin, Dee-Ann (8 September), "Nardelli to keep Chrysler brands", Rockford Register Star (AP), http://www.rrstar.com/business/x823001834, retrieved 23 December 2009, "Chrysler’s new owner, private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, has hired Nardelli, a 1966 Rockford Auburn High School graduate, and a handful of other new executives to turn around the automaker."
- ^ "Catching Up...With Rick Venturi". St. Louis Rams. 25 May 2006. http://www.stlouisrams.com/article/53955/. Retrieved 23 December 2009. "Education: Rockford-Auburn High School (Ill.). Northwestern University, dual degree in history and physical education."
- ^ Braun, Georgette (November 6, 2008). "Kimberla Lawson Roby signs deal with Lifetime". Rockford (IL) Register Star. http://www.rrstar.com/x1720643682/Kimberla-Lawson-Roby-signs-deal-with-Lifetime. Retrieved 11 October 2011.