Stephen Decatur High School, located in Decatur, Illinois, existed from 1975 to 2000. It was perhaps the first high school in Decatur to be handicapped accessible (as it was all on one level) and to have air conditioning.
It was closed as a high school due to the need of a new middle school. It was re-opened as a middle school in 2001.
The school referred to here was NOT the first SDHS. The 'real' SDHS was the first HS in Decatur and located downtown, built in majestic marble. It was torn down to make way for a Civic Center.
The "real" Stephen Decatur High School, originally Decatur High School, was located in downtown Decatur in the 400 block of N. Franklin St. It was built out of red brick and had stone columns, possibly marble, on the main west entrance. It was expanded in the late 1940's when the Kintner gym section was added. The reason it was torn down was because it was condemned due to fire damage from an arson that occurred in the early 1970's making it more costly to restore than to rebuild. The "new" Stephen Decatur High School opened in about 1975 and was converted to a middle school in about 2001 when Decatur consolidated from three high schools to two due to reduced enrollment in District 61. The "Runnin' Reds" were the first Illinois high school to win 4 state basketball championships, the last of which was in 1962.