Beecher High School (Illinois)
Beecher High School or BHS is a public four-year high school located in Beecher, is a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. and is part of the Beecher Community Unit School District 200U.
| Beecher High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
538 Miller St, , 60401 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41.5138°N 87.9298°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public secondary |
| Established | 1954 |
| School district | Beecher Community Unit School District 200U |
| Principal | Jack Gaham |
| Teaching staff | 23.00 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 352 (2018–19)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 15.30[1] |
| Campus size | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Area | South Suburbs |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Orange Black |
| Song | On, You Bobcats! |
| Athletics conference | River Valley Conference |
| Mascot | Bobcat[2] |
| Team name | Bobcats (males) / Ladycats (females) |
| Newspaper | The Bobcat's Advocate |
| Yearbook | Promethean |
| Website | www |
History
Beecher Community Unit School District 200-U is one of the longest surviving school districts in Will County. The high school's location has changed twice since 1954, due to overpopulation in the growing community. Construction began on the current Beecher High School in 2000, barely being completed at the start of the school year on September 4, 2001.[3]
Student demographics and characteristics
The current enrollment at Beecher High School is 679. The ethnic breakdown of the school is 89.6% White, 7% Hispanic/Latino and 3.4% all others. 13.8% of students lie within the low income bracket. The attendance rate is 94%, and the graduation rate is 93.2%.[4]
Academics
BHS offers a wide variety of curriculum for its students to choose from. Departments include Agriculture, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, Industrial Technology, Media and Technology, English, Foreign Language (Spanish is the only Foreign Language offered after the Class of 2009), Fine Arts, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, Science, and Social Studies. Beecher offers P courses in US History, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Chemistry and Calculus AB. Beecher also has a Special Education program.[3]
In 2010, 60% of juniors met or exceeded on the PSAE, 7% higher than the statewide average.[4]
Juniors and seniors also have the opportunity to attend Kankakee Area Career Center located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Classes take place for half the school day, and is worth 1.5 credits per semester. Departments include Automotive Technology, Business Technology, Child Development, Collision Repair, Computer Technology, Construction Technology, Cosmetology, Drafting/CAD, Fire/Rescue, Health Occupations, Law Enforcement, Precision Metals and Welding Technology.[5]
Issues and controversies
Cyber bullying
BHS made national news in April 2010 when an incident involving hate speech escalated between a Beecher student on the baseball team and a Crete-Monee High School and Peotone High School team member. According to The Huffington Post,
- "A racist and threatening Facebook exchange between high school baseball players has some wondering why a threat to lynch another person is not being taken more seriously by two Illinois schools. Crete-Monee High School honor student and pitcher Jihad Yousef was stunned the day after playing a double header against Beecher, when he checked his Facebook page and found a disturbing message from a Peotone player, according to Phil Arvia of the Southtown Star."[6]
References
- "Beecher High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- "IHSA school information: Beecher High School". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 28 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- "Beecher School District 200-U". www.Beecher200U.org. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- "Illinois Interactive Report Card". Iirc.niu.edu. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
- "Kankakee Area Career Center - Preparing Students for Tomorrow". Kacc-il.org. 2008-09-14. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
- Sabella, Jen (April 23, 2010). "Jihad Yousef, Crete-Monee High School Pitcher, Threatened With Lynching In Facebook Message". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2011.