Harper High School (Chicago)

William Rainey Harper High School was a public 4–year high school located in the West Englewood neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1911, Harper was part of the Chicago Public Schools district. Harper served students in West Englewood and certain streets of Chicago Lawn,[5] and was noted as the oldest high school in the West Englewood neighborhood. Harper closed at the end of the 2020–2021 school year on June 30, 2021.[6]

Harper High School
Address
6520 S. Wood Street

Chicago
,
Illinois
60636

United States
Coordinates41.7750°N 87.6697°W / 41.7750; -87.6697
Information
School type
Motto"Focus on today, Preparing for tomorrow."
Opened1911
StatusClosed
ClosedJune 30, 2021
School districtChicago Public Schools
CEEB code140855[1]
PrincipalLeonetta C. Sanders
(2020–2021)
Grades9–12[2]
GenderCoed
Enrollment19 (2020–2021; final graduating class of seniors)[2]
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)  White
  Red
Athletics conferenceChicago Public League[3]
Team nameCardinals
AccreditationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools
YearbookShield[4]
Websiteharperhighschool.org

History

Opened in 1911 by the Chicago Public Schools district and Chicago Board of Education, The school was named in honor of William Rainey Harper (1856–1906), a legendary educator who served as president of both the University of Chicago and Bradley University, and who was a champion of modernizing the facilities and standardizing the academic curriculum of the Chicago Public Schools. The majority of the school's students were African-American after rezoning in the early 1970's. In 2008, Harper was the first public school in Chicago to be a part of the Turnaround project started by former Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan.[7] Harper High School was a non-selective enrollment high school with attendance boundaries. Students within the attendance boundary were immediately enrolled without a form of admission. Those outside of the boundary had to receive permission from the school to enroll. If there are more applications than spots available, the school would perform a computerized lottery. Harper High School had form a program called "B.A.G." which the letters stands for Behavior, Attendance and Grades. Additionally, The school was adopted by BET Networks as a 100-year anniversary in 2011.[8] Harper had won the AP School Award four times (1976–1977, 1982–1983, 2008–2009 and 2012–2013).[9]

National attention

On April 11, 2006, Harper High School gained national attention when the school was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[10] The show discussed Harper High School's lack of computers and other essential learning tools for its students. An updated episode was aired on September 24, 2010 about the school's turnaround project.[11]

On July 9, 2012, Harper High School was the focus of a 2012 WBEZ report[12] concerning the 29 past and present students who were casualties of gun violence in the preceding 13 months. The school was subsequently the subject of a two-episode, five-month immersive investigation by This American Life that aired on February 15 and 22, 2013, focusing on gun violence and the lives of students;[13] the series earned a Peabody Award.[14]

On April 22, 2013, two Harper senior students; Devonte Tanner and Brittney Knight, won Bill Gates Millennium Scholarships. They were the first students in Chicago school history to do so.[15]

On October 29, 2014, School officials reported that 5 people at Harper High School in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood were taken to different hospitals after they became ill because of the odor. Fire department officials said they have tested carbon monoxide levels in the school, but found them to be quite low. Instead, a fire department spokesman says the smell appears to be coming from sewer gas, and sanitation crews had been doing work. Students and staff were taken to other schools while the Chicago Fire Department investigated the cause of the odor. They also shut the boiler down in the school as a serious precaution.[16]

Phasing out and closing

On February 12, 2018, the Chicago Board of Education decided to phase out and ultimately close Harper[17][18] along with three other neighborhood high schools due numerous reasons including low–enrollment, poor academic performance, lack of courses offerings for students and operational costs of the buildings.[19] Harper graduated its final class of 19 seniors and closed after the 2020–2021 school year on June 30, 2021.[20]

Athletics

Harper competed in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and was a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Harper sports teams were nicknamed Cardinals. The boys' basketball team were Class 2A and 3A to become the four time regional champions. (2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2015–16). The chess team were Class AA only once and finished 8th place. (1975–76). The boys' football team were Class 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A to made team qualifier for state finals twenty-four times. (1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15). On October 3, 2019, This was Harper's 108th season as a football program and sadly this will be their last as Harper is being closed in Summer 2021.[21][22]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "High School Code Search". College Board. October 17, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  2. "Search for Public Schools – School Detail for Harper High School". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  3. "Chicago (Harper)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). December 31, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  4. Yearbooks: Harper High School (Chicago)
  5. "West Central South" (high school zones). Chicago Public Schools. July 19, 2013. Retrieved on January 11, 2017.
  6. CTU Local, The Fight To Save Chicago Public Schools' Harper High School, March 2020
  7. Harper High School's Turnaround by former CPS CEO Arne Duncan
  8. "BET Networks adopts Harper High School as a 100-year anniversary". Facebook.
  9. "Harper won four AP School awards". Facebook.
  10. "Failing Grade". Oprah.com. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  11. "Harper High School's Turnaround in The Oprah Winfrey Show".
  12. Lutton, Linda (July 9, 2012). "The weight of the city's violence, on one school principal". WBEZ. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  13. This American Life: Harper High School (Episode 487 & 488)
  14. "Harper High School earns an Peabody Award".
  15. "Harper High students win Bill Gates scholarship award". April 22, 2013.
  16. "Harper High School evacuated due to 'strong chemical smell'". October 29, 2014.
  17. South Side Weekly – Losing Harper High School – March 21, 2018
  18. Preservation Chicago – Chicago Public Schools Proposes to Close Historic Harper High School
  19. Chicago Tribune – CPS puts brakes on school closing plan, will phase out 3 Englewood high schools over 3 years – February 12, 2018
  20. WBEZ 91.5 Chicago – Harper High School being shut down permanently, June 27, 2021
  21. IHSA: Chicago (Harper)
  22. "Harper High School celebrates 108th and final football season".
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