Lincoln-Way Central High School,LWC, or Central is a public four-year high school about 3.5 miles south of Interstate 80 near the intersection of Schoolhouse Road and Lincoln HighwayinNew Lenox, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the original school of Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, which also includes Lincoln-Way East High School and Lincoln-Way West High School. Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West are located in New Lenox, and Lincoln-Way East is located in Frankfort. Effective since the 2016–2017 school year, Lincoln-Way North High School, in Frankfort Square, closed due to financial troubles and the district is now a three-school district.[12] District 210 offices are located at Lincoln-Way Central.
In June 1952, another election provided for the approval and construction of Lincoln-Way High School. The new high school district combined Joliet Township High School, Bloom Township High School, Carl Sandburg High School, and Peotone High School.[13] The cornerstone was ceremonially installed on October 25, 1953, after construction had begun.[13] Lincoln-Way opened its doors to students on September 7, 1954. The name of the school was selected by Mrs. Florence Pittman and the board of education officially adopted it as "Lincoln-Way". The charter members of the student body voted to have red and black as their school colors. Lyrics to the Lincoln-Way Central school song were written by Robert Taylor and Betty Tryon, set to the tune of the University of Chicago pep song.
Bond issues for additions to the original building were approved in 1957, 1960, 1962, and 1969. The 1969 bond issue approved a ninth grade building which was built north of the main building. In 1971 the north building opened up, accommodating 700 students.
In 1994, a field house was added to the campus. Then in 1998, citizens of District No. 210 approved a $60 million building bond referendum to split the existing high school freshmen-sophomore / junior-senior configuration into two separate four-year high schools while adding to the existing two schools an academic wing with 50 classrooms at each campus, Olympic-sized swimming pools, as well as the addition of a fine arts auditorium and music classrooms at Central. The changeover became official for the 2001–02 school year as the Central campus opened as Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Lincoln-Way Central is known as “Lincoln-Way” by area residents because it is the original of the four high schools, rich in over sixty-five years of tradition and history. Students are noted for their exceeding pride. Phrases such as "We are Central", "Once a Knight, Always a Knight", and "Knight Pride" exemplify students' school spirit.
Lincoln-Way Central's Music Department consists of multiple extracurricular music groups, including the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Concert Bands, two jazz ensembles, (Jazz I and II), pep band, orchestra, guitar studio, piano, multiple choirs, including Madrigal Singers, and the school's marching band, the Marching Knights.
The Marching Knights consisted of 101 student members as of the 2012–2013 season. The group marched in the 2005 Presidential Inaugural Parade. The band has been in existence since 1954. In 2017, the Marching Knights combined with the three other Lincoln-Way area High Schools to form the Lincoln-Way Marching Band.
