Springfield High School (SHS) is a public secondary school located in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It is the oldest of the three high schools in Springfield Public Schools District 186 (the other two being Southeast High School and Lanphier High School). The school draws mainly from the west side of Springfield.
While the school opened in 1857, the current building was opened in 1916. A number of notable alumni have called the school home, with the writer Vachel Lindsay being the most associated with the town, which featured prominently in his writings.
Springfield High School opened on 4 September 1857 in a small building on Market Street, now known as Capitol Avenue.[9] It was located in this building for only a single school year before it moved to the Academy Building on South 5th Street near Monroe until 1864. In 1865, a $65,000 school building was completed for the high school and was located on 4th and Madison Street.[9] Due to congestion, Central High School was built in 1897, but was already overcrowded by 1915.
In 1917, Springfield High School opened at 101 S. Lewis St, previously the site of a church and Hutchinson Cemetery. The church was gone, but there were still gravestones and remains that were moved to Oak Ridge Cemetery before construction could begin. The construction had a cost of $500,000 and could support up to 1,500 students.[9]
In 2008, SHS had an average composite ACT score of 22.0, and graduated 91.0% of its senior class.[4] Springfield High School has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which with the ACT, comprise the State of Illinois' assessment as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.[4] The school, overall, did not meet AYP in mathematics, and two student subgroups failed to meet AYP in both mathematics and reading.[4]
SHS offers 14 AP classes, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics C. Other AP classes available include Art History, German Language and Culture, and Psychology.[4]
Springfield High School competes in the Central State Eight Conference, and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most interscholastic athletics and competitive activities in Illinois. Teams are stylized as the "Senators".
Springfield has three choir groups and one showchoir (Seven and Senators, Scarlet Harmony, Mixed Chorus, and IN Session Showchoir).[14] The "IN Session" showchoir is an extracurricular activity who rehearses two nights a week. IN Session showchoir is a choir that combine choral singing with dance. Started in 2011, IN Session performs around the city of Springfield and competes around the Midwest. Since 2011, IN Session showchoir has won numerous awards and has been rank by the Nation showchoir rank system.[15]
The school has a marching band, which performs at home football games and at other local events, and two pep bands, which take turns playing at home basketball games. For the concert season there are three groups (Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble). There are also two jazz bands and a flute choir, along with a clarinet choir.[16]
The school stages a play each autumn and a musical each spring.[17] Recent musicals include Cats, created by Andrew Lloyd Webber,[18]Legally Blonde, Hairspray, and "Beauty and the Beast."
The only remote PLATO III terminal was at Springfield High School. It was connected to the PLATO III system by a video connection and a separate dedicated line for keyboard data.
Ruth Ellis was the oldest known open lesbian, and an LGBT rights activist. Her life was the subject of a documentary, Living With Pride: Ruth C. Ellis @ 100. She formed the Ruth Ellis Center, a social service agency dedicated to helping LGBTQ teens and youth adults experiencing homelessness.[22]
William Howarth (class of 1958) is a writer and professor at Princeton University. He studies the relationship between man and nature, especially as expressed in literature.[19]
Robin Roberts (baseball) played professional baseball and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He attended SHS for two years before the boundaries changed and he was relocated to Lanphier High School.[28]
Joey Sternaman was a professional football quarterback (1922–30), playing most of his career with the Chicago Bears.[32]
N. Ronald Thunman (class of 1949) served 35 years of active duty in the United States Navy, rising to the rank of vice-admiral. His work included Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Submarine Warfare and Chief of Naval Education and Training. Thunman was the commander of the first-year class of John McCain.[19][33][34]
