Community High School District 155

About Community High School District 155

Community High School District 155 includes four comprehensive high schools and two alternate education centers. Serving grades 9 - 12, each institution has full State of Illinois recognition and accreditation. Enrollment includes more than 7,000 students from the cities of Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, and Prairie Grove. The district covers 67.75 square miles located approximately 45 miles northwest of Chicago in McHenry County.

In 1936, Community High School District 155 began serving Crystal Lake, Cary, and Fox River Grove. All high school students attended Crystal Lake Community High School until 1961, when Cary-Grove High School was opened. Crystal Lake South High School opened in 1978. At that time, Crystal Lake Community High School became Crystal Lake Central. A fourth high school, Prairie Ridge, was opened in 1997.

Students come to the high schools from several public school feeder districts including Crystal Lake District 47, Cary Community Consolidated School District 26, Fox River Grove School District 3, and Prairie Grove School District 46.

Each junior takes the American College Test (ACT) as part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam. The composite score for Community High School District 155 seniors graduating in 2006 is 22.2 compared to a state average of 20.5 and a national average of 21.1. In other testing, each year the number of advanced placement exams taken by District 155 students increases. In 2006, the district's students took 1151 AP exams. Subjects included, but are not limited to biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, English language & composition, physics, music theory, U.S. history, and statistics. Honor scores (three or higher) were received on 76% of these examinations. Further, each year more than 80% of District 155 graduates continue their education beyond high school.

District 155 participates annually in a countywide graduate follow-up survey. Sixty-four percent of the Class of 2001 responded to the telephone survey. Data from the survey indicates that 77% of the nearly 800 respondents are still involved in some form of higher education. Furthermore, 92% of the respondents said that their educational experience with District 155 adequately prepared them for both their personal and professional life.

The district employs nearly 775 people including more than 425 teachers, sixteen building administrators, eight district administrators, twenty-two guidance counselors, eleven social workers, two school psychologists, four nurses, and a full spectrum of related and special education services personnel. In the core subjects, all of the district's teachers are teaching in their academic major. In fact, more than 70% hold master's degrees or higher.

Dr. Jill Hawk is the district's tenth superintendent, succeeding Mike Mills in 2005.