Rich Central High School

Infobox school
name = Rich Central High School
principal = Maceo Rainey
established = 1961 (9-10)
1963 (9-12)
type = Public secondary
grades = 9–12
city = 3600 West 203rd Street
Olympia Fields
state = Illinois
country = USA
enrollment = 1,891
faculty = 204
campus = Suburban
mascot = Olympians
colors = Columbia Blue, Red
newspaper = "The Torch"
yearbook = "The Oracle"
website = [http://www.richcentral.org]
picture =

Rich Central High School or RCHS, is a public four-year high school located in Olympia Fields, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The Rich Central Campus serves the cities of Olympia Fields, Matteson, Richton Park, Country Club Hills, Chicago Heights, and Tinley Park. It is a part of Rich Township District 227, which also includes Rich East High School and Rich South High School.

History

High School District #227 serves the residents of Country Club Hills, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, a small section of Chicago Heights and adjoining rural areas in South Cook County. The district was formed from non-high school territory in 1949. Construction of the East Campus of Rich Township High School, financed by a $1,600,000 bond issue, began in September, 1952. Twelve months later it was operating as a four-year high school. During the 1952-53 school year, a ninth grade school was operating in the Faith United Protestant Church in Park Forest, Located on a 55 acre site donated by American Community Builders, Inc., the original building accommodated approximately 750 students. In 1955, a $450,000 bond issue financed the addition of 12 classrooms and a gymnasium. This increased the capacity of the school to approximately 1,100 students. In 1957, a $1,050,000 bond issue was passed and the money used to increase the size of the East Campus to accommodate 1,500 to 1,600 students. At the same time, 50 acres of land for a new high school site was purchased in Olympia Fields.

In 1959, a $1,690,000 bond issue was passed to finance building of the initial stage of a new Central Campus in Olympia Fields. The first stage provided facilities for about 700 students. The building has been recognized as one of the "significant schools of the future" in a monograph published by the Ford Foundation. In its July, 1960 issue, The Nation’s Schools carried a cover picture and a ten-page article on the new school under the title, "An Image of the Future in Olympia Fields, IL." In 1960, a bond issue of $225,000 was approved to equip the new school which opened to approximately 425 students in the ninth and tenth grades in September, 1961. At the same time, the East Campus enrolled about 1,600 students. In 1962, a $1,250,000 bond issue was authorized by voters in the district to build and equip an addition to the Central Campus facility bringing its capacity to 1,500 students. This addition was completed for the opening of school in September 1963.

In 1966, a $2,700,000 bond issue was authorized by voters in the district. $2,500,000 of the bond issue was for the purpose of building and equipping additions to the Central and East Campus facilities. This brings the capacity of the Central Campus to 2,100 students and the East Campus to 1,800 students. $200,000 was used to purchase land for a third high school. [Rich Central High School Handbook]

Renovations

Groundbreaking at Rich Central High School will make way for a convert|19000|sqft|m2|sing=on Administration Annex. Seven additional classrooms will be made from the space formerly occupied by the Administration. Construction is scheduled to continue throughout Summer 2008. Projected images of the renovations of all the Rich Township Schools can be viewed at the district's website.

Athletics

Rich Central High School has 21 athletic teams, of 10 boys and 11 girls teams, which play in the South Inter-Conference Association and the Illinois High School Association. Its mascots are the Olympians and Lady Olympians. Below is a list of sports through the Illinois High School Association:

*Marching Band

*Girls Volleyball

*Boys Soccer

*Golf

*Football

*Girls Tennis

*Cross Country

*Boys Basketball

*Girls Basketball

*Boys Wrestling

*Girls Gymnastics

*Girls Soccer

*Girls Softball

*Girls Bowling

*Boys Track & Field

*Girls Track * Field

*Scholastic Bowl

*Cheerleading

*Music-Instrumental

*Drama

IHSA State Titles

Activities

The Rich Central High School Band has won several titles in the past years under the direction of Phillip Crews. The band took first place at the 2006 Cotton Bowl, 2006 Bud Billiken Parade and the All Star Music Festival in Orlando, Florida. The band has distinguished themselves with over 40 superior ratings in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble Festival. Rich Central High School band has received invitations to the 2007-2008 Fed-Ex Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, ; the 2008 Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas; and the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia.

Notable Alumni

**Kendall Gill, Retired Guard of the National Basketball Association.

External links

* [http://www.richcentral.org Official website]
* [http://www.rich227.org Rich Township High School District 227]
* [http://ihsa.org Illinois High School Association]

References