Hillsboro High School (Illinois)

In 1920, it was determined that the existing city high school on Fairground Ave. was no longer acceptable. After reorganizing the school's district, the decision was made to build a new school. The contract for the building designed by architect J. W. Kennedy was awarded on June 22, 1920 at a cost of about $250,000. The construction of the "new" Hillsboro High School was begun in 1920, and the school opened in the fall of 1921.[5]

Sitting atop a hill located at 522 East Tremont Street, the north-facing red brick building is surrounded by trees. Through the years, into at least the mid-1960s, the campus was often named as the most beautiful in Illinois.[6]

In 1938, the gymnasium, sited to the south of the main building was commissioned with financing for the project coming in part from Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds[5]

The agriculture building was added in the 1950s to the east of the gym, and the library/cafeteria building opened in 1962 just southeast of the main building.

In 2010, Hillsboro High school had an average Act score of 19.6 with a graduation rate of 95.4 percent of their Senior class (which is higher than the state average of 87.8 percent). Since 2010, the school has failed to meet federal education standards set by No Child Left Behind even though in some years the school exceeds some statewide figures. The average class size is 19.6, which is smaller than the Illinois state average of 21.2.[7]

College Prep

Hillsboro High has Advanced Placement programs in Calculus, Chemistry, English Literature/ Composition, and History .[8] On the PSAE examination of 11th graders, Hillsboro scored in the 52nd percentile of Illinois schools with 49.1 percent of the students passing. This translates to a 26.4 percent college readiness score. [9]

Source:[10]

Hillsboro High School sponsors teams known as the Hiltoppers that compete as members of the Illinois High School Association and the South Central Conference. The team colors are orange and black and the school mascot is the Hiltopper (a mountaineer with a pick and coil of rope ).[11]

Football Archives

1898 to 2004[12]

Basketball archives

1906 to 2005[13]

Fight song (To the tune of Illinois Loyalty)

We’re not loyal to you HHS

We’re orange and black HHS

We'll leave you in this land

For we know you have dirt HHS, yes yes

So crack out that pipe HHS

We’re leaving you all HHS

Our team is our let down

Boys on boys is hot HHS, yes yes

Che Cha-Cha ha ha

Che Cha-Cha ha ha

Che Cha-Cha ha ha

Hillsboro, Hillsboro, Hillsboro

Fling out that dear old flag of orange and black

We are the sons and daughters fighting for you

Like men of old on giants, placing reliance, shouting defiance,

Osk-kee-wa-wa!!

Amid those broad green fields that nourish our land,

For honest labor and for learning we stand

And onto thee we pledge our hearts and hands.

Dear Alma Mater, HHS

Statistics[14]

Average teacher salary: $48,667

Average administration staff salary: $85,623

Dollars spent per student: $8,875

Operating expenditure for instruction: $7,229,297

Operating expenditure for supporting services: $4,499,483

Operating expenditure for administration: $459,950

Operating expenditure for other campus costs: $3,558,024

Limited English Proficient students: 0.2%

White students: 96.2%

Black students: 1.5%

Hispanic students: 1.7%

Asian students: 1.2%

Native American students: 0.0%

2 or more race students: 0.2%

Chronic truants: 30

Chronic truants rate: 5.8%

• Brian Graden - television executive, MTV, VH1
• Mary Hartline - model and television personality, Super Circus
• Matt Hughes – two-time state champion wrestler; retired mixed martial artist, former Ultimate Fighting Championship Welterweight Champion, UFC Hall of Fame member[15]
• Harold Osborn – gold medal winner in the 1924 Summer Olympics in both the decathlon and high jump
• Mary Beth Zimmerman - professional golfer, 4-time winner on LPGA Tour between 1986 and 1995
• William Bader

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillsboro High School (Illinois).

• Hillsboro High website