Kelvyn Park High School
Kelvyn Park High School is a public 4–year high school located in the Hermosa neighborhood on northwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1933, Kelvyn Park is operated by the Chicago Public Schools district. In addition to being a neighborhood high school, Kelvyn Park also serves as a middle school; serving grades seventh and eighth. As of 2015, Kelvyn Park has a graduation rate of 52.1 percent.
| Kelvyn Park High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
4343 W. Wrightwood Avenue , 60639 | |
| Coordinates | 41.9275°N 87.7360°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public Secondary |
| Opened | 1933 |
| School district | Chicago Public Schools |
| CEEB code | 140920[1] |
| Principal | Keith W. Adams[2] |
| Grades | 7–12 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrollment | 421[2] (2019–2020) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Black Gold |
| Athletics conference | Chicago Public League |
| Team name | Panthers |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
| Yearbook | The Kelvynian |
| Website | kelvynparkschool |
History
Kelvyn Park began as an elementary school in 1918. Before that time, the land contained 19 portable units that were connected to Nixon Elementary School. In 1925, a junior high school was organized in the building to relieve pressure at Carl Schurz High School, which was overcrowded at the time. In 1927, some of the Kelvyn Park elementary students were phased-out to the newly constructed Barry Elementary School. In 1933, Kelvyn Park became a high school; however, elementary students remained until 1936. From its opening, the school had been predominantly populated by Whites; with the overflow of Hispanics migrating into the neighborhood in the early 1970s, the school's Hispanic population increased from 11% to 59% by 1978. Kelvyn Park High has been converted into a 7–12 grade school to compensate for the loss of Ames Middle School which is being converted into the Marine Math and Science Academy.[3] The conversion of Ames is considered controversial among community stakeholders and is currently being contested.[4]
Other Information
Kelvyn Park was the subject of a 1979 WTTW/PBS special called As We See It, a short documentary created by Kelvyn Park students about desegregation and student life at the school.[5] Exterior shots of Kelvyn Park were used as the setting (building) for the WB comedy series The Steve Harvey Show which ran from 1996 until 2002.
Athletics
Kelvyn Park competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Their sport teams are stylized and named the Panthers. Kelvyn Park boys' basketball team were Public League champions in 1942–43.
Clubs and athletics
- Boys/Girls Basketball
- Band
- Cheerleading
- Boys/Girls Cross Country
- Pom-Pom
- Boys/Girls Soccer
- Wrestling
- Boys/Girls Track
- Boys/Girls Volleyball
- Boys Baseball
- Girls softball
Notable alumni
- Gordie Gillespie (1944) – College baseball, football and basketball coach (Lewis University, Ripon College, University of St. Francis).
- Michael Gross (1964) – actor, (Family Ties, Tremors).
References
- SAT Code: Kelvyn Park HS
- Chicago Public Schools, Kelvyn Park HS.Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- Flores, Christian. "Students, parents say goodbye to Ames Middle School". Northwestern University. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- Joravsky, Ben. "Will CPS reverse itself on Ames Middle School?". Chicago Reader. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- Kelvyn Park High School (Chicago, Illinois) – 1979 Yearbook