Washington Community High School

This article is about the school in Tazewell County, Illinois. For the school in Indianapolis, Indiana, see George Washington Community High School. For the high school of Washington Community School District in Iowa, see Washington High School (Washington, Iowa).

Washington Community High School
File:W PANTHER.jpg
Address
115 Bondurant Street Washington, Illinois, (Tazewell County) 61571 United States
Information
School type	public
School district	308
Superintendent	Kyle Freeman
Grades	9-12
Gender	Coed
Enrollment	1172 (as of 2014)
Average class size	16 Students
Student to teacher ratio	Student:Teacher 16:1
Hours in school day	Normal: 7 Hours / Optional 8th Hour in Morning
Campus type	Closed Campus
Color(s)	Orange and Black
Song	Loyalty
Athletics	http://il.8to18.com/washingtonhs/
Athletics conference	Mid-Illini Conference
Mascot	Panther
Rival	Metamora Township High School
Average ACT scores	Average Composite Score: 21
Newspaper	The Advocate
Graduates	88% Graduation Rate
Website	http://www.wacohi.net/

Washington Community High School (WCHS) is a public high school located in Washington, Illinois. The district, Washington Community High School District 308, was first chartered in 1920, but the current high school on Bondurant Street was opened in 1942 with an enrollment of 230. As of 2014 there are 1172 students enrolled at WCHS.

The 1950s to 1970s saw rapid expansion in the student body and in campus development. The additions made in 1956, 1961, and 1962 tripled the size of the original building. During 1974 and 1975 the James Ashbrook building and new library were added. In 1977 the size of the student body reached 1720 students. In 2010 a multi-million bond ticket was passed to add the now brand new Multi-Purpose Room in the old teachers parking lot, thus connecting the main building, Ashbrook Tech and Torry Gym together, eliminating the need for students wearing PE uniforms to have to walk outside in the dead of winter with a t-shirt and shorts.

Sports

The school's mascot is the panther and the school colors are orange and black. The school has many sports teams, including baseball, football, basketball, girls' volleyball, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, cross country, wrestling, cheerleader, boys' and girls' swimming, and boys' and girls' track, as well as other competitive activities such as marching band and scholastic bowl.

In 1977, the girls' basketball team finished second to Sterling High School in the first girls' state basketball tournament in Illinois. In 2007, the boys' baseball team won the Mid-Illni conference championship for the first time in school history while placing third in the state in Class AA. It was the first state appearance for baseball. In 1985, the football team won the Class 4A state championship with a final record of 13 wins and 1 loss. This followed a second-place finish in 4A in 1983. The boys basketball team finished fourth in the state Class 3A tournament in 2008. The wrestling team finished as State Runners-Up in the 2014-2015 season with a school record 3 state champions, 6 state finalists, and 7 state placers.

Journalism program

Prior to the 2009-2010 school year, the school newspaper, the Advocate, was advised by Michael Kenneth Blair. He died in December 2008. His family started a scholarship fund, the Michael Kenneth Blair Memorial Journalism Scholarship. Each year, this scholarship is given to a graduating senior who is planning to major in journalism, English or education. In 2010, the scholarship was awarded to Zack Anderson. In 2011, it was awarded to Brett Murray.

For the 2009-2010 school year, WCHS implemented its first ever journalism class, Journalism 1. Students learn about journalism and also produce the school's monthly newspaper, the Advocate, which had previously been produced by an extracurricular club. A Journalism 2 class started in the fall of 2010.

In 2014 WCHS received the prestigious Pacemaker award.

External links

• Washington Community High School home page