St. Laurence High School
| St. Laurence High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
5556 West 77th Street , , 60459 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41°45′14″N 87°45′36″W / 41.75389°N 87.76000°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Motto | Where Leadership Begins |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1961 |
| Sister school | Queen of Peace High School |
| Oversight | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago |
| President | Joseph A. Martinez |
| Principal | Kristy Kane |
| Faculty | 98[1] |
| Teaching staff | 62.1 (on an FTE basis)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Co-ed |
| Enrollment | 913[2] (2021–2022) |
| Average class size | 24 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 14.7[2] |
| Campus size | 23 acres (93,000 m2) |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Black and gold |
| Fight song | Viking Fight Song |
| Athletics conference | Chicago Catholic League |
| Mascot | Igor the Viking and Astrid the Viking |
| Team name | Vikings |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[3] |
| Publication | Gladsheim (literary magazine) |
| Newspaper | The Helm |
| Yearbook | The Valhallan |
| Tuition | 11,700 (2022–2023)[4] |
| Affiliation | Congregation of Christian Brothers |
| Website | www |
St. Laurence High School is a co-educational, STEM-based high school founded in 1961. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school is conducted by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and is named for the Irish Saint Laurence O'Toole.
The school is located in the southwest Chicago suburb of Burbank, Illinois, adjacent to the property of the former Queen of Peace High School, a private, all-female Catholic high school that closed in 2017. St. Laurence became co-ed beginning with the 2017–2018 school year after Queen of Peace closed.
History
[edit]St. Laurence High School was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers as a boys' school. With the closure of its neighboring sister school Queen of Peace High School, a girls' school run by the Dominican Sisters, it was announced that St. Laurence would become co-educational from the 2017–2018 academic year onwards and accommodate transferring female students.[5]
Due to construction delays on the Queen of Peace High School building, Queen of Peace High School classes were held in the D and E wings of the St. Laurence building for one school year while construction on Queen of Peace High School was completed.
Currently, AERO Special Education Cooperative occupies the former Queen of Peace campus, with new accessible construction completed in 2023.[6]
Classes
[edit]At the start of the 2013 school year, St. Laurence High School became a STEM school. The school incorporates spirituality and leadership in its STEM program. St. Laurence High School also pioneers "Career Explorer" courses.
All classrooms are located on the first floor of the school. Classrooms are divided among four of the five academic wings, labeled A, B, C, D, and E.
In 2021, St. Laurence High School began an IB Diploma Programme, making it one of only three Catholic high schools in Illinois to offer the program, along with DePaul College Prep and Trinity High School.[7]
Athletics
[edit]St. Laurence High School is a member of both the Chicago Catholic League (CCL) for boys' sports and the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC) for girls' sports. It is also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). St. Laurence sponsors interscholastic teams in baseball, basketball, bowling, cheer, cross country, dance, eSports, flag football, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling, which compete in IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments. The school also sponsors an ice hockey team.[8]
The following teams have finished in the top four at the IHSA state tournament in their respective class:[9]
- Baseball: 2nd place (2019), 3rd place (1993, 2017, 2021), Semifinalist (1987)
- Basketball: 4th place (1976–1977)
- Boys Track & Field: 100-meter race Champion (2024), 4x100-meter relay race Champions (2024)
- Football: Champions (1976–1977), Runner-Up (1979–1980, 2023–2024[10])
- Soccer: 3rd place (2023), 4th place (2019)
- Wrestling: Champions (1989–1990)
Notable alumni
[edit]- Brent Bowers, Major League Baseball outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles
- Kevin Bracken, United States team member in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2000 Summer Olympics[11]
- Jimmy Dore, comedian and political commentator
- Jim Dwyer, Major League Baseball outfielder with the 1983 World Series champion Baltimore Orioles
- Tim Grunhard, NFL All-Pro center with the Kansas City Chiefs[12]
- James Hickey, retired United States Army colonel involved in the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in December 2003
- Daniel R. Jenky, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria; rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame; chaplain of Notre Dame's last football team to win a national championship[13]
- Kevin J. O'Connor, film and TV actor (The Mummy, Van Helsing, Steel Magnolias, Color of Night, There Will Be Blood)
- Steve Puidokas, professional basketball player in Europe and Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor member
- Stan Smagala, NFL safety with the Dallas Cowboys[14]
- Jim Stack, NBA executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls[15]
- John Tumpane, Major League Baseball umpire
- Jeff Vintar, motion picture screenwriter (I, Robot)
References
[edit]- ^ "Faculty". St. Laurence High School. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c "ST LAURENCE H.S." Private School Universe Survey. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ NCA-CASI. "AdvanceEd-NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
- ^ "Tuition and Financial Aid". St. Laurence High School. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ Swanson, Lorraine (February 14, 2017). "All-Boys' St. Laurence High School Announces Plans to Go Co-Ed". Burbank, Illinois: Patch.com. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ Bong, Bob (September 22, 2023). "AERO opens new facility in Burbank". Southwest Regional Publishing. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Martin, Michelle (March 3, 2021). "St. Laurence High School to launch IB program next year". Chicago Catholic. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ "Athletics Main". St. Laurence High School. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ "Burbank (St. Laurence)". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Michael (November 24, 2023). "St. Laurence loses to Rochester but brings 'legitimacy and respect' back to the program in Class 4A title game appearance". Chicago Sun-Times. Normal, Illinois. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Kevin Bracken – Olympian". olympianwrestling.com. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ "Tim Grunhard". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ "Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C., D.D." Peoria, Illinois: The Catholic Diocese of Peoria. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ Temkin, Barry (August 21, 1988). "And Then There Were 3: How An Irish Recruiting Bonanza Nearly Went Bust". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Catholic League Basketball Champions Since 1913" (PDF). Chicago Catholic League. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
