William H. Wells Community Academy High School is public 4–year high school located in the West Town neighborhood on the Near Northwest Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Wells is a part of the Chicago Public Schools system. Wells serves grades 9 through 12. Wells is named after former superintendent of Chicago Public Schools William H. Wells.
Wells High School | |
---|---|
Address | |
![]() | |
936 N. Ashland Ave Chicago , 60622 United States | |
Coordinates | 41°53′57″N 87°40′06″W / 41.8991°N 87.6682°W |
Information | |
School type | |
Motto | "Raiders on the RISE!" |
Opened | 1935 |
School district | Chicago Public Schools |
CEEB code | 140790[2] |
Principal | Brad L. Rossi[1] |
Grades | 9–12 |
Gender | Coed |
Enrollment | 445 (2023–2024)[3] |
Campus type | Urban |
Color(s) | Royal Blue Silver |
Athletics conference | Chicago Public League |
Team name | Raiders |
Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
Yearbook | Correlator |
Website | wellshs |
Currently, Wells serves a large section of the inner and central areas of Chicago, with its attendance boundaries reaching as far north as Webster Avenue, as far south as 16th Street, as far east as Lake Michigan, and as far west as Sacramento Boulevard. This area includes sections of West Town, Bucktown, the Chicago Loop, the Near North Side, and the Near West Side.[4]
Academics
editWells Community Academy High School is rated a 1 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site. [5] GreatSchools’ Summary Rating is based on four of the school’s themed ratings: the Test Score Rating, Student or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, and Equity Rating and flags for discipline and attendance disparities at a school.
History
editWells was established in William Harvey Wells's honor approximately a year after his death in 1886. The current building opened in 1935 on the site of the original school with extra ground at the north. Originally, the city of Chicago planned for Wells to open as a junior high school in 1930; construction of the school was delayed.[6] Wells enrollment was predominately white from its opening until the late 1960s. By 1972, most of the schools' population was considered low-income and majority of the African-American population were residents of the Cabrini-Green Homes public housing project. The school demographic was 71% Hispanic and 20% African-American by 1982. In 2005, Wells served as a receiving school for students zoned to Austin High School when the school board decided to phase out Austin.[7]
Wells Fight Song
editWells High, we raise our voice to thee. Wells High, you have our loyalty, fighting and always striving, to bring to you a victory. So we'll say... Wells High, to you we pledge our hearts, to you we will be true. Fight on and keep our colors flying, silver and royal blue.
Demographics
editAs of the 2023–2024 school year, 53.9% of Wells's student body is Hispanic, 34.8% is African-American, 9.7% White, 0.4% Asian, and 1.1% Other. Low-income students make up 76% of Wells's student body.[8] Wells has a 73% graduation rate.[citation needed]
Small schools
editWells includes 3 Smaller Learning Communities:
- Law & Public Safety Academy (LPSA)
- Fine Arts Academy
- Gaming Academy
Other Information
editPrincipal
editIn October 2013, Rituparna Raichoudhuri was named as principal of the school, succeeding Ernesto Matias. Raichoudhuri served as resident principal during the 2012–13 school year, and previously served in the office of performance management at Chicago Public Schools, and as a teacher in California.[9]
Athletics
editWells competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Wells sports teams are nicknamed raiders. The boys' basketball team won the public league championship in 1936–37. The boys' soccer team were regional champions in 2008–09, and the girls' team were regional champions in 2011–12.[10]
Extra-curricular activities
edit- Chess
- GSA
- Soccer
- Cheerleading
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Softball
- Track & Field
- National Honor's Society (NHS)
- JROTC
- ROTC
Feeder patterns
editK-8 schools which feed into Wells include Andersen, Burr, Columbus, Chopin, Jenner, Lozano, Mitchell, Ogden K-8, Otis, Peabody, Pritzker, and Talcott.[11][12]
Notable alumni
edit- Curtis Mayfield – R&B/funk singer, songwriter
- Jerry Butler – singer, politician
- Michael Rooker – Actor
- Ramsey Lewis – Musician
References
edit- ^ "CPS School Listings - CPS.edu".
- ^ "High School Code Search". College Board. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ Chicago Public Schools: Wells
- ^ "West/Central/South High Schools". Chicago Public Schools. May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ "Best High Schools in Chicago, IL | GreatSchools". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Wells Academy High School
- ^ NEWS & POLITICS, The trials of a neighborhood high school, Wells Community Academy in West Town has disadvantaged students, many unhelpful parents, a bad reputation, charters nibbling at its enrollment—and some rare successes. Can it survive?, by Steve Bogira, May 6, 2014
- ^ "CPS : Find a school : Find a School". cps.edu. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Wells Staff List - CPS.edu".
- ^ IHSA Chicago (Wells)
- ^ "Elem Near North, West, and Central". Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- ^ "HS North/Near North." Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2016.