Libertyville High School
Encyclopedia
Libertyville High School, or LHS, is a public four-year high school
located in Libertyville, Illinois
, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. Located at the intersection of Park Avenue (IL Rte 176) and Dawes Street, it sits on the shore of Butler Lake and is part of Community High School District 128
, which also includes Vernon Hills High School
.
for its role as the first four-year high school building in Central Lake County, and its over 80 subsequent years of continued use. Plans are underway to convert the former Brainerd campus into a community cultural, athletic, and performing arts center called the Brainerd Community Center. The Butler Lake Campus (pictured below) opened its doors in 1956. In 2003, Libertyville High School began a $9 million expansion project to add new offices, classrooms and an expansion of the school's music department.
In the film Public Enemies, footage of the school's science lab, an office, the school's front entrance, and the locker rooms was filmed during spring break of March. The 2001 film New Port South
was also filmed at Libertyville High School. Portions of the horror film The Unborn was filmed in the high school's locker rooms.
elementary schools - Adler Park, Butterfield, Copeland Manor, or Rockland, matriculating to Highland Middle School
. Other school districts supplying students to LHS include Oak Grove School District 68 in neighboring Green Oaks
, Rondout School District 72
serving unincorporated Lake Forest
, Vernon Hills-based Hawthorn School District 73
serving students in southern Libertyville and eastern Mundelein
, and students from the Roman Catholic St. Joseph Elementary School in Libertyville who do not enroll in Carmel High School, the Roman Catholic High School in Mundelein.
(IHSA), which sponsors State Championship Tournaments in most sports. Its mascot is the Wildcat
.
The school currently sponsors interscholastic sports teams for men and women in basketball
, bowling
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming & diving
, tennis
, track & field, volleyball
, and water polo
. Men may compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
. Women may compete in cheerleading
and softball
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for men and women in lacrosse
, as well as teams for women in poms
.
The football team won the IHSA state championship in 2004-05. The girls soccer team has won two IHSA state titles (1990-91, 2000-01).
The boys soccer team placed 2nd in the IHSA State championship in 2010-2011 season. Also in the 2011-2012 season, they won the Pepsi Showdown led by two time All-Stater, Marshall Hollingsworth.
In 2005 Libertyville put in a modern FieldTurf
field, along with new speakers. This improvement allows all sports to constantly utilize the field for practice as well as games, as the turf does not break down and requires minimal maintenance.
The scholastic bowl team twice finished in the top four at the IHSA State Championship Tournament: achieving third place in 1996–97 and fourth place in 2006–07.
The LHS Wind Ensemble
has performed at several national and international music conferences. In 1998 and 2004, the Wind Ensemble performed at the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. The Wind Ensemble was also one of sixteen bands in the entire country selected to participate in the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis
in 2001, 2007, and 2009. In 2007 the Wind Ensemble earned the recognition of National Wind Band Honors in the highest class, AAAAA.
The Wind Ensemble has been named the Class AAA Honor Band at the University of Illinois
Superstate Festival every year it has been eligible from 1996–2004, and was again named the Honor Band in 2007. In 2009, both the Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School Wind Ensembles were named Honor Band at the Superstate Festival, marking the first time that both Wind Ensembles in District 128 took the top honor in the same year. In 2011, Libertyville High School again won the top division of the Superstate Competition with its performance of "Cityscape," a piece premiered in the Krannert Center where the concert was performed, as well as Richard Strauss's transcription of "Don Juan." Vernon Hills High School won the next division down, and so District 128 swept the top two divisions for the second time. Libertyville will perform as Class AAA Honor Band at the SuperState Contest in 2012.
The school's jazz band
has also won many awards, and performed at the National Band Association Convention in 1992, as well as the Midwest Clinic in 1982 and 1993. In 2009, Jazz Ensemble I was named Best Band of the Day among all Class AA schools participating in the North Shore Jazz Festival, one of the state's largest jazz festivals.
There are currently three Libertyville orchestras, including the Symphony Orchestra, which is consistently one of the top high school orchestras in Illinois. The orchestra performed at the international Midwest Clinic in 1991, 1996, and 2004. The orchestra has also performed on numerous overseas tours, including performances in China, Italy, and Austria, among others.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located at the intersection of Park Avenue (IL Rte 176) and Dawes Street, it sits on the shore of Butler Lake and is part of Community High School District 128
Community High School District 128
Community High School District 128 is located in Lake County, Illinois. The district includes Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School.-History:...
, which also includes Vernon Hills High School
Vernon Hills High School
Vernon Hills High School, or VHHS, is a public four-year high school located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community High School District 128, which also includes Libertyville High School.-History:Following the successful...
.
History
The school was originally founded as Libertyville Township High School in 1917. The original building (The Brainerd Campus) still stands today. In July 2008, the Brainerd building was named to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
for its role as the first four-year high school building in Central Lake County, and its over 80 subsequent years of continued use. Plans are underway to convert the former Brainerd campus into a community cultural, athletic, and performing arts center called the Brainerd Community Center. The Butler Lake Campus (pictured below) opened its doors in 1956. In 2003, Libertyville High School began a $9 million expansion project to add new offices, classrooms and an expansion of the school's music department.
In the film Public Enemies, footage of the school's science lab, an office, the school's front entrance, and the locker rooms was filmed during spring break of March. The 2001 film New Port South
New Port South
New Port South is a 2001 drama film. The film is set in the fictional town of New Port, near Chicago. It stars Will Estes, Todd Field, and Blake Shields, was written by James Hughes and directed by Kyle Cooper...
was also filmed at Libertyville High School. Portions of the horror film The Unborn was filmed in the high school's locker rooms.
Feeder schools
Before going to LHS, most students attend one of the four Libertyville District 70Libertyville District 70
Libertyville District 70 is located in Libertyville, Illinois, about 35 miles north of Chicago in the suburbs.The district includes four elementary schools and one middle school...
elementary schools - Adler Park, Butterfield, Copeland Manor, or Rockland, matriculating to Highland Middle School
Libertyville District 70
Libertyville District 70 is located in Libertyville, Illinois, about 35 miles north of Chicago in the suburbs.The district includes four elementary schools and one middle school...
. Other school districts supplying students to LHS include Oak Grove School District 68 in neighboring Green Oaks
Green Oaks, Illinois
Green Oaks is a village in the Libertyville Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,572 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Green Oaks is located at ....
, Rondout School District 72
Rondout School District 72
Rondout School District 72 is a K-8 one school district located in Lake County, Illinois. The district serves students from the surrounding communities of Green Oaks, Lake Bluff, Mettawa, and unincorporated Lake Forest. Approximately 161 students are currently enrolled in the district...
serving unincorporated Lake Forest
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in...
, Vernon Hills-based Hawthorn School District 73
Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73
Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73 is located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, approximately 35 miles northwest of Chicago. It has approximately 3,763 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in six schools.- Schools :...
serving students in southern Libertyville and eastern Mundelein
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
, and students from the Roman Catholic St. Joseph Elementary School in Libertyville who do not enroll in Carmel High School, the Roman Catholic High School in Mundelein.
Academics
In 2010 the Chicago Tribune Illinois School Report Card ranked Libertyville High School the ninth best public high school in Illinois, based on its average composite ACT score of 25.3. 98.0% of seniors were graduated in 2010 LHS has also been consistently recognized by NEWSWEEK magazine in their annual "America's Best High Schools" list.Athletics
Libertyville competes in the North Suburban Conference. Libertyville is also a member of the Illinois High School AssociationIllinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which sponsors State Championship Tournaments in most sports. Its mascot is the Wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
.
The school currently sponsors interscholastic sports teams for men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming & diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. Men may compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
. Women may compete in cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for men and women in lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, as well as teams for women in poms
Pom-pon
A pom-pon is a fluffy, decorative ball or tuft. Pom-pons may come in many colors, sizes, and varieties and are made from a wide array of materials, including wool, cotton, paper, plastic, and occasionally feathers....
.
The football team won the IHSA state championship in 2004-05. The girls soccer team has won two IHSA state titles (1990-91, 2000-01).
The boys soccer team placed 2nd in the IHSA State championship in 2010-2011 season. Also in the 2011-2012 season, they won the Pepsi Showdown led by two time All-Stater, Marshall Hollingsworth.
In 2005 Libertyville put in a modern FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
field, along with new speakers. This improvement allows all sports to constantly utilize the field for practice as well as games, as the turf does not break down and requires minimal maintenance.
Activities
Libertyville High School supports numerous extracurricular clubs and activities, some of which change from year to year based on student interest. The updated list is available here.The scholastic bowl team twice finished in the top four at the IHSA State Championship Tournament: achieving third place in 1996–97 and fourth place in 2006–07.
Music
Libertyville High School is renowned for its fine arts program, the bands and orchestras of which have been recognized throughout the state of Illinois.The LHS Wind Ensemble
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
has performed at several national and international music conferences. In 1998 and 2004, the Wind Ensemble performed at the prestigious Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. The Wind Ensemble was also one of sixteen bands in the entire country selected to participate in the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in 2001, 2007, and 2009. In 2007 the Wind Ensemble earned the recognition of National Wind Band Honors in the highest class, AAAAA.
The Wind Ensemble has been named the Class AAA Honor Band at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
Superstate Festival every year it has been eligible from 1996–2004, and was again named the Honor Band in 2007. In 2009, both the Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School Wind Ensembles were named Honor Band at the Superstate Festival, marking the first time that both Wind Ensembles in District 128 took the top honor in the same year. In 2011, Libertyville High School again won the top division of the Superstate Competition with its performance of "Cityscape," a piece premiered in the Krannert Center where the concert was performed, as well as Richard Strauss's transcription of "Don Juan." Vernon Hills High School won the next division down, and so District 128 swept the top two divisions for the second time. Libertyville will perform as Class AAA Honor Band at the SuperState Contest in 2012.
The school's jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
has also won many awards, and performed at the National Band Association Convention in 1992, as well as the Midwest Clinic in 1982 and 1993. In 2009, Jazz Ensemble I was named Best Band of the Day among all Class AA schools participating in the North Shore Jazz Festival, one of the state's largest jazz festivals.
There are currently three Libertyville orchestras, including the Symphony Orchestra, which is consistently one of the top high school orchestras in Illinois. The orchestra performed at the international Midwest Clinic in 1991, 1996, and 2004. The orchestra has also performed on numerous overseas tours, including performances in China, Italy, and Austria, among others.
Notable alumni
- Marlon BrandoMarlon BrandoMarlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
(did not graduate) is a two time Academy Award winning actor. - Steven Brooks is a professional lacrosse player for the Chicago MachineChicago MachineThe Chicago Machine is a mens field lacrosse team that plays in Major League Lacrosse that was based in Chicago, Illinois until the franchise left after the 2009 season to be a travel team in 2010. The team then transferred its roster to the reborn Rochester Rattlers on November 23, 2010 when it...
of the MLLMajor League LacrosseMajor League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
. He was an All-American at Syracuse UniversitySyracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. - Brett ButlerBrett Butler (baseball player)Brett Morgan Butler is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams from 1981 through 1997.-Playing career:...
was a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player (1981–97) with over 500 career stolen bases. - Maureen HermanMaureen HermanMaureen Herman was from 1992 until 1996 the bass player for the Minneapolis-based Babes in Toyland.-Early years:Herman was raised in Libertyville, Illinois, and attended Libertyville High School...
is the bassist for the band Babes in ToylandBabes in Toyland (band)Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. The band was formed by Oregon native Kat Bjelland , with Lori Barbero and Michelle Leon , who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992...
. - Baggio HusidicBaggio HusidićAdis "Baggio" Hušidić is a Bosnian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Early life:...
is a professional soccer player for the Chicago Fire of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. He was an All-American at the University of Illinois - Chicago. - Adam JonesAdam Jones (musician)Adam Thomas Jones is a three time Grammy Award-winning Welsh-American musician and visual artist, best known for his position as the guitarist for Grammy-Award winning band Tool. Jones has been rated the 75th Greatest Guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone and placed 9th in Guitar World's Top...
is a three-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist for the band ToolTool (band)Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
. - Tom MorelloTom MorelloThomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
is the Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning guitarist of Rage Against The MachineRage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, AudioslaveAudioslaveAudioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
, and The NightwatchmanThe NightwatchmanThe Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...
. - Jim PantherJim PantherJames Edward Panther is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched three seasons in the majors for three different teams: for the Oakland Athletics, for the Texas Rangers, and for the Atlanta Braves.-Sources:...
is a former Major League Baseball pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
(1971–73). - Kevin WalterKevin WalterKevin Patrick Walter is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
is a professional football player (2003–present), currently playing wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Houston TexansHouston TexansThe Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - Jim NaureckasJim NaureckasJim Naureckas is the editor of Extra!, the magazine of FAIR .He graduated from Stanford University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in political science...
is the editor of the magazine Extra!Extra!Extra! is a monthly magazine of media criticism published by the media watch group FAIR. First published in 1987, its first full-time editor was Martin A. Lee. Since 1990, it has been edited by Jim Naureckas...
, published by Fairness and Accuracy in ReportingFairness and Accuracy in ReportingFairness & Accuracy In Reporting is a progressive media criticism organization based in New York City, founded in 1986.FAIR describes itself on its website as "the national media watch group" and defines its mission as working to "invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity...
.