Mendota Township High School
Encyclopedia
Mendota Township High School is a secondary school located at 2300 W. Main Street, Mendota, Illinois
. It currently educates, as of August 2010, 619 students. The school lies within School District No. 280, and MTHS is the only school that the district operates. The district superintendent is Jeff Prusator who has been serving in that position since 2004. Denise Aughenbaugh is the principal, with Joe Masini serving as vice-principal.
The school is also known for its fine arts department. The band program is currently headed by Matt Holzner, who is an alumnus of MHS. The band has four annual concert
s a year: the Fall Concert, Winter Concert, Symphony Concert, and Graduation Concert.
The Mendota drama department puts on dramatic productions, a play every fall, one every summer, and a musical every other spring. For 2010, the drama program underwent production of the opera, Les Miserables
. It was directed and produced by Lori Schrock and Amy Wilson.
The fine arts department also has a group of regionally-renowned madrigal singers. At contests, they almost always get top scores, and their annual madrigal dinners are constantly sold out.
(NCIC). Like most public American high schools, there are many sports available to students at Mendota. Fall sports include football, cross country, boys' soccer, girls' tennis, golf, & volleyball. Winter sports include basketball, bowling, & wrestling. Spring sports include girls' soccer, boys' tennis, baseball, softball, & track.
in 2009 and being defeated by the Sandwich Indians
in the 2010 quarter-finals.
near the corner of it and N. 44th Road.
s, and over 150 square miles (388.5 km²).
The eight townships fully or partially within the school district are Mendota Township, LaSalle County
, Troy Grove Township, LaSalle County
, Meriden Township, LaSalle County
, Ophir Township, LaSalle County
, Waltham Township, LaSalle County
, Westfield Township, Bureau County
, Clarion Township, Bureau County
, Brooklyn Township, Lee County
, Sublette Township, Lee County
, and Wyoming Township, Lee County
. Though the town of Mendota remains at a stable population, the high school population continues to grow. This is possibly due to the amount of small towns encompassed within the boundaries of the district. Among these are Troy Grove, Triumph
, Meriden
, Compton
, and West Brooklyn
.
Mendota, Illinois
Mendota is a city located in north-central Illinois in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The city has 7,272 residents, and is the fifth largest city in LaSalle County, though recent estimates have shown that the population has decreased to 6,995 residents. It is part of the...
. It currently educates, as of August 2010, 619 students. The school lies within School District No. 280, and MTHS is the only school that the district operates. The district superintendent is Jeff Prusator who has been serving in that position since 2004. Denise Aughenbaugh is the principal, with Joe Masini serving as vice-principal.
Activities
MTHS includes many extra-curricular activities. Among these are EnviroClub, Scholastic Bowl, Academic Challenge, FFA, Math Team, Interact Club, Student Council, Spanish Club, Yearbook Club, Spanish National Honor Society, National Honor Society, and several others.The school is also known for its fine arts department. The band program is currently headed by Matt Holzner, who is an alumnus of MHS. The band has four annual concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s a year: the Fall Concert, Winter Concert, Symphony Concert, and Graduation Concert.
The Mendota drama department puts on dramatic productions, a play every fall, one every summer, and a musical every other spring. For 2010, the drama program underwent production of the opera, Les Miserables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
. It was directed and produced by Lori Schrock and Amy Wilson.
The fine arts department also has a group of regionally-renowned madrigal singers. At contests, they almost always get top scores, and their annual madrigal dinners are constantly sold out.
Sports
The school's teams are known at the Mendota Trojans, and compete in the North Central Illinois ConferenceNorth Central Illinois Conference
The North Central Illinois Conference, far better known as the NCIC, was an IHSA recognized high school extra-curricular conference. It location, as the name would indicate, was in the north-central part of the state...
(NCIC). Like most public American high schools, there are many sports available to students at Mendota. Fall sports include football, cross country, boys' soccer, girls' tennis, golf, & volleyball. Winter sports include basketball, bowling, & wrestling. Spring sports include girls' soccer, boys' tennis, baseball, softball, & track.
Football
The football team has been successful in recent years. In both 2009 and 2010, the Trojans made it to the state quarter-finals, losing to the Geneseo Maple LeafsGeneseo High School
Geneseo High School is located in Geneseo, Illinois, USA. The school is part of the Geneseo Community Unit School District 228, which covers Geneseo, Atkinson, and parts of Colona. The school is well known for its strong football program, the Geneseo Maple Leafs, also known as the Green Machine...
in 2009 and being defeated by the Sandwich Indians
Sandwich, Illinois
Sandwich is a city in DeKalb, Kendall, and LaSalle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 6,509 at the 2000 census. The 2008 population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for the city is 7,337.-History:...
in the 2010 quarter-finals.
History
Before Mendota High School existed, there were two high schools in the city of Mendota, East Mendota High School and Blackstone High School. Both were founded in the 1870s. The two united in 1911 and held classes in Blackstone. East Mendota then became Lincoln School. In 1917, a new brick high school was constructed in the northern section of town to accommodate a growing student enrollment, and it went through several additions in later years. That building served the community until 2002, when a new high school was constructed on the northwest side of the city. The new building was constructed because a restroom on the second floor of the 1917 building collapsed onto the floor below it. The current high school is located along U.S. Route 52U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
near the corner of it and N. 44th Road.
Geography
The school district has area in three different counties, nine townshipTownship
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
s, and over 150 square miles (388.5 km²).
The eight townships fully or partially within the school district are Mendota Township, LaSalle County
Mendota Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
Mendota Township is located in LaSalle County, Illinois. The population was 7,539 at the 2000 census. Mendota Township was formed from Meriden Township in February, 1856.- External links :***...
, Troy Grove Township, LaSalle County
Troy Grove Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
Troy Grove Township is located in LaSalle County, Illinois. The population was 1,269 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
, Meriden Township, LaSalle County
Meriden Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
Meriden Township is located in LaSalle County, Illinois . The population was 318 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
, Ophir Township, LaSalle County
Ophir Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
Ophir Township is located in LaSalle County, Illinois. The population was 529 at the 2000 census. Ophir Township was originally named Fremont Township, but was renamed in May, 1850.- External links :***...
, Waltham Township, LaSalle County
Waltham Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
Waltham Township is located in LaSalle County, Illinois. The population was 490 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
, Westfield Township, Bureau County
Westfield Township, Bureau County, Illinois
Westfield Township is one of twenty-five townships in Bureau County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,014.-Geography:...
, Clarion Township, Bureau County
Clarion Township, Bureau County, Illinois
Clarion Township is one of twenty-five townships in Bureau County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 421.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Clarion Township covers an area of .-Unincorporated towns:* Clarion...
, Brooklyn Township, Lee County
Brooklyn Township, Lee County, Illinois
Brooklyn Township is one of twenty-two townships in Lee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 876. In September 1858, Reynolds Township was formed from part of Brooklyn Township.-Geography:...
, Sublette Township, Lee County
Sublette Township, Lee County, Illinois
Sublette Township is located in Lee County, Illinois. The population was 807 at the 2000 census. Sublette Township was originally named Hanno Township, but it was renamed at an unknown date. The village of Sublette is located within the township....
, and Wyoming Township, Lee County
Wyoming Township, Lee County, Illinois
Wyoming Township is located in Lee County, Illinois. The population was 1,236 at the 2000 census. Wyoming Township was originally named Paw Paw Township, but the name was changed on May 14, 1850.- External links :****...
. Though the town of Mendota remains at a stable population, the high school population continues to grow. This is possibly due to the amount of small towns encompassed within the boundaries of the district. Among these are Troy Grove, Triumph
Triumph, Illinois
Triumph is an unincorporated community in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States.Triumph, IL is a small community located just east of Interstate 39 in North Central Illinois. Their students attend nearby Mendota public schools. The village is home to two restaurants, one being the Curl Inn, and...
, Meriden
Meriden, Illinois
Meriden is an unincorporated community in LaSalle County, Illinois, and is located east of Mendota.-External links:*...
, Compton
Compton, Illinois
Compton is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 303 at the 2010 census, down from 347 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, and West Brooklyn
West Brooklyn, Illinois
West Brooklyn is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 142 at the 2010 census, down from 174 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Brooklyn is located at ....
.