Rochester High School (Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Rochester High School of Rochester, IL
is a public high school located five miles (8 km) east of Springfield, IL
. As the only high school serving District 3A, Rochester High School accommodates students from Rochester
, Buckhart
, portions of eastern Springfield
, and other surrounding areas. Rochester has grown rapidly over the past few years. In 2008, the enrollment was 699 students, which was up from 589 in 2004.
in Rochester. The high school shares the campus and a building with Rochester Junior High School. The campus contains not only the school building and parking, but also a track and field/football stadium, two baseball fields, six tennis courts, and an indoor athletic complex. The high school soccer fields are on the campus of Rochester Middle School, and the softball team plays at Rochester Community Park.
(PSAE) reading and math scores in 2008. All students in Illinois are required to take the ACT examination during their junior year of high school. The SAT
examination is optional, and few students elect to take this test. 2008 academic averages are:
ACT
PSAE Meets/Exceeds in 2010
Rochester High School had 100% graduation rates in 2005 and 2007.
at Rochester High School are based on a 4.0 scale. However, students have the option to take weighted classes, so it is possible for them to have a GPA higher than a 4.0. Also, students have the option to take dual credit
classes through Lincoln Land Community College(LLCC)
and earn college credit for select classes they are taking at Rochester. Classes available to take for dual credit are Calculus, English, Spanish, Statistics, Cisco, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, Chemistry II, and American Studies. Rochester uses a block schedule
so students spend about an hour and a half in each class.
, which governs most interscholastic athletics and competitions in Illinois.
Rochester athletic teams are known as the Rockets, and their colors are Navy and Orange. The team colors used to be purple and gold, but in the fall of 1937 the colors were changed to the modern day navy and orange. Rochester has athletic teams for both men and women in basketball
, track and field, golf
, soccer, tennis
, and cross country
. There are also men's teams for baseball
, football
, and wrestling
, while there are women's teams for volleyball
, softball
, cheerleading
, and a pom pom dance team.
The following teams have placed in the top five of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments or meets:
Rochester also has a scholastic bowl team who placed 4th in state in the 2007-2008 school year.
Other Data (2010):
Rochester, Illinois
Rochester is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,893 at the 2000 census, and 3,246 at a 2009 estimate...
is a public high school located five miles (8 km) east of Springfield, IL
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
. As the only high school serving District 3A, Rochester High School accommodates students from Rochester
Rochester, Illinois
Rochester is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,893 at the 2000 census, and 3,246 at a 2009 estimate...
, Buckhart
Buckhart Township, Christian County, Illinois
Buckhart Township is one of seventeen townships in Christian County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,868.-Geography:...
, portions of eastern Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, and other surrounding areas. Rochester has grown rapidly over the past few years. In 2008, the enrollment was 699 students, which was up from 589 in 2004.
Building and Campus
The campus of Rochester High School is located on the north side of Illinois Route 29Illinois Route 29
Illinois Route 29 is a two to four lane state road that runs south from U.S. Route 6/Illinois Route 89 at Spring Valley to U.S. Route 51/Illinois Route 16 at Pana, running through Pekin, Peoria and Springfield. The nearest major north–south highway, Interstate 39, runs parallel to Illinois...
in Rochester. The high school shares the campus and a building with Rochester Junior High School. The campus contains not only the school building and parking, but also a track and field/football stadium, two baseball fields, six tennis courts, and an indoor athletic complex. The high school soccer fields are on the campus of Rochester Middle School, and the softball team plays at Rochester Community Park.
Recent Construction
Rochester has added a field house and athletic complex on their campus. The new field house is approximately 45000 square feet (4,180.6 m²) and be able to seat 2,500 people. The complex contains a main competition gym floor, retractable bleachers, two side courts, a three-lane track, a wrestling area, weight and locker rooms, and a team meeting room. Also, the complex has a geothermal heating and cooling system for maximum energy efficiency. Construction began in March 2009, and is now complete. District residents approved a $26 million bond referendum in 2007 to pay for this complex, and also a new intermediate school in the district.History
Rochester schools have existed since 1823. There have been many changes throughout the years to get to what the school is today. The following is a historical time line of the Rochester school system:- 1823-The First log school house in the territory that would later become Rochester was built.
- 1826-The log house burned down.
- 1831-A new 18x30 feet log school house was built.
- 1837-An improved building replaced the 1831 log house.
- 18??-A new stone school was built 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Rochester near the present South Fork Bridge.
- 1865-The stone building was replaced with a new two story school house at a cost of $3,600. This new building measured 26x40 feet.
- 1880-The 1865 building burned down.
- 1881-A new brick building was constructed on Main Street where the Masonic Temple is today. The new building was 32x50 feet and cost $5,000 to construct. Due to increased enrollment, the 5th and 6th grade classes were held in the town hall next door.
- 1920-A new brick building was constructed on North Walnut. At the time, the building held 11 grades, and any student wishing to attend a 4th year of high school had to go to Springfield. This building was recently demolished and at the time of demolition was used as the junior high.
- 1937-The Rochester Community HS District #182 was formed and a new two-story building was constructed on the same campus as the 1920 building. The new building faced Route 29, and cost $76,153 to construct. It contained 8 rooms and was the first building used only for the high school. This building was recently demolished and at the time of demolition it was used as administrative offices.
- 1939-An Ag Shop and storage room were added to the high school building.
- 1951-A three-story south wing containing 10 classrooms and a cafeteria was added to the grade school on North Walnut. The new addition cost $125,000.
- 1959-A new high school building was opened on the same campus as the 1920 and 1937 buildings. This building is what is now known as the J-wing on the current high school building.
- 1967-An Ag Shop and Industrial Arts facility, 15 more classrooms, a gym, and a cafeteria were added to the Route 29 campus.
- 1976-The main wing and library of the existing high school were added to the high school. The high school moved into the new addition and the junior high moved into the old high school(J-wing). Also, an addition was added to the North Walnut building.
- 1991-A new elementary school was opened on a new campus on West Main.
- 1998-A transportation facility was built on the West Main campus.
- 1999-Science labs were added to the existing high school.
- 2000-A new middle school was completed on the West Main campus.
- 2005-An eight room addition to the Elementary school was completed.
- 2008-The high school and junior high combined into the high school building. Fourteen new classrooms, a fine arts auditorium, and a cafeteria were added to the existing high school. Also, a bond referendum was passed to build a new middle school and fieldhouse.
- 2010-The Rochester Athletic Complex was opened on the Route 29 campus.
- 2011-The Rochester Intermediate School opened for students in January.
Academic Status
Rochester High School ranked as the 43rd best high school out of 650 ranked in Illinois based on 11th grade Prairie State Achievement ExaminationPrairie State Achievement Examination
The Prairie State Achievement Examination is a two-day standardized test taken by all High School Juniors in the U.S. state of Illinois. On the first day, students take the ACT, and on the second day, a WorkKeys examination and Illinois State Board of Education-developed science examination....
(PSAE) reading and math scores in 2008. All students in Illinois are required to take the ACT examination during their junior year of high school. The SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
examination is optional, and few students elect to take this test. 2008 academic averages are:
ACT
- Composite: 22.0
- English: 22.1
- Math: 21.5
- Reading: 22.3
- Science: 21.4
PSAE Meets/Exceeds in 2010
- Reading:68%
- Math: 71%
- Science: 68%
- Writing: 70%
Rochester High School had 100% graduation rates in 2005 and 2007.
Student life
Grade Point Averages (GPA)Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
at Rochester High School are based on a 4.0 scale. However, students have the option to take weighted classes, so it is possible for them to have a GPA higher than a 4.0. Also, students have the option to take dual credit
Dual enrollment
In education, dual enrollment involved students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. It may also refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs, but such a general form of usage is uncommon....
classes through Lincoln Land Community College(LLCC)
Lincoln Land Community College
Lincoln Land Community College is a comprehensive community college with its main campus in Springfield, IL. The LLCC district is the largest in the state and covers all or parts of 15 counties...
and earn college credit for select classes they are taking at Rochester. Classes available to take for dual credit are Calculus, English, Spanish, Statistics, Cisco, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, Chemistry II, and American Studies. Rochester uses a block schedule
Block scheduling
Block scheduling is a type of academic scheduling in which each student has fewer classes per day but each class is scheduled for a longer period of time . A student might be taking 7 different classes, but only 4 per day, and the specific daily classes would rotate through a changing daily cycle...
so students spend about an hour and a half in each class.
Athletics
All of Rochester High School's sports teams currently compete in the CS8. Rochester High School is also a member of the Illinois High School Association(IHSA)Illinois 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...
, which governs most interscholastic athletics and competitions in Illinois.
Rochester athletic teams are known as the Rockets, and their colors are Navy and Orange. The team colors used to be purple and gold, but in the fall of 1937 the colors were changed to the modern day navy and orange. Rochester has athletic teams for both 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...
, track and field, 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....
, soccer, 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...
, and 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...
. There are also men's teams for 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
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, while there are women's teams for 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...
, 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...
, 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 a pom pom dance team.
The following teams have placed in the top five of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments or meets:
- Boys Golf: 5th place (1980–1982); 4th place (1994–1995); 3rd place (1998–1999); 2nd place (1980–1981); State Champion (1999–2000)
- Boys Soccer: 4th place (2008–2009); 3rd place (2006–2007, 2007–2008)
- Boys Track and Field: 4th place (2002–2003); 3rd place (1978–1979, 1989–1990); 2nd place (1981–1982, 2009-2010)
- Boys Football: State Champion (2010-2011)
- Girls Basketball: 2nd place (2006–2007, 2007–2008)
- Girls Cross Country: 4th place (2005–2006)
- Girls Soccer: 3rd place (2006–2007); State Champions (2008–2009)
- Girls Track and Field: 5th place (1992–1993); 3rd place (1991–1992); 2nd place (1994–1995); State Champions (1993–1994)
Rochester also has a scholastic bowl team who placed 4th in state in the 2007-2008 school year.
Fine arts
Rochester has several choirs. They include one non-audtioned concert choir and two auditioned choirs- a jazz choir and the Madrigals. They also have several bands which include one auditioned band- the jazz band, and a non-auditioned band. In the fall the band is referred to as the marching band, and in the spring it is referred to as the concert band. All the bands and choirs perform at various concerts and community events throughout the year. The marching band performs at the home football games, local parades, and other competitions. The Madrigals perform an annual dinner theatre type show. Every four years during spring break, the bands and choirs take a trip to Walt Disney World where they compete in a nationwide competition. Each student raises money for the trip by selling citrus fruit each year, usually starting in fifth or sixth grade. Each spring the Rochester Fine Arts Department puts on either a play or a musical.Demographics
Racial/Ethnic Background (2010):- White: 97.2%
- Black: 1.2%
- Hispanic: 0.9%
- Asian: 0.6%
- Native American: 0.0%
- Multi-Racial/Ethnic: 0.1%
Other Data (2010):
- Low-Income Rate: 4.2%
- Limited English-Proficient Rate: 0.0%
- Dropout Rate: 0.3%
- Chronic Truancy Rate: 0.5%
- Mobility Rate: 4.2%
- Attendance Rate: 95.1%
Administrators
- SuperintendentSuperintendent (education)In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
: Dr. Tom Bertrand - Principal: Dennis Canny
- Assistant Principal: Tim Katzmark
- Activities DirectorAthletic directorAn athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
: