Morgan Park High School (known as EMPEHI), located in Chicago, Illinois, at the intersection of 111th street and Vincennes Avenue (11100 South and 1700 West) is a public high school that opened its doors on its present site in 1916, as part of the Chicago Public Schools. It presently educates around 1,700 students in grades 7-12.
An addition was built in 1925, providing the school with a gymnasium, auditorium and swimming pool. Expansion continued with the completion of a major addition in 1965. In 1983, the campus was greatly enlarged with the addition of tennis courts, a football field, running track, baseball field, soccer field, outdoor basketball courts, student driving range and faculty parking.
Starting with 283 pupils in 1916, the school grew over the years to more than 3,300 in 1975, when overcrowding, even with the use of branch facilities for freshman, finally resulted in a court-ordered enrollment plan designed to reduce the student population while preserving an integrated student body.
From its beginning, the Morgan Park High School student body has been multi-racial and multi-cultural. However, in the years between the wars, this caused some problems. On September 22, 1928 the transfer of twenty-five African-American pupils from Morgan Park to Fenger High School caused a student strike, at Fenger High, which the police had to quell.[7]
In 1934, 1,700 students went strike, protesting the presence of African-Americans in school classes, leaving only 58 students in school. Parents had met with the school superintendent demanding that classes be kept segregated.[8]
In 1934, 1,700 students went strike, protesting the presence of African-Americans in school classes, leaving only 58 students in school. Parents had met with the school superintendent demanding that classes be kept segregated.[8]
Eventually the strike was settled and the white students returned to the integrated school. Frank Sinatra visited the area to support integration during the strike and encourage the students return to the school.[9]
Academics
In 1983, Morgan Park High School instituted a World Language and International Baccalaureate Studies Program that also allows students to enroll from outside the school's attendance area. The addition of a 7th and 8th grade Academic Center component allows advanced level students to begin earning high school credits and to study languages before 9th grade.
Morgan Park High School offers both the IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, and has been an International Baccalaureate Organization member school since 1999.[10]
Morgan Park was one of 11 schools nation-wide selected by the College Board for inclusion in the EXCELerator School Improvement Model program beginning the 2006-2007 school year. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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