Schools of Mount Prospect

School District: Built by Dist. 57, later leased to Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization

Grade levels: K-5

Built: 1961

Is it still standing? Yes

Is it still a school? Yes. District 57 took it back, did minor renovation, and now it is the district home of 1st grade and kindergarten.

History

Built in 1961, Westbrook was District 57’s third elementary school. In the mid 1990s, Following demographic and educational shifts in the community, District 57 decided to close the school and relocate the students to the newly constructed Lions Park and Fairview schools. In 1995 District 57 entered into an agreement with the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization to lease the building for 10 years at a cost of $250,000 a year. The rent offset a $2 million renovation of the school and gave NSSEO space for a Behavior Education Center, the Orphanage Act Program, and a Technology Center. This move was met with strong opposition from neighbors of the schools, who worried about emotionally disturbed students in their neighborhood and were suspicious of the school’s security provisions. In 2003, District 57 began considering taking the school back to alleviate overcrowding in other schools. In the first two attempts, the referendum did not pass and the fate of Westbrook was still uncertain. Later, minor renovations were completed and now is the home of kindergarten and first grade for the District.

School District: 57

Grade levels: K-6

Built: 1958

Is it still standing? No

If not, when was it demolished? Approx – 1985

Is it still a school? No, it is a baseball diamond

History

Sunset Park School was built at the height of the baby boom, when Mount Prospect’s student population was growing rapidly every year. In this era, Sunset was a well liked and remains a fondly remembered school. In 1971, Susan Liston, a first grade teacher at Sunset, was named Outstanding Young Educator of the Year. However, by the end of the 1970s many of the Baby Boom children had out grown the school and the student population dramatically declined. In 1979 School District 57 put the building up for sale with an asking price of $900,000. However, the presence of asbestos and the lack of bidders caused the school to lower the price to $750,000. There were still no bidders for the site, until the Mount Prospect Park District approached them with and offer of $500,000 for the land without the building. After negotiations, the land was eventually sold for $600,000 in 1985 and the school was demolished.

School District: Archdiocese of Chicago

Grade levels: K-8

Built: 1954

Is it still standing? Yes

Is it still a school? Yes

History

Founded in 1949 Saint Raymond’s Catholic Church was the first Catholic Parish in Mount Prospect and grew very rapidly in the 1950s. The church started out meeting in the basement of the Central School, which was at that time housing Saint John’s Episcopal Church. In the early 1950s the church decided to found a Catholic school for the growing parish. As the only Catholic School in the community it quickly filled beyond capacity. In the first years of its operation, students had a split schedule, in which some students would come in the morning and leave in the early afternoon while others would come in the afternoon and leave in the evening. Thereby allowing the school to serve twice the student population it was built to house. In 1961 Saint Emily built a second Catholic school in the community and much of the burden was lessened. The school has continued to be a center for the Catholic community in Mount Prospect over the past 50 years.

School District: NA

Grade levels: K-8

Built: Original building – 1913

Second building – 1928

Third Building – 1989

Is it still standing? The first and the third are.

If not, when was it demolished? First moved in the 1920s, second razed in 1989

Is it still a school? Yes

History

The founding of Saint Paul Lutheran Church showed an important shift in Mount Prospect. The center of the community shifted from the south side of town, near Saint John Lutheran to the downtown area. Saint Paul offered services in English while Saint John continued to give services in German, and Saint Paul offered a more cosmopolitan view. Similar to Saint John, Saint Paul soon founded a school following the opening of the church. The Saint Paul Lutheran School’s first class of 9 students met in a cottage that stood at 31 S. Main Street. On May 18, 1913 the first school building was dedicated and stood on the corner of Busse and Elm Street. As the town grew, the church and school grew with it. In 1917, the first residential teacher was hired, Martin H. Hasz. He began as the only teacher and remained with the school as it grew for over 50 years, until he retired in 1968. In 1928 a second school was built, this beautiful building was designed by the well known Chicago architecture firm of Zook and McCaughey. The building was demolished in 1989 to make space for an addition to the current building. In keeping with the German tradition, a kindergarten was established in 1935. In 1956 the third school building was erected, which still stands today with significant additions.

 

Grade levels: K-5

Built: First classes in church 1848

First building 1864

Second building 1901

Third building 1958 added to in 1973

 Is it still standing? The second and third are

Is it still a school? The third is.

History

When the early German immigrants came to Elk Grove one of the first things they did was set up institutions that would preserve and pass on their old world cultural history. The first families, the Linemanns and the Busses arrived in 1848, in the same year they established Saint John Lutheran Church, which offered services in German and in a very orthodox tradition. Later that year, the first school was established. The first classes of Saint John were held inside the church and in 1864 the first school was built. For 47 years this was the only school in Mount Prospect, until the Central School was built in 1895. In 1901 the second school building was built, which was a four room brick building, still standing today. This building was added to in 1926 and served the school until 1958. From 1976 through 2000, this building was used by the Mount Prospect Historical Society, originally as the headquarters of the society and in the last years as storage. In 1958 a new building was constructed across the street, this building continues to be used today, although it was added to in 1973.

School District: Archdioceses of Chicago

Grade levels: K-8

Built: 1961

Is it still standing? Yes

Is it still a school? Yes

History

Saint Emily’s Catholic School was the second Catholic school in Mount Prospect. Saint Raymond’s school had been the first Catholic school and was heavily over enrolled for the first few years it operated. When Saint Emily’s opened it helped to spread out the Catholic student body and made the system more manageable. The school has since been well attended and provided a quality education for students in the area. In 1998 Kimberly Siprut, a second grade teacher at Saint Emily, received the National Catholic Education Association’s Miriam Farrell Distinguished Teacher Award, one of the highest awards that can be bestowed upon a Catholic School Teacher.

School District: 59

Grade levels: k-5

Built:

Is it still standing? Yes

Is it still a school? Yes

History

We have very little information in our files on this school, anyone with materials related to the history of this school is invited to share them with the Historical Society.

School District: 21

Grade levels: K-5

Is it still standing? Yes

Is it still a school? Yes

History

Robert Frost School has been one of the most progressive schools in the area in its work with the diverse community in Mount Prospect. In 1997 they began organizing picnics and games with local police departments; in order to make the children comfortable with police officers and make information available on the services offered by the aw enforcement agencies. In 1998 it underwent a major renovation, creating more multi use spaces and became the first school in District 21 to offer a bilingual program, serving students whose first language was Polish. In 2000 the school began hosting an annual Mexican Fiesta, to celebrate the diverse cultural history of the students and make the Latino families in the community feel more included and a part of the school system.