Springfield High School (SHS) is a public secondary school located in Springfield, Illinois, United States. It is the oldest of the three high schools in Springfield Public Schools District 186 (the other two being Southeast High School and Lanphier High School). The school draws mainly from the west side of Springfield. While the school opened in 1857, the current building was opened in 1916. A number of notable alumni have called the school home, with the writer Vachel Lindsay being the most associated with the town, which featured prominently in his writings.

Building history and architecture

Springfield High School opened on 4 September 1857 in a small building on Market Street, now known as Capitol Avenue. It was located in this building for only a single school year before it moved to the Academy Building on South 5th Street near Monroe until 1864. In 1865, a $65,000 school building was completed for the high school and was located on 4th and Madison Street. Due to congestion, Central High School was built in 1897, but was already overcrowded by 1915. In 1917, Springfield High School opened at 101 S. Lewis St, previously the site of a church and Hutchinson Cemetery. The church was gone, but there were still gravestones and remains that were moved to Oak Ridge Cemetery before construction could begin. The construction had a cost of $500,000 and could support up to 1,500 students. There are four mosaics on the exterior walls of the building completed by Henry Chapman Mercer. The original molds are a part of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works.

Academics

In 2008, SHS had an average composite ACT score of 22.0, and graduated 91.0% of its senior class. Springfield High School has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which with the ACT, comprise the State of Illinois' assessment as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The school, overall, did not meet AYP in mathematics, and two student subgroups failed to meet AYP in both mathematics and reading. SHS offers 14 AP classes, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics C. Other AP classes available include Art History, German Language and Culture, and Psychology.

Student life

Activities

33 student clubs are hosted at SHS, ranging from academic and foreign language to school spirit and philanthropic. Among the national organizations with chapters or affiliates at the school are Junior State of America, Model United Nations, and the National Honor Society. The school's scholastic bowl team finished fourth at the IHSA state championship tournament in 2008, as well as second in 2021.

Athletics

Springfield High School competes in the Central State Eight Conference, and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most interscholastic athletics and competitive activities in Illinois. Teams are stylized as the "Senators". SHS sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, and track & field. Young men may compete in baseball, football, and wrestling, while young women may compete in cheerleading, softball, and volleyball. The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments or meets:

Fine arts

Springfield has three choir groups and one showchoir (Seven and Senators, Scarlet Harmony, Mixed Chorus, and IN Session Showchoir). The "IN Session" showchoir is an extracurricular activity who rehearses two nights a week. IN Session showchoir is a choir that combine choral singing with dance. Started in 2011, IN Session performs around the city of Springfield and competes around the Midwest. Since 2011, IN Session showchoir has won numerous awards and has been rank by the Nation showchoir rank system. The school has a marching band, which performs at home football games and at other local events, and two pep bands, which take turns playing at home basketball games. For the concert season there are three groups (Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble). There are also two jazz bands and a flute choir, along with a clarinet choir. The school stages a play each autumn and a musical each spring. Recent musicals include Cats, created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Legally Blonde, Hairspray,'' and "Beauty and the Beast."

PLATO (computer system)

The only remote PLATO III terminal was at Springfield High School. It was connected to the PLATO III system by a video connection and a separate dedicated line for keyboard data.

Notable alumni