Kelvyn Park High School

Kelvyn Park High School
Location
4343 West Wrightwood Avenue

Chicago
,
Illinois
60639

United States

41°55′39″N 87°44′10″W / 41.9275°N 87.7360°W / 41.9275; -87.7360
Information
School typePublic junior and senior high school
School district
Chicago Public Schools
Principal
Michelle Suttmeier[1]
Grades7–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment546[1]
Campus type
Urban
Athletics conference
Chicago Public League
Team namePanthers
Websitekphermosa.org

Kelvyn Park High School is a public junior and senior high school in the Hermosa neighborhood on the Northwest Side of Chicago, Illinois. Operated by Chicago Public Schools (CPS), it serves grades 7 through 12 and is designated by the district as a fine and performing arts school.[1]

History

The school building at 4343 West Wrightwood Avenue was constructed in 1918 and expanded in 1928.[2] In 1927, Barry Elementary School opened to relieve overcrowding at Kelvyn Park School.[3] Kelvyn Park became a high school in 1933, while elementary students remained until 1936.

In 1979, WTTW aired As We See It, a documentary created by Kelvyn Park students as a mock news broadcast. The film addressed integration and student life while the school was changing from a majority-White to a majority-Latino student body.[4]

By 2003, enrollment exceeded 2,000 students in a building designed for 1,200. That year, CPS and city officials broke ground on a $34 million high school intended to relieve overcrowding at Kelvyn Park.[5]

In December 2013, the Chicago Board of Education approved converting Ames Middle School into a citywide military academy. The change assigned middle-school students from the Barry, Falconer, and Nixon elementary attendance areas to Kelvyn Park, which began serving grades 7 through 12 in the 2014–2015 school year.[6] The Ames conversion drew opposition from parents and two board members.[7]

Student body

A 2024 profile by the University of Chicago's To&Through Project reported that 87 percent of students were Hispanic, 48.3 percent were English learners, 21 percent were students with disabilities, and 84.3 percent qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.[8] Of the students who first entered ninth grade in 2020–2021, 66 percent graduated by spring 2024.[9]

Academic programs

Kelvyn Park's programs include fine and performing arts, digital media, health science, general education, and an open-enrollment program for seventh and eighth grades.[10] The school also offers JROTC and career and technical education pathways in digital media and allied health.[11]

Athletics

Kelvyn Park competes in the Chicago Public League and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Its teams are known as the Panthers. The boys' basketball team won an IHSA regional title in 1935–1936 and the Chicago Public League championship in 1942–1943 under coach Phil Brownstein. The boys' volleyball team won IHSA regional titles in 2002–2003 and 2003–2004.[12] The Chicago Board of Education also recognized the team as the 2003 Public League boys' volleyball champion.[13]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 "School Overview: Kelvyn Park High School". Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Kelvyn Park High School: 2025 Asbestos Three-Year Reinspection Report" (PDF). Chicago Public Schools. June 20, 2025. p. 5. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Hermosa Bungalow Historic District". National Park Service. p. 32. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Documentary: 'As We See It'". Chicago Tonight. WTTW. May 1, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ "School, Community Leaders Officially Break Ground on New Kelvyn Park High School" (Press release). Public Building Commission of Chicago. April 23, 2003. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Official Report of the Proceedings of the Chicago Board of Education" (PDF). Chicago Board of Education. December 18, 2013. pp. 96–97. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ Vevea, Becky (December 19, 2013). "School board supersizes contract, creates military school". WBEZ. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Kelvyn Park Junior and Senior High School: Middle Grades Network School Improvement Story" (PDF). University of Chicago To&Through Project. 2024. p. 1. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ "To&Through High School Milestones Tool: Kelvyn Park". University of Chicago To&Through Project. 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Admissions: Kelvyn Park High School". Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Kelvyn Park Junior & Senior High School". Kelvyn Park Junior & Senior High School. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Chicago (Kelvyn Park) Season Summaries". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Actions: June 25, 2003". Chicago Board of Education. June 25, 2003. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  14. ↑ Green Bay Packers 1958 Media Guide (PDF). Green Bay Packers. 1958. p. 8. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Handy, Amy (1989). "Artist's Biographies – Cynthia Carlson". In Rosen, Randy; Brower, Catherine C. (eds.). Making Their Mark: Women Artists Move into the Mainstream, 1970–1985. Abbeville Press. p. 242. ISBN 0-89659-959-0.
  16. ↑ "House Resolution 0293" (PDF). Illinois General Assembly. 2015. pp. 1–2. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  17. ↑ Zwecker, Bill (December 7, 2015). "Michael Gross has two very different reunions". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  18. ↑ Johnson, Steven (June 27, 2008). "Ray Gunkel". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  19. ↑ Wilson, Hal (February 10, 1942). "Mr. Anderson Speaks: Calls for Fast Break". The Michigan Daily. p. 3. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
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