SCHOOL HISTORY

The Lincoln-Way Community High School District was organized in 1951 by the voters residing in the ninety square mile area. Prior to 1951, this area did not have a local high school district. The absence of a high school created considerable inconvenience for the citizens of the communities in the District.

In order to start the new high school district, the Board of Education employed the University of Illinois, Bureau of Field Services, to make a comprehensive study of the community and its educational requirements. The study was conducted with the assistance of many local citizen's committees. The final report resulted in a book entitled "A School for Tomorrow." This book has been used extensively by the Board of Education, administration, faculty, and architects for both the original planning and the continued development of Lincoln-Way.

In June, 1952, another election provided for the approval and construction of the present seventy-acre campus. Construction started in March, 1953, and Lincoln-Way opened its doors to students for the first time on September 7, 1954. The original bond issue was in the amount of $12,000,000. Mrs. Florence Pittman was unanimously declared the winner in a contest to select an appropriate name for the school. The board of education officially adopted the name of "Lincoln-Way." The charter members of the student body voted to have red and black as their school's colors. Words for the school song were written by Mr. Robert Taylor and Mrs. Betty Tryon, and set to the melody of the University of Chicago pep song. Bond issues for additions to the original building were approved in 1957, 1960, 1962, and 1969. The 1969 bond issue approved a ninth grade building, that was built north of the main building. The north building was opened in 1971, accommodating 700 students.

The Board of Education purchased a second site in 1964, located near Frankfort. In 1971, another site was purchased south of New Lenox in anticipation of future population growth. In December, 1974, the voters approved a $4,985,000 bond issue to develop a new freshman-sophomore building on the Frankfort site. Construction began in the summer of 1975, and the school opened in the fall of 1977. Site purchases and building programs have been an essential part of Lincoln-Way's history because of continuous population growth. In November, 1992, voters agreed to double the size of the East Campus in Frankfort to accommodate growth. Facilities added included a 42 classroom academic wing, a field house and auditorium to the East Campus and a field house to the Central Campus. The expansion was completed in March, 1995. In 1993, the Board of Education purchased 80 acres in Manhattan Township for a future high school site.

Starting with the 1996 school year, students from the Cherry Hill section of New Lenox Township attended Lincoln-Way High School. With the addition of the Cherry Hill annexation, the current school district boundaries encompass 105 square miles. Also in 1996, the District 210 School Board purchased an additional 76 acres for a future high school at 191st Street and Harlem Avenue. Annexation of Jackson Township in 1999 added the entire Manhattan elementary district to Lincoln-Way High School District #210.

In 1998, citizens of District #210 approved a $60 million dollar building bond referendum to split the existing high school 2-2 configuration into two separate four year high schools, add to the existing two schools an academic wing with 50 classrooms at each campus, put a fine arts auditorium and music classrooms at Central and build a swimming pool at each campus.

In the fall of 2001, Lincoln-Way High School split into two four-year schools, named Lincoln-Way Central High School and Lincoln-Way East High School. Lincoln-Way Central remains the Knights with their colors Red and Black. Lincoln-Way East High Schoolwas named the Griffins with their colors Cobalt Blue, Black and White. Attending Lincoln-Way Central are students from Manhattan Elementary School District 114 and from New Lenox Elementary School District 122 and a small section of Union School District. Attending Lincoln-Way East are students from Frankfort Elementary School District 157C, Mokena Elementary School District 159, and Summit Hill Elementary School District 161.

In January of 2003, Lincoln-Way High School District 210 purchased 100 acres at the corner of Illinois Highway and Gougar Road in New Lennox Township. The Board of Education purchased an additional 90 acres at Harlem and Vollmer Roads on July, 2004, to provide for the tremendous growth in the eastern portion of the District.

On March 21, 2006, District No. 210 voters approved a $225,000,000 building bond referendum to approve the building of two four-year high schools with capacity of 2,500 students each, which includes field houses, auditoriums, and swimming pools, along with considerable life safety enhancements to East and Central. These two new buildings and needed air conditioning improvements to East and Central will be provided with no increase or new money beyond what taxpayers are currently paying in the bond and interest fund. Lincoln-Way North will be open in the Fall of 2008 and is located on the west side of Harlem Avenue and Vollmer (extended) in fRankfort Township. Lincoln-Way West will open in the Fall of 2009 and is located at Gougar Road and Illinois Highway in New Lenox Township.

THE COMMUNITY

School District 210 is located 40 miles southwest of Chicago and serves about 90,000 residents from the villages of Frankfort, Joliet, Manhattan, Mokena, New Lenox and Tinley Park as well as large unincorporated areas. More than half the district's 105-square-mile area remains open land used primarily for farming.

Our residents place a high value on the stature and reputation of our district. Their high expectations are matched with a tradition of strong financial and moral support for our schools.

Owner-occupied single family dwellings, modern apartment complexes and condominiums are found throughout the district. Three interstate highways and commuter rail service connect the area to downtown Chicago, giving residents the best of two lifestyles--the quiet and charm of a semi-rural suburban setting plus the many offerings of a big city. Several universities and colleges also are located nearby.

THE FUTURE

Although we're proud of our current achievements and standards, Lincoln-Way continues to strive for an even higher level of excellence.

Lincoln-Way High School District 210 continues to grow in enrollment, gaining an average of 250 students per year. The two high schools are built for 3750 students. For the 2007-2008 school year, Lincoln-Way East has a total of 4,200 students and Lincoln-Way Central has 3,200 students.

To handle the increasing enrollment, Lincoln-Way North is scheduled to open in August 2008, additionally Lincoln-Way West is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. Both schools are built for 2,500 students. For boundary information please visit the following link.

Two faculty committees are actively engaged in intensive studies on a variety of educational issues and making the necessary recommendations as needed to continue educational excellence at Lincoln-Way. The committees are:

In addition, the District 210 Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the superintendent and board of education. This district-wide citizen's committee is a representation of the community, student body, and teachers. Their purpose is to study issues and projects assigned by the board of education and to report their findings for possible future implementation. This year they will be studying colors and mascot suggestions for Lincoln-Way West. They will report to the Board of Education in May of 2008.