Rochester High School (Illinois)

Rochester High School

Fight Rochester Fight
Address
3 Rocket Drive
Rochester, Illinois 62563
United States
Coordinates 39°45′11″N 89°32′20″W / 39.753°N 89.539°W / 39.753; -89.539Coordinates: 39°45′11″N 89°32′20″W / 39.753°N 89.539°W / 39.753; -89.539
Information
School type Public Secondary
School district Rochester CUSD 3A
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Bertrand
Principal Brent Ashbaugh
Grades 9–12
Gender coed
Enrollment 699 (2008)
Campus type Suburban
Color(s)      Navy blue
     Orange
Slogan Go Rockets
Fight song Go You Rochester
Athletics conference Central State Eight
Team name Rockets
Average ACT scores 22
Website

Rochester High School of Rochester, IL is a public high school located five miles (8 km) east of Springfield, IL. As the only high school serving District 3A, Rochester High School accommodates students from Rochester, Buckhart, portions of eastern Springfield, and other surrounding areas. Rochester has grown rapidly over the past few years. In 2008, the enrollment was 699 students, which was up from 589 in 2004.[1]

Building and Campus

The campus of Rochester High School is located on the north side of Illinois Route 29 in Rochester. The high school shares the campus and a building with Rochester Junior High School. The campus contains not only the school building and parking, but also a track and field/football stadium, a baseball fields,a softball field,six tennis courts, and an indoor athletic complex. The high school soccer fields are on the campus of Rochester Elementary 2-3 School.

Recent Construction

Construction of the new fieldhouse as of October 2009

Rochester has added a field house and athletic complex on their campus. The new field house is approximately 45,000 square feet (4,200 m2) and be able to seat 2,500 people. The complex contains a main competition gym floor, retractable bleachers, two side courts, a three-lane track, a wrestling area, weight and locker rooms, and a team meeting room. Also, the complex has a geothermal heating and cooling system for maximum energy efficiency. Construction began in March 2009, and is now complete. District residents approved a $26 million bond referendum in 2007 to pay for this complex, and also a new intermediate school in the district.[2]

History

Rochester schools have existed since 1823. There have been many changes throughout the years to get to what the school is today. The following is a historical time line of the Rochester school system:[3]

Academic Status

Rochester High School ranked as the 43rd best high school out of 650 ranked in Illinois based on 11th grade Prairie State Achievement Examination(PSAE) reading and math scores in 2008.[4] All students in Illinois are required to take the ACT examination during their junior year of high school. The SAT examination is optional, and few students elect to take this test. 2008 academic averages are:[5]

ACT

PSAE Meets/Exceeds in 2010

Rochester High School had 100% graduation rates in 2005 and 2007.[1]

Student life

Grade Point Averages (GPA) at Rochester High School are based on a 4.0 scale. However, students have the option to take weighted classes, so it is possible for them to have a GPA higher than a 4.0. Also, students have the option to take dual credit classes through Lincoln Land Community College(LLCC) and earn college credit for select classes they are taking at Rochester. Classes available to take for dual credit are Calculus, English, Spanish, Statistics, Cisco, Human Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, Chemistry II, and American Studies.

Athletics

All of Rochester High School's sports teams currently compete in the CS8. Rochester High School is also a member of the Illinois High School Association(IHSA), which governs most interscholastic athletics and competitions in Illinois.

Rochester athletic teams are known as the Rockets, and their colors are Navy and Orange. The team colors used to be purple and gold, but in the fall of 1937 the colors were changed to the modern day navy and orange.[3] Rochester has athletic teams for both men and women in basketball, track and field, golf, soccer, tennis, and cross country. There are also men's teams for baseball, football, and wrestling, while there are women's teams for volleyball, softball, cheerleading, and a pom pom dance team.[6]

The following teams have placed in the top five of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments or meets:

Rochester also has a scholastic bowl team who placed 4th in state in the 2007-2008 school year.[7]

Fine arts

Rochester has several choirs. They include one non-auditioned concert choir and two auditioned choirs- a jazz choir and the Madrigals. They also have several bands which include one auditioned band- the jazz band, and a non-auditioned band. In the fall the band is referred to as the marching band, and in the spring it is referred to as the concert band. All the bands and choirs perform at various concerts and community events throughout the year. The marching band performs at the home football games, local parades, and other competitions. The Madrigals perform an annual dinner theatre type show. Every four years during spring break, the bands and choirs take a trip to Walt Disney World where they compete in a nationwide competition. Each student raises money for the trip by selling citrus fruit each year, usually starting in fifth or sixth grade. Each spring the Rochester Fine Arts Department puts on either a play or a musical.

Demographics

Racial/Ethnic Background (2010):[5]

Other Data (2010):

Administrators

References

  1. 1 2 Rochester High School in Illinois, accessed October 21, 2009
  2. ↑ Rochester school, field house construction could begin this month, sj-r.com, Debra Landis, March 2, 2009, accessed October 21, 2009
  3. 1 2 Old School and New School: 2008 Rochester High School Rocket, Volume 51
  4. ↑ Top Ten Illinois High Schools, schooldigger.com, accessed October 21, 2009
  5. 1 2 2008 Rochester High School Illinois School Report Card, accessed October 21, 2009
  6. ↑ IHSA Rochester, ihsa.org, last updated October 20, 2009, accessed October 21, 2009
  7. ↑ IHSA Season Summaries - Rochester, ihsa.org, October 6, 2009, accessed October 21, 2009
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