When the Chicago Public School System decided to make Forrestville Upper Grade Center a High School, it proposed to build a new school on Drexel Boulevard. Shortly after Dr. King's death, the student council held an assembly of the juniors and seniors. Led by Valedictorian Carolyn Haynes '68 it was unanimously decided to name the new school after Dr. King.
Teacher Lawrence Wilkinson led a delegation of teachers, parents and students to CPS to petition for a name change. The Board of Education without too much persuasion agreed to the name change. Our King High School technically was the first school in the United States to be named after Dr. King. But because our school had not been built as of yet, we became the 2nd school in the US to be named after him.
Teacher Lawrence Wilkinson led a delegation of teachers, parents and students to CPS to petition for a name change. The Board of Education without too much persuasion agreed to the name change. Our King High School technically was the first school in the United States to be named after Dr. King. But because our school had not been built as of yet, we became the 2nd school in the US to be named after him.
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King's faculty and staff are dedicated to preparing our students for college and beyond. We pride ourselves in creating an environment that challenges our Jaguars academically while developing them socially. Students will have endless opportunities to excel and find their passion. King students also have access to a robust fine arts and different extracurricular and athletic opportunities outside the classroom.
At Chicago Public Schools, our mission is to provide a high quality public education for every child, in every neighborhood, that prepares each for success in college, career and civic life. To fulfill our mission, we make these three commitments to our students, their families and to all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.
As a selective enrollment school, we may accept rising sophomores, juniors or seniors. However, preference is given to sophomores. All applicants must be able to demonstrate superior academic ability through their current grades and/or standardized test scores, as well as leadership or service contributions to the school or community.
King students benefit from a rigorous college prep curriculum with honors and advanced placement courses available in all core subject areas. AP courses provide opportunities for college level study. Additional specialty programs offer advanced coursework in Visual & Performing Arts (Band, Dance, Drama, Graphic Design, Photography, Studio Art, and Vocal Music), Architecture, Engineering and Computer Science.
As a follow up to our guidelines on using digital communication tools, we are pleased to announce that Google Meet is now enabled district-wide. Google Meet provides a safe and secure way for teachers to host video sessions with a group of students in real-time. Please see below for instructions on using Google Meet as well as guidance on selecting the appropriate Google communications tool to engage with students.
