Wells Community Academy High School

Public secondary school in Chicago, Illinois, US

Wells High School

Address

936 N. Ashland Ave

Chicago

Illinois

60622

United States

Coordinates| 41°53′57″N 87°40′06″W﻿ / ﻿41.8991°N 87.6682°W﻿ / 41.8991; -87.6682
Information
School type|

* Public
* Secondary

Motto| "Raiders on the RISE!"
Opened| 1935
School district| Chicago Public Schools
CEEB code| 140790[2]
Principal| Brad L. Rossi[1]
Grades| 9–12
Gender| Coed
Enrollment| 445 (2023–2024)[3]
Campus type| Urban
Color(s)|  Royal Blue
Silver
Athletics conference| Chicago Public League
Team name| Raiders
Accreditation| North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Yearbook| Correlator
Website| wellshs.cps.edu

William H. Wells Community Academy High School is public four-year high school located in the West Town neighborhood on the Near Northwest Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Wells is a part of the Chicago Public Schools system. Wells serves grades 9 through 12. Wells is named after former superintendent of Chicago Public Schools William H. Wells.

Currently, Wells serves a large section of the inner and central areas of Chicago, with its attendance boundaries reaching as far north as Webster Avenue, as far south as 16th Street, as far east as Lake Michigan, and as far west as Sacramento Boulevard. This area includes sections of West Town, Bucktown, the Chicago Loop, the Near North Side, and the Near West Side.[4]

## Academics

[edit]

Wells Community Academy High School is rated a 1 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site.[5] GreatSchools’ Summary Rating is based on four of the school's themed ratings: the Test Score Rating, Student or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, and Equity Rating and flags for discipline and attendance disparities at a school.

## History

[edit]

Wells was established in William Harvey Wells's honor approximately a year after his death in 1886. The current building opened in 1935 on the site of the original school with extra ground at the north. Originally, the city of Chicago planned for Wells to open as a junior high school in 1930; construction of the school was delayed.[6] Wells enrollment was predominately white from its opening until the late 1960s. By 1972, most of the schools' population was considered low-income and majority of the African-American population were residents of the Cabrini-Green Homes public housing project. The school demographic was 71% Hispanic and 20% African-American by 1982. In 2005, Wells served as a receiving school for students zoned to Austin High School when the school board decided to phase out Austin.[7]

### Wells Fight Song

[edit]

Wells High, we raise our voice to thee. Wells High, you have our loyalty, fighting and always striving, to bring to you a victory. So we'll say... Wells High, to you we pledge our hearts, to you we will be true. Fight on and keep our colors flying, silver and royal blue.

### Demographics

[edit]

As of the 2023–2024 school year, 53.9% of Wells's student body is Hispanic, 34.8% is African-American, 9.7% White, 0.4% Asian, and 1.1% Other. Low-income students make up 76% of Wells's student body.[8] Wells has a 73% graduation rate.[citation needed]

## Small schools

[edit]

Wells includes 2 CTE Programs:

* Law & Public Safety Academy (LPSA)
* Fine Arts Academy

The Law Academy at Wells High School has been in existence since 2003, and the program and its students have been recognized across the district in mock trial competitions.

Wells began building up their Fine Arts programming in their 2019 Continuing Improvement Work Plan (CIWP). They offer programming in Music, Visual Art, Drama, and Dance.

## Other Information

[edit]

### Principal

[edit]

In October 2013, Rituparna Raichoudhuri was named as principal of the school, succeeding Ernesto Matias. Raichoudhuri served as resident principal during the 2012–13 school year, and previously served in the office of performance management at Chicago Public Schools, and as a teacher in California.[9]

Michael Stosek was named as principal of the school in January 2019, after Raichoudhuri's departure from the district and the placement of several interim principals. Dr. Stosek departed in the summer of 2021 and is now the principal of Ruby Thomas Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada. [10]

Dr. Brad Rossi was named as principal of the school at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. In his time at Wells, he has overseen the restoration of the Keith Haring mural, updates to facilities, and the introduction of the RE:ALIZE early college arts program housed on Wells' campus.

## Athletics

[edit]

Wells competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Wells sports teams are nicknamed raiders. The boys' basketball team won the public league championship in 1936–37. The boys' soccer team were regional champions in 2008–09, and the girls' team were regional champions in 2011–12.[11]

## Extra-curricular activities

[edit]

* Chess
* GSA
* Soccer
* Cheerleading
* Volleyball
* Basketball
* Baseball
* Softball
* Track & Field
* National Honor's Society (NHS)
* JROTC
* ROTC

## Feeder patterns

[edit]

K-8 schools which feed into Wells include Andersen, Burr, Columbus, Chopin, Jenner, Lozano, Mitchell, Ogden K-8, Otis, Peabody, Pritzker, and Talcott.[12][13]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

* Curtis Mayfield – R&B/funk singer, songwriter
* Jerry Butler – singer, politician
* Michael Rooker – Actor
* Ramsey Lewis – Musician

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "CPS School Listings - CPS.edu".
2. ^ "High School Code Search". College Board. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
3. ^ Chicago Public Schools: Wells
4. ^ "West/Central/South High Schools". Chicago Public Schools. May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
5. ^ "Best High Schools in Chicago, IL | GreatSchools". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
6. ^ Wells Academy High School
7. ^ NEWS & POLITICS, The trials of a neighborhood high school, Wells Community Academy in West Town has disadvantaged students, many unhelpful parents, a bad reputation, charters nibbling at its enrollment—and some rare successes. Can it survive?, by Steve Bogira, May 6, 2014
8. ^ "CPS : Find a school : Find a School". cps.edu. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
9. ^ "Wells Staff List - CPS.edu".
10. ^ https://www.rubysthomas.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1478203&type=u
11. ^ IHSA Chicago (Wells)
12. ^ "Elem Near North, West, and Central". Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
13. ^ "HS North/Near North." Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Chicago Public Schools (CPS)

List of schools in Chicago Public Schools

K–12 schools|

* Ogden International School (K–8 zoned, high school unzoned)

7–12 schools|

* Disney II (magnet)
* Harlan (9–12 zoned, 7–8 unzoned)
* Kelvyn Park (7–12 zoned)
* Kenwood (9–12 zoned, 7–8 unzoned)
* Lane Tech (alternative)
* Lindblom Math & Science (alternative)
* Morgan Park (9–12 zoned, 7–8 unzoned)

Attendance area
high schools|

* Amundsen
* Austin
* Back of the Yards
* Bogan
* Bowen
* Chicago Vocational (9–11 zoned)
* Clemente
* Corliss
* Curie (9–10 zoned)
* Dyett
* Farragut
* Fenger
* Foreman
* Gage Park
* Hancock (attendance zone phasing out)
* Hirsch
* Hubbard
* Hyde Park
* Juarez
* Julian
* Kelly
* Kennedy
* Lake View
* Lincoln Park
* Manley
* Marshall
* Mather
* Orr
* Phillips
* Richards
* Roosevelt
* Schurz
* Senn
* Steinmetz
* Sullivan
* Taft
* Tilden
* Washington
* Wells

Alternative and magnet
high schools|

* Agricultural Sciences
* Alcott College Prep
* Brooks College Prep
* Chicago Academy
* Clark Magnet
* Crane Medical Prep
* DeVry Advantage
* Dunbar Vocational
* Jones College Prep
* King College Prep
* Northside College Prep
* Payton College Prep
* Prosser Career Academy
* Raby School for Community and Environment
* Simeon Career Academy
* South Shore Int'l College Preparatory
* Uplift Community High School
* Von Steuben Metro Science
* Westinghouse College Prep
* Young Magnet

Contract high schools|

* Chicago Excel Academy
* Chicago High School for the Arts
* Chicago Technology Academy

Charter high schools
affiliated with CPS|

* Chicago International Charter School
* Chicago Math and Science Academy
* CICS Northtown Academy
* Noble Network
* Perspectives
* Urban Prep
* Young Women's Leadership
* Youth Connection
* Latino Youth
* West Town Academy

Military academies|

* Air Force Academy High School
* Carver Military Academy
* Chicago Military Academy
* Marine Leadership Academy at Ames
* Phoenix Military Academy
* Rickover Naval Academy

Attendance area
K–8/PK–8 schools|

* Bell
* Clinton
* Arthur Dixon
* Nettelhorst
* Pritzker
* Sutherland

Alternative and magnet
K–8/PK–8 schools|

* Inter-American Magnet School
* Lenart Regional Gifted Center

Middle schools|

* Phoebe A. Hearst Fine Arts Magnet School

Special education schools|

Vaughn

Former high schools|

* Calumet
* Chicago High
* Chicago Talent
* Cooley
* DuSable
* Englewood Tech
* Flower Vocational
* Harper
* Harrison Tech
* Hope
* Las Casas Occupational
* McKinley
* Near North
* Robeson

Former 7–9 middle schools|

* Moses Montefiore Academy

Former K–8/elem. schools|

* Edward Jenner
* John Lothrop Motley
* Elizabeth Peabody

Works about CPS|

* '63 Boycott
* Central Standard: On Education
* Cooley High
* The Curators of Dixon School
* Educating Esmé
* Saving Barbara Sizemore
* The School Project

Other|

* 2019 strike
* Administrative hearing of William McAndrew
* CEO/superintendent
* Chicago Annenberg Challenge
* Chicago Board of Education
* President
* 2024 election
* Chicago Public High School League
* Chicago Public Schools boycott
* Chicago Teachers Federation
* Chicago Teachers Union
* Communities In Schools of Chicago
* Distance education in 1937
* Local School Councils
* Renaissance 2010

This template should only include schools controlled by and/or affiliated with CPS. If a charter school is still in operation but no longer affiliated with CPS, list as a former school.

* v
* t
* e

Chicago Public League

* ACE Amandla
* Agricultural Science
* Amundsen
* Austin
* Bogan
* Bowen
* Bronzeville Scholastic
* Brooks
* Calumet
* Carver Military
* Chicago Military (Bronzeville)
* Chicago Vocational
* Clark
* Clemente
* Corliss
* Crane
* Curie
* Dunbar
* DuSable (Campus)
* Dyett
* Englewood STEM
* Farragut
* Fenger
* Foreman
* Gage Park
* Hancock
* Harlan
* Hirsch
* Hubbard
* Hyde Park
* Jones
* Juarez
* Julian
* Kelly
* Kelvyn Park
* Kennedy
* Kenwood
* King
* Lake View
* Lane Tech
* Lincoln Park
* Lindblom
* Little Village (Campus)
* Manley
* Marshall
* Mather
* Morgan Park
* Noble Network
* Northside
* Orr
* Payton
* Phillips
* Phoenix Military
* Prosser
* Richards
* Rickover
* Robeson
* Roosevelt
* Schurz
* Senn
* Simeon
* Solorio
* South Shore
* Steinmetz
* Sullivan
* Taft
* Tilden
* Uplift
* Urban Prep
* Vaughn
* Von Steuben
* Washington
* Wells
* Westinghouse
* Whitney Young

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI

Geographic|

* NCES

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template