Proviso West High School - History

History

Prior to the opening of Proviso West, all students in the district attended Proviso High School (which became Proviso East when Proviso West was opened).

In 1953, researchers from the University of Chicago recommended that the school district begin planning to expand, and school district officials began examining the purchase of land for a new school. By 1955, the school population had grown to over 3,400 students, with an estimated increase to over 6,500 students by 1956. In June 1955, the board accepted a recommendation to purchase a 60 acre site in the town of Hillside, and planned a bond issue for the autumn. The construction of the school would also take up nine holes of the Hillside Golf Club. In November, the bond issue was approved by a 5900–626 vote.

In the summer and autumn of 1956, the district began accepting bids for construction of the new school which was to be designed by Perkins and Will. The original designs for the school called for a maximum capacity of 2,500 students. The school would have two 3-story academic wings, a two story wing that would house a library and administrative offices, a single story wing for maintenance, cafeteria, shops, and art rooms, as well as a two story gymnasium. A one story auto shop facility would be built as separate building. The gymnasium was to include a spectator gym with main floor and balcony seating and a swimming pool.

As construction neared, there were changes made to the designs. The school was now designed to be expandable up to a maximum of 4000 students. The gymnasium area was now to consist of four smaller gyms that could be combined into a spectator gym with seating for 4000, in addition to a wrestling room, an orthopedic gym, a dance studio, nine locker rooms. The cafeteria, auditorium, and boiler rooms were specifically designed for expansion. The cost at the start of construction was US$5 million. The school opened after a cost of just under US$7.5 million.

In March 1960, the board of education began examining the need to expand Proviso West (including the addition of a fieldhouse). In June, the US$3.5 million bond issue was voted on.

In 1961, the district shifted an attendance boundary so that more students from Bellwood could attend Proviso West, in order to even out the student populations between the two buildings. The referendum was defeated, but a classroom addition began construction in early 1962 with money being taken from the operating fund.