Featured School
This Month’s Featured School: King College Prep High School
For years, the South Side high school at 4445 S. Drexel Blvd., just blocks away from President Obama’s home, was considered a neighborhood-only school, not known for its academics or diversity. This year, though, it was rated a Silver Medal school by U.S. News and World Report - the same category as Whitney Young High School and Lincoln Park High School.
“Colleges are starting to realize that the stigma of King has been shaken,” said Principal Jeffrey Wright. “Students at King truly believe that they are on a mission to be ready for college.” Wright noted recent recruiting visits by standout institutions like Morehouse College and Stanford University
In Wright's estimation, King is poised to become an increasingly attractive option for a greater number of students of diverse backgrounds from all across Chicago
For a group of high school seniors, speaking on a frosty January morning, King isn't just a prestigious place to get an education. It is – and for four years has been – a place where they feel accepted, nurtured, and safe.
“Success at King is all about you having an open mind,” said Markeisha Marshall, a senior who plans to study medicine in college. “I love the environment around King.”
Added senior Ellandrea McKissack, “Relating to different students is a big thing here . . . I feel like I'm surrounded by people I'm comfortable with. And, ultimately, after being at King, the idea of basing judgment on skin color comes down.”
For senior Chris Betts, in addition to providing “phenomenal” teacher support, King has been a great experience because of the opportunities it has presented for him.
“Everything that you learn here, you will put into whatever you do,” Betts said. He is currently a teen journalist for the Chicago Tribune, and an award-winning stage actor.
For students from all walks of life, King truly offers a wide array of academic, artistic and athletic programs.
Highlights of these programs include a nationally recognized engineering program – Project Lead the Way – and an architecture program developed by the Chicago Architectural Foundation. King also offers advanced college prep courses, visual and performing arts, and informational technology courses.
King has countless art clubs and organizations, as well as a plethora of sports designed to help students achieve self-discipline and balance.
For many, though, King's appeal simply comes down to the atmosphere.
“The teachers at King are so easy to talk to,” said senior Courtney Coleman. She said she plans to study medicine at Vanderbilt University
Principal Wright said the school's recent successes have actually prompted a complaint from seniors. He said they are sadly asking him, “Why are all these good things happening at King right now . . . when we are leaving?”
According to Wright, that's a complaint with which he can live.
For more information about King College Prep High School