Rich East High School Closing

[AmbroseBlack]

Sad day for students and staff there. The board voted late last night to close:



The students will be consolidated into Rich Central and Rich South. I know a lot of people will be impacted by this decision and I feel for them. I do however hope that one positive is the two remaining schools are able to be competitive in football again.

 

[USD24]

That is too bad. I was a soph on the Joliet Catholic team that was upset by Rich East in the 85 5A quarter finals. It was Gordie Gillespie's last game as coach for Joliet Catholic. In a torrential rain storm, Rich East upset the Hilltoppers 14-7. Current Miami (OH) head coach Chuck Martin was a player on that Rich East team.

 

[wasdo]

Used to be a good area,sad to see.

 

[superac777]

That is too bad. I was a soph on the Joliet Catholic team that was upset by Rich East in the 86 5A quarter finals. It was Gordie Gillespie's last game as coach for Joliet Catholic. In a torrential rain storm, Rich East upset the Hilltoppers 14-7. Current Miami (OH) head coach Chuck Martin was a player on that Rich East team.

I was split down the middle who to root for.They had that great 2 QB system.They were overconfident & lost in OT to Forest View who went to state in their last ever season

 

[superac777]

No more Sauk Trail Super Bowl

 

[superac777]

The only school from Sica that didn’t have lights ever

 

[woody6]

The only school from Sica that didn’t have lights ever

RE was one of the last schools, SICA or otherwise, to get an all-weather track, too. Oddly enough, Tinley Park was among the first and this was way back in the late 1960s, by the way.

 

[superac777]

They had portable lights rented(Like Oak Lawn used to see how night games would do) to practice at night for the playoffs.They talked about getting them for years

 

[MIKEFTB]

I figured South would be the one to get the ax, but isn't East the original Rich Township school?

 

[WIU78]

I figured South would be the one to get the ax, but isn't East the original Rich Township school?

Rich East was the original Rich Township school. Problems have been present from the beginning when it was “discovered” it was built on a peat bog which was as deep as 36 feet..think original wetlands protection. Construction had a continual battle with a sinking foundation and the absence of lights for football. Some notable Coaches, Players and entertainment celebrities attended RE. Larry McCarren (Packers),George Egofske, Bob and Tony Lombardi, Craig Hodges, Steve Fischer (Michigan Hoops), Steve Stanicek and the Stanicek Family in general. MANY years ago Park Forest was the Naperville of the south suburbs being a planned community catering to boomer families and the search for community diversity. This all died when indoor shopping malls replaced the “Plaza” as the center of commerce and the refusal of politicians to cater to any form of industry in the village proper. This will be an interesting saga to a challenged area of Rich Township in general.

 

[SUNDOWN]

That is too bad. I was a soph on the Joliet Catholic team that was upset by Rich East in the 86 5A quarter finals. It was Gordie Gillespie's last game as coach for Joliet Catholic. In a torrential rain storm, Rich East upset the Hilltoppers 14-7. Current Miami (OH) head coach Chuck Martin was a player on that Rich East team.

That was actually in the fall of 1985, not 1986.

 

[USD24]

That was actually in the fall of 1985, not 1986.

You are correct. Long time ago...i am getting old and my memory slipping a little.

 

[MIKEFTB]

Rich East was the original Rich Township school. Problems have been present from the beginning when it was “discovered” it was built on a peat bog which was as deep as 36 feet..think original wetlands protection. Construction had a continual battle with a sinking foundation and the absence of lights for football. Some notable Coaches, Players and entertainment celebrities attended RE. Larry McCarren (Packers),George Egofske, Bob and Tony Lombardi, Craig Hodges, Steve Fischer (Michigan Hoops), Steve Stanicek and the Stanicek Family in general. MANY years ago Park Forest was the Naperville of the south suburbs being a planned community catering to boomer families and the search for community diversity. This all died when indoor shopping malls replaced the “Plaza” as the center of commerce and the refusal of politicians to cater to any form of industry in the village proper. This will be an interesting saga to a challenged area of Rich Township in general.

Yes..I'm wondering what the relationship is between Park Forest, Richton Park, and Olympia Fields...?

 

[woody6]

Yes..I'm wondering what the relationship is between Park Forest, Richton Park, and Olympia Fields...?

Here is a housing-related over-simplification, for what it's worth. Park Forest has aging (1950s), modest ranches in subdivision format. Olympia Fields sprung up a bit later, with some higher-end varieties of diverse construction (think Homewood?). Richton Park later still with some subdivision tracts featuring the split-level models of the early '70s. All three communities are now in the aftermath resulting from population exodus to the south and west directions in recent decades.

 

[superac777]

Here is a housing-related over-simplification, for what it's worth. Park Forest has aging (1950s), modest ranches in subdivision format. Olympia Fields sprung up a bit later, with some higher-end varieties of diverse construction (think Homewood?). Richton Park later still with some subdivision tracts featuring the split-level models of the early '70s. All three communities are now in the aftermath resulting from population exodus to the south and west directions in recent decades.

Matteson too

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Yes..I'm wondering what the relationship is between Park Forest, Richton Park, and Olympia Fields...?

History is hard...Way back when schools were first being publically supported, in the 1800's, the political division which became primarily responsible for education was the township. When you look at most of the suburban public school districts today, they remain Township school districts. Park Forest, Richton Park, Olympia Fields, and Matteson are the bigger communities in Rich Township.

Go east, the school district is Bloom Township - Bloom & Bloom Trail.

North of Bloom Township is Thornton Township - home of the Thorn schools...

North of Rich Twp is Bremen Township - Hillcrest, Bremen, Tinley Park & Oak Forest...

When you get to rural Illinois, the one room schoolhouses were usually replaced by the township high school - in Manteno it was 1928. The township high schools were usually consolidated with the elementary schools after WWII...adjoining small townships were encouraged to consolidate with state money for new high schools - like Manteno in 1954.
Some small townships bucked the trend until the 80's - even Crescent Iroquois, south of Kankakee, got under 60 kids before they gave up like 15 years ago...