History

Palatine High School opened in 1874 to serve a small farming community located northwest of Chicago. Four school buildings and more than 125 years later, our current school was built to challenge and manage a growing population of middle-class suburban students. The new building, situated among houses, apartments, and condominiums in Palatine, a community of over 57,000 residents, was designed to accommodate all students, including the area's physically challenged population.

Today, Palatine High School has a 26% cultural minority student body, and incomes in the community vary greatly among families. More than 16% of our student population qualifies for the Free/Reduced Lunch Program, and our ESL population has more than doubled since the fall of 1991. Because we find many ways to celebrate and embrace our cultural diversity, PHS and its Cultural Awareness Program have become models at the state and national levels. Our school graduates 96% of its students.