Huntley High School serves students in grades 9-12 residing in District 158 boundaries.
Since the early 2000s, HHS has been one of the fastest-growing high schools in the country. To keep up with this rapid growth, the school building, originally constructed in 1996, has undergone several additions. The latest round of additions and renovations is ongoing and includes the addition of several classrooms, a renovation of the cafeteria and LRC, and the construction of a new, 70,000 square-foot field house. Construction was completed in spring 2016.
Advanced Placement Experiences
In an effort to both prepare students for college-level learning and to enable them to gain college credit for courses taken in high school, the District has made increasing opportunity and achievement in Advanced Placement courses a priority.
Huntley 158 is one of just two districts in McHenry County recognized on the AP Honor Roll for four consecutive years. The honor recognizes districts for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams. The score of 3 is generally the minimum required to receive college credit.
The Alpha Courses Blended Learning program at Huntley High School began in 2011 with about 100 students, and since then has grown to involve more than two-thirds of the school’s student body. Blended Learning leverages technology to transform the traditional classroom experience into a continuum of learning that combines online learning and face-to-face interaction.
This novel approach allows for increased differentiated instruction and ownership of learning. In other words, it gives students more control over the time and place for learning, more closely mirroring the type of schedules they’ll encounter in college and the workplace. In addition, students who can demonstrate mastery of course content aren’t forced to sit through unneeded face-to-face class period, and are free to use that time for other, more pressing needs. Conversely, students who require more one-on-one time with teachers can get it by meeting with teachers during times when the whole class is not meeting.
This innovative program is breaking down the barriers of the traditional school day and leveraging technology to help students learn better. As a national pioneer of this increasingly popular approach, HHS was ranked as the #1 blended learning high school in the United States by study.com and was the subject of a case study in the peer-reviewed journal eLearn Magazine and has been featured in national media including CNN, Parenting Magazine, and the GettingSmart blog.
Learn more about Blended Learning on the HHS Blended Learning page.
Athletics and Activities
A member of the Fox Valley Conference, HHS competes in several IHSA sports. In addition, the school offers a comprehensive slate of extracurricular activities for students.