Taft High School
Location
6530 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue Chicago , Illinois 60631 United States
Coordinates	41°59′04″N87°47′31″W / 41.9844°N 87.79192°W /41.9844; -87.79192
Information
Type	PublicSecondary
Motto	"Teaching Academics For Tomorrow."
Opened	1939
School district	Chicago Public Schools
Principal	Ryan Glowacz
Teaching staff	269.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades	7–12[1]
Gender	Coed
Enrollment	4,464 (2022-23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	16.59[1]
Campus type	Urban
Colors	Blue & silver
Song	Fly Like an Eagle
Athletics conference	Chicago Public League
Mascot	Eagles
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Yearbook	Aerie[2]
Website	tafthighschool.org

Taft High School is apublic four-yearhigh school located in theNorwood Park neighborhood on the northwest side ofChicago, Illinois, United States. Taft serves communities on the far northwest side, specificallyNorwood Park,Edison Park,Jefferson Park,Forest Glen andO'Hare. Taft is operated by theChicago Public Schools district.Rydell High School inGrease (musical) is based on Taft.^[3]

Taft'sNJROTC unit won a Distinguished Unit award every year from 2001 to 2014.^[4] In the late 1990s—to stanch the loss of students—Chicago Public Schools made significant changes to the school to attract more neighborhood students. These included an NJROTC unit, a selective-enrollment academic center for 7th and 8th grade students, and an International Baccalaureate Diploma program. Taft's IB program became authorized in 2001, and since 2014 has been a "wall-to-wall" IB World School.

Taft competes in theChicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of theIllinois High School Association (IHSA). The boysbaseball team were Public League champions in 1968, CPS quarter-finalists in 1985, and regional champions in 2009. The girlsvolleyball team were Public League champions in the 1979–80 season.^[5]

In 2018, the boys varsityfootball team brought home its firstChicago Public League championship since 1972 with a 29–13 win overEric Solorio Academy High School.

The wrestling team won four consecutive Chicago Public League Championships. (2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021)

A nine-hole putting green was installed during the summer of 2023^[update], costing ultimately $32,000.^[6]

In 2024, the girls' flag football team was both the city and state regional champions.

In 2025, the boys' soccer team won the Chicago Public League city championship, with an undefeated regular season record, (18-0) againstLane Tech College Prep High School.^[7] They became the first boys soccer team in CPS to finish a regular season unbeaten, untied, and as city champions since Harrison High School in 1974^[8]. This was their second city championship in the past two years; they defeated Sarah Goode in 2023.^[9] Despite losing in the state playoffs to Niles West, the boys soccer team finished #4 in the state of Illinois for the 2025 season^[10].

The Academic Center at William Howard Taft High School is a selective enrollment program offering the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme curriculum (IB-MYP). Students may earn up tonine high school credits, depending on how many classes they pass.^[11]

*denotes high school credit^[11]

While Taft has over 250 staff members, its Academic Center has a limited amount of teachers, as about 90 students are enrolled each year. Some of these teachers teach freshman classes.^[12]

This list of alumnimay not follow Wikipedia'sverifiability policy. Please helpimprove it by addingreliable sources for existing names which prove they are alumni. Unsourced names may be challenged and removed.(May 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Jim Grabowski is a formerNFLrunning back. He was selected in the first round of the1966 American Football League draft by theMiami Dolphins and the first round of the1966 NFL draft by theGreen Bay Packers. He played inSuper Bowl I andSuper Bowl II.
• Robert Hanssen was a formerFBI agent who was convicted of spying for theSoviet Union andRussia.^[13]
• Ken Henry, U.S. Olympic gold medalist in speed skating,1952 Oslo. At the1960 Winter Olympics inSquaw Valley, California, Henry was chosen to light the final torch at the opening ceremony.
• Jim Jacobs is the co-writer of the musicalGrease, parts of which were based on his high school experiences at Taft.
• Terry Kath was aguitarist and co-founder of the bandChicago.
• Jerry Krause is the formergeneral manager of theChicago Bulls (1985–2003) whose teams won six NBA championships.
• Lynn Morley Martin is a former congresswoman who served asU.S. Secretary of Labor (1991–93).
• Donna Mills, class of 1958, is an actress whose best known role was as Abby on the television seriesKnots Landing.
• Howard Moore is the former basketball head coach for theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago (2010–15).
• Jack Suwinski is an outfielder for thePittsburgh PiratesMLB team.
• Joseph A. Tunzi is a Chicago-based author, publisher, and producer.

• Official website

• Public high schools in Chicago
• Public middle schools in Chicago
• 1939 establishments in Illinois
• Educational institutions established in 1939

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