| Taft High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
6530 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue , 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 |
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 were both the city and state regional champions.
 | This article's list of alumnimay not follow Wikipedia'sverifiability policy. Pleaseimprove this article by removing names that do not have independentreliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this articleand are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriatecitations.(May 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Robert Philip Hanssen, a senior at Chicago's William Howard Taft High School in 1962, also saw the first James Bond movie that year.
| International | |
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| Geographic | |
