HS Board

School District: 57

Grade levels: K-6

Built: 1958

Is it still standing? No

If not, when was it demolished? Approx – 1985

Is it still a school? No, it is a baseball diamond

History

Sunset Park School was built at the height of the baby boom, when Mount Prospect’s student population was growing rapidly every year. In this era, Sunset was a well liked and remains a fondly remembered school. In 1971, Susan Liston, a first grade teacher at Sunset, was named Outstanding Young Educator of the Year. However, by the end of the 1970s many of the Baby Boom children had out grown the school and the student population dramatically declined. In 1979 School District 57 put the building up for sale with an asking price of $900,000. However, the presence of asbestos and the lack of bidders caused the school to lower the price to $750,000. There were still no bidders for the site, until the Mount Prospect Park District approached them with and offer of $500,000 for the land without the building. After negotiations, the land was eventually sold for $600,000 in 1985 and the school was demolished.

School District: Archdiocese of Chicago

Grade levels: K-8

Built: 1954

Is it still standing? Yes

Is it still a school? Yes

History

Founded in 1949 Saint Raymond’s Catholic Church was the first Catholic Parish in Mount Prospect and grew very rapidly in the 1950s. The church started out meeting in the basement of the Central School, which was at that time housing Saint John’s Episcopal Church. In the early 1950s the church decided to found a Catholic school for the growing parish. As the only Catholic School in the community it quickly filled beyond capacity. In the first years of its operation, students had a split schedule, in which some students would come in the morning and leave in the early afternoon while others would come in the afternoon and leave in the evening. This allowed the school to serve twice the student population it was built to house. In 1961 Saint Emily built a second Catholic school in the community and much of the burden was lessened. The school has continued to be a center for the Catholic community in Mount Prospect over the past 50 years.

School District: NA

Grade levels: K-8

Built: Original building – 1913

Second building – 1928

Third Building – 1989

Is it still standing? The first and the third are.

If not, when was it demolished? First moved in the 1920s, second razed in 1989

Is it still a school? Yes

History

The founding of Saint Paul Lutheran Church showed an important shift in Mount Prospect. The center of the community shifted from the south side of town, near Saint John Lutheran to the downtown area. Saint Paul offered services in English while Saint John continued to give services in German, and Saint Paul offered a more cosmopolitan view. Similar to Saint John, Saint Paul soon founded a school following the opening of the church. The Saint Paul Lutheran School’s first class of 9 students met in a cottage that stood at 31 S. Main Street. On May 18, 1913 the first school building was dedicated and stood on the corner of Busse and Elm Street. As the town grew, the church and school grew with it. In 1917, the first residential teacher was hired, Martin H. Hasz. He began as the only teacher and remained with the school as it grew for over 50 years, until he retired in 1968. In 1928 a second school was built, this beautiful building was designed by the well known Chicago architecture firm of Zook and McCaughey. The building was demolished in 1989 to make space for an addition to the current building. In keeping with the German tradition, a kindergarten was established in 1935. In 1956 the third school building was erected, which still stands today with significant additions.