Orion High School, or OHS, is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

four-year

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

located at 1103 13th St. in

Orion, Illinois Orion ( ) is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,861 at the 2010 census. It is the site for transmitters for many of the Quad Cities' radio and television stations, including KLJB, KWQC-TV, WMWC-TV, WQAD-TV, ...

, a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in Western Township of

Henry County, Illinois Henry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The 2010 United States Census, listed its population at 50,486. Its county seat is Cambridge. Henry County is included in the Davenport- Moline- Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan ...

, in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

. OHS is part of

Orion Community Unit School District 223 The Orion Community Unit School District 223 is a school district in Illinois. The district serves pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students in the communities of Orion, Andover, Lynn Center, Osco, Sunny Hill, Warner, and portions of Co ...

, which also includes Orion Middle School, and C. R. Hanna Elementary School. The campus is 11 miles south of

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

and serves a mixed

and

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...

residential community. The school is the only

in the

of Orion, a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

of the

Quad Cities The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...

and part of the Davenport– Moline– Rock Island, IA– IL

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

Academics

Orion High School made Adequate Yearly Progress on the

Prairie State Achievement Examination The Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) was a two-day standardized test taken by all high school Juniors in the U.S. state of Illinois. On the first day, students take the ACT, and on the second day, a WorkKeys examination and Illinois ...

, a state test that is part of the No Child Left Behind Act. In 2009, 66% of students tested met or exceeded state standards. The school's average high school graduation rate between 2000 and 2009 was 94%. Orion High School ranked third of 16 in

scores compared to all public high schools in the surrounding Henry County,

Rock Island County Rock Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 147,546. Its county seat is Rock Island; its largest city is neighboring ...

, and Mercer County,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

communities over a 3-year period from 2007–2009. Only Annawan High School and

Geneseo High School Geneseo High School is located in Geneseo, Illinois Geneseo is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,539. Geneseo is 20 miles east of the Quad Cities, at the intersection of Interstate 80, U ...

scored better. Orion High School is 1 of 7 high schools in this group to make Adequate Yearly Progress as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. As of 2016, the district's teaching faculty contains 67 teachers, of whom 37% hold an advanced degree. The average district class size is 20.0, with a student to faculty ratio of 16:1. The istrict'sinstructional expenditure per student is $5,547. Orion High School enrollment decreased from 376 to 342 (9%) in the period of 2000 to 2009. The

was selected as one of 61 school districts in Illinois to be named a "Bright A+" Award Recipient for 2006. The award was based on those school districts with the highest academic performance in the state of Illinois, and designates the district as among the top 5% of all Illinois.

Athletics and activities

Orion High School competes in the Three Rivers Conference and is a member school in the

Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National Fe ...

. Its mascot is the Charger, symbolized by an armored

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

and horse carrying a shield and

jousting Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

. The school offers 15 varsity sports for men and women and has no state championships on record in team athletics.

History

Consolidation talks

In 2007, representatives from

met with representatives of neighboring

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

and Sherrard,

, school districts on separate occasions to discuss merger possibilities and consolidation study reports.http://orionschools.us/DistrictHtml/FeasibilityStudiesConsolidationInf.htm Based on the report's recommendations, if merger were to occur with Cambridge, the existing Orion High School building would be used as a high school for the new district. If merger were to occur with Sherrard, Orion High School students would attend the current Sherrard Junior and Senior High School building, and the current Orion High School building would become the middle school for Orion and Sherrard. A survey of students, parents, and teachers in all districts was also conducted with regard to Orion and Sherrard. Overall, 63% of both districts' respondents were against consolidation. Surveys were more favorable of an Orion–Cambridge consolidation than an Orion–Sherrard consolidation. Frequently quoted oppositions to the Orion–Sherrard consolidation included Orion's debt, the already large size of the Sherrard district, and the incompatibility of school cultures due to a historic interconference athletics rivalry. In 2009, district superintendent David Deets commented that the consolidation topic remained on the district's radar because of the economic challenges districts face. No formal conversations have been scheduled with any of the region's districts regarding consolidation. Before reorganization talks can even begin, feasibility studies must be completed, and then a committee of 10 would have to be formed to prepare a consolidation proposal. A public vote is required to authorize any proposal deemed acceptable by the districts involved. Deets acknowledged the process is long, there is much information to process, and that there are many other issues on the radar. While Orion's population and economy remain relatively stable due to a proximity to the

no comment was made regarding the community's efforts to address new housing starts, business improvement districts, marketing campaigns, or other indicators that address the district's overall population, or the ratio to school age population.Orion and Sherrard Consolidation Survey Results Summary
/ref>

References

External links

Orion Community Unit School District 223

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Concepts, Components, and Population

Interactive Illinois Report Card

2008 Illinois School Profile for Orion High School

2008 Illinois School Report Card for Orion High School

Illinois High School Association
* https://thescarletink.com/ {{authority control Public high schools in Illinois Schools in Henry County, Illinois