magazine

ACADEMICS
De La Salle Going Co-Educational
In 2017-18 School Year
As De La Salle Institute begins its 126th year of educating Chicagoans,
the Board of Directors has set an aggressive agenda of innovation and
transformation for the school.
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, De La Salle Institute will
merge its two campuses to become a co-educational high school.
In 2002, De La Salle became one of two co-institutional schools in the
nation when it established its Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women.
Based on recent stakeholder survey results, however, the single-sex
educational environment is no longer the reason that parents choose De
La Salle Institute for their children.
“Our transformation to a co-educational curriculum is an historic
achievement for our school,” De La Salle president Fr. Paul Novak,
OSM, said. “We have long been at the forefront of educational
innovation, whether it was becoming a co-institutional school in 2002,
or becoming the first school in Chicago to implement a one-to-one
Tablet PC program and curriculum for our students in 2006.
In its 126 years of existence, De La Salle has graduated over 10,000
students with five former Chicago mayors among its distinguished
alumni.
“Our school provides an outstanding, Catholic, Lasallian, collegepreparatory
education to the young women and men of Chicago,” Fr.
Novak said. “Our faculty and staff do an exemplary job in preparing
our students for their great futures, whether our graduates attend the
top colleges and universities in the country, serve in the military or
contribute to the workforce. Ninety-six percent of De La Salle alumni
matriculate on to college.
“By becoming a co-educational high school, De La Salle will continue to
experience significant growth while providing many opportunities for
current and future scholars in a one-campus setting.”
“We are very excited about the multitude of benefits that becoming a coeducational
high school will bring to the De La Salle and Chicagoland
communities.”
De La Salle has continued to serve the Chicagoland area since 1889.
De La Salle is accessible through its own bus service as well as public
transportation including the CTA’s Green and Red Lines as well as Metra
service at the 35th Street station.
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year,
De La Salle Institute will merge its two campuses
to become a co-educational high school.
Academics 3