Closing of Immaculate Heart of Mary High School

CLOSING OF IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY HIGH SCHOOL -- (House of Representatives - February 01, 2005)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the announcement was made last week that a high school in my congressional district, Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in Westchester, Illinois, would be closing its doors at the end of this school year. This closure indicates the end of an era in the Chicago western suburbs and for single-sex education due to a record low enrollment in 2004, and a significant drop in the number of people sitting for the entrance exam in January of 2005.

The school administration made the difficult decision to close this spring.
Since 1961, Immaculate Heart of Mary has offered a rigorous, single-sex, college preparatory education for young women throughout Chicago and the western suburbs. Over 6,000 women have benefited from the education offered by IHM since its inception. Teachers and staff have dedicated themselves to fostering a diverse community aimed towards achieving academic excellence and building a Christian community made up of empowered young women.

IHM has been successful both academically and in its extracurricular activities. Athletic successes include a State championship in basketball in 1987. The students of IHM have been involved in many other extracurricular activities such as Model United Nations and Students Against Drunk Driving. In 1996, IHM received the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Award in recognition of their academic superiority. IHM is the only all-women school in the State of Illinois to receive this award.

The school's president, Karen Ristau, has led a dedicated staff of approximately 30 teachers and administrators in fulfilling IHM's motto: ``Every student has the need to become what she has the ability to become.'' I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to both Ms. Ristau and the entire staff of IHM for their years of dedication to the education of young women in Illinois. The community, current students, and past graduates are grateful for the commitment of the administration and staff.

By deciding to open its doors to women next fall, St. Joseph High School has offered the students of IHM the opportunity to continue striving for academic excellence in a Catholic environment right next door. These two high schools have always shared a special relationship in which students from both schools have shared some specialized classes and extracurricular activities. As a result of this relationship, the transition into creating a coeducational environment should be relatively smooth. For any of the remaining 238 students who choose not to attend St. Joseph High School in a coeducational environment, IHM officials and counselors will help them and their parents to choose an alternative school.

Although IHM is closing its doors, it has left an indelible mark on today's world through the actions and successes of its graduates. It will be sorely missed by the community and by the entire Illinois 7th Congressional District.

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