West Town Academy
West Town Academy is a public charter high school in Chicago, Illinois. It’s part of the Greater West Town Community Development Project and is connected with Youth Connection Charter School and the Alternative School Network. The school began in 1998 as a GED program for Chicago high school dropouts and became a state-certified high school that same year. It also serves students who are disenrolled from Chicago Public Schools and those who are wards of the court or in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, so it operates like both a public and a private school at times.
Location and day-to-day details: 534 N Sacramento Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612. The school moved to this address in June 2010. The school day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The campus is urban. About 200 students attend, with an average class size of around 25. Students are typically 17 to 21 years old. There are about 10 staff members and 8 faculty. Instruction is in English. School colors are blue and white. Athletics include basketball, flag football, volleyball, bowling, and softball, and the teams are called the West Town Warriors. The school competes in the Chicago Area Alternative Education League.
Accreditation, media, and community: West Town Academy is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education and publishes a newspaper called the West Town Times. It serves the West Side of Chicago. The current dean is Kendall Holliday and the principal is Diane Rodriguez.
Notable history: The school and its parent organization have hosted many politicians. Barack Obama spoke at the class of 2000 commencement. Other notable visitors have included Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, governors Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. In 2004, John Kerry and Barack Obama held a campaign event at the school. The founder is William Leavy.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:31 (CET).