Nicholas Senn High School

Senn High School has really turned itself around. They are providing a more competitive STEM and Arts education with an IB program to boot. I have the pleasure of teaching German there once a week and I am very pleased with the students and the facilities. The acting principal has been very helpful, most of the staff are friendly, the building is generally clean and they have it brightly painted and the halls are filled with lots of art, university pennants and banners, posters, etc. It feels very authentic and homey. The students wear uniforms but, as with most high schools, discipline can be an issue. I also think they could make the school more secure. When I leave at night, the building is empty and there is no security to be found. The campus grounds are also used as a dog park and I was very upset to see so many people with their dogs off leash. It’s a school and not all people are comfortable with dogs running around. That seems like a safety issue to me. I would encourage Senn (or the Edgewater dog owning community) to put up a fence or enforce the leash law. It is a law in Chicago, after all, people!
All in all I think this is a decent neighborhood school. Definitely consider it if you have kids ready to embark on that fabulous time of their lives known as High School! Give CPS a chance!

I am a tutor who works in a number of different CPS high schools. I have had a chance to see the facilities and experience some of the faculty and programs at each school, and by my estimation Senn High School is one of the finest options available. The school offers a number of specialized programs, from their IB school to the arts program. I wholeheartedly support the efforts of this excellent school.