Lincoln-Way East High School

Lincoln-Way East High School (LWE) is a four-year public high school about three miles south of Interstate 80 near the intersection of Colorado Avenue, U.S. Route 45 (La Grange Road), and U.S. Route 30 (Lincoln Highway) in Frankfort, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is a part of Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, which also includes Lincoln-Way Central High School, Lincoln-Way West High School, and formerly Lincoln-Way North High School.

Lincoln-Way East High School
Location
201 Colorado Avenue Frankfort , Illinois 60423 United States
Coordinates	41.5129°N 87.8561°W / 41.5129; -87.8561
Information
School type	Public secondary
Opened	1977 (9–10) 2001 (9–12)
School district	Lincoln-Way Com. H.S. 210
Superintendent	Scott Tingley[1]
Principal	Toriano Griggs[2]
Teaching staff	147.95 (on an FTE basis)[3]
Grades	9–12
Gender	Coed
Enrollment	2,728 (2023–2024)[3]
• Grade 9	634 students
• Grade 10	678 students
• Grade 11	680 students
• Grade 12	736 students
Student to teacher ratio	18.44[3]
Area	Southwest suburbs
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Blue   Black
Athletics conference	Southwest Suburban[4]
Mascot	Yugo the Griffin
Team name	Griffins
Rival	Lincoln-Way West Lincoln-Way Central
Accreditation	Illinois State Board of Education
Website	www.lw210.org/east/

History

In 1974, voters approved a $4,985,000 bond issue to develop a new freshman–sophomore building on the Frankfort site. Construction began in 1975, and the school opened in 1977 as Lincoln-Way High School East Campus. In 1992, voters agreed to double the size of the campus to accommodate growth. Facilities added included a 42-classroom academic wing, a field house, and an auditorium. The expansion was completed in 1995.

In 1997, citizens of District No. 210 approved a $60 million building bond referendum to split the existing freshman–sophomore / junior–senior configuration into two separate four-year high schools and to add to the existing East and Central Campuses. The East Campus added 50 classrooms and an Olympic-sized swimming pool, while the Central Campus added 50 classrooms, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a performing arts auditorium with music classrooms, new nursing office, and new administrative offices (PPS). The splitting of Lincoln-Way into two separate high schools became official for the 2001–02 school year as the East Campus became Lincoln-Way East High School.

Academics

As of 2018^[update], Lincoln-Way East was considered an "exemplary" school, with 1,070 students taking Advanced Placement or dual credit courses, a 97.0% four-year graduation rate (98.3% five-year rate), and 90.6% of students going on to postsecondary education.^[5]

Athletics

The athletic director is Mark Vander Kooi and the assistant athletic director is Elizabeth Hyland.

Lincoln-Way East competes as a member of the Southwest Suburban Conference. The school is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most athletics and competitive activities in Illinois. School colors are Blue and Black. Teams are called the "Griffins".

Lincoln-Way East sponsors interscholastic teams for boys and girls in basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo. Girls also compete in badminton, cheerleading, dance, and softball, while boys also compete in baseball, football, and wrestling.

The following teams have won or finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:

• Badminton (girls): Sectional Champions (2004–05, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021-22)
• Basketball (girls): Regional Champions (2002–03, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18)
• Bowling (boys): 3rd place (2006–07)
• Cheerleading: State Champions (2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23)
• Cross Country (boys): Regional Champions (2011–12, 2017–18, 2020–21)
• Cross Country (girls): 2nd place (2004–05); Regional Champions (2006–07)
• Football: State Champions (2005–06, 2017–18, 2019–20); 2nd place (2012–13, 2022–23, 2023–24)
• Gymnastics (boys): State Champions (2005–06, 2010–11); 2nd place (2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12)
• Golf (girls): Regional Champions (2007–08, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2020–21, 2021–22)
• Softball: State Champions (2001–02); 2nd place (2014–15, 2016–17); 4th place (2013–14)
• Swimming (boys): Sectional Champions (2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021-22)
• Swimming (girls): Sectional Champions (2004–05, 20007-08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019-20)
• Tennis (boys): Sectional Champions (2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22)
• Track (boys): Sectional Champions (2006–07, 2007–08, 2023–24)
• Track (girls): State Champions (2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21); 2nd place (2010–11)
• Volleyball (boys): State Champions (2013–14, 2017–18); 2nd place (2016–17, 2021–22); 4th place (2006–07, 2020–21)
• Water polo (boys): 4th place (2018–19, 2020–21)
• Wrestling: Regional Champions (2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006-07)

Notable alumni

• Nick Allegretti – NFL guard for the Kansas City Chiefs; Super Bowl LIV champion; Super Bowl LVII champion^[6][7]
• Dietrich Enns – former MLB Pitcher, NPB pitcher for the Seibu Lions^[8][9]
• Adam Gettis – former NFL guard
• A. J. Henning – NFL wide receiver
• Alex Storako – softball player
• Erika Lauren Wasilewski – former reality TV participant, radio personality