The 2024-25 school year is very quickly approaching!! I trust that you have had a fun filled as well as restful summer. My name is Sam Bentsen and I am the Interim Superintendent. I am proud to share on a variety of topics as we near the start of the school year.
U.S. News & World Reports recognized Fenton High School as one of 2024’s Best U.S. High Schools!!
The U.S News Best High Schools rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.
Fenton ranked above or near numerous other DuPage County high schools with similar demographics. They noted the following strengths:
90% Graduation Rate
College Curriculum
43% of students took at least 1 AP Exam
Thank you to all of our teachers, students, and parents for your hard work and commitment to learning.
Safety
Safety and Security at Fenton Community High School District 100 is our utmost priority. To that end we have a variety of initiatives that focus on the safety of your student(s).
First, On Friday, August 2nd, Fenton will be participating in a community exercise with the Bensenville Police Department, Fire Department, and Emergency Management Agency (EMA), as well as the Wood Dale Police Department and Fire Department, and the DuPage County Homeland Security Institute, Metra, among multiple other local and county agencies and hospitals. The exercise will be a simulation of an active shooter event. We are communicating in advance that this is only a DRILL and our participants are volunteers.
The entire campus will be closed and inaccessible on Friday, August 2nd, from 6:30 AM to 12:30 PM. No events can take place anywhere on the campus during that time frame. There will be notification boards posted on the streets stating that a drill is taking place, and some street closures will be implemented around the campus. This is a large-scale exercise with many participants, vehicles, pieces of equipment, etc.
It is critical that we participate in these types of large scale drills with our community partners so we are prepared in case of a real emergency.
Second, we have installed FLOCK license plate readers at key positions on our campus. This is in conjunction with Bensenville and Wood Dale that already have these throughout the community. Our goal is not to monitor our students, staff or parents, but simply make sure that a dangerous person isn’t driving on our campus at any time. Our School Resource Officer will be the contact person when a license plate is flagged.
Third, we have updated our camera capacity and quality so we can monitor the campus 24/7. This includes our updated stadium.
Finally, we have existing partnerships with BeSure Consulting, the YWCA, and the Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) to enhance our student and parental programming this coming school year with an emphasis on safety and empowerment. More info on these initiatives will be available throughout the start of the school year and will come from our new Interim Associate Superintendent/Principal Kate Ward. Ms. Ward is a long time valued member of the Fenton High School staff as a teacher and administrator. She has already had a positive impact in a short period of time since being named to the position at the June 26 Board Meeting.
As you may be aware, Franczek PC is conducting an Independent Review into the district's handling of matters pertaining to the allegations of sexual misconduct by a former employee. Lead attorneys Jennifer Smith and Amy Dickerson gave the board an update at the June 26 Board Meeting. They are making progress and the district is fully cooperating with their review.
Construction
Construction for our new $32 million STEM Wing began in May 2024. This exciting investment is a major asset to our entire Bensenville and Wood Dale community.
This new STEM Wing will feature 12 state of the art science and technology classrooms that will empower our teacher to expand their curriculum and take their students’ imagination to new heights, inspiring countless students for decades to come.
As School Board President Cary Lewis said at our groundbreaking event: Every student at Fenton High School will have science classes in this building, which also means every child in every neighborhood of Bensenville and Wood Dale will one day walk through this building and have the opportunity to be empowered.
Construction should continue through Summer 2025, at which time the new wing will be connected to our current building. I want to assure everyone that all student programs, academic and extracurricular, will continue during construction. Nothing is being canceled.
Beginning the STEM project coincides with the conclusion of our $10 million Water Mitigation Project. The new massive stormwater storage tank was successfully installed behind our stadium and all new drainage pipes are connected. This less visible enhancement will protect our school from heavy rain storms as we have seen and had lately.
We now have a modern new artificial turf field that is more durable and available for our classes, clubs, and athletic teams.
In conclusion, we are very excited to start the 2024-25 school year. We are poised to have one of our best years in recent memory and as always let us know how we can support your student(s).
