DeLand-Weldon High School
| DeLand-Weldon High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
304 E. Illinois Route 10 , 61839 United States | |
| Coordinates | 40°07′37″N 88°41′10″W / 40.127°N 88.686°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public Secondary |
| Opened | 1957 [1] |
| School district | DeLand-Weldon CUSD 57 |
| Superintendent | Michael Tresnak |
| Principal | Matt Goldman |
| Staff | 7.93 (FTE)[2] |
| Faculty | 16[3] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrollment | 45 (2024–2025)[2] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 5.67[2] |
| Campus type | Rural |
| Colours | Maroon Gray |
| Athletics conference | East Central Illinois Conference |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Nickname | Eagles |
| Website | School website |
DeLand-Weldon High School is a coed public secondary institution located in Piatt County, Illinois. It is a part of DeLand-Weldon Community Unit School District #57.[4] The school draws from an area of De Land and Weldon and is the fifth smallest public high school in the state of Illinois, with a total enrollment of 45 students (2024–2025).[2]
History
Pre-consolidation
The community of De Land opened its original high school in 1880. That building was lost to a fire in 1904 and promptly replaced, with the second structure serving until 1921 when a larger school was constructed. Weldon operated its own high school beginning in 1925 under the Nixon Township system. Both institutions provided core academics and athletics but were constrained by low enrollment and limited resources typical of small rural districts.[5]
Residents of both towns voted to unify their school districts in 1947, creating what would become Unit #57. Weldon High School ceased independent operations by 1949, and students from both communities attended classes in the existing De Land facility while the new district planned for a permanent shared campus.[5]
New building
On December 7, 1957, the citizens of Unit #57 voted to build and equip a new high school on the county line midway between the two communities. The new building was erected at a cost of approximately $550,000 and provides for a four-year school, with provisions in the future to add four rooms to accommodate the seventh and eighth grades of both communities. Therefore, during the ten-year interim, the schools of DeLand-Weldon Unit #57 moved toward the original long range goal set in 1948.[1]
Athletics
The DeLand-Weldon athletic teams participate in the East Central Illinois Conference, a high school athletic conference whose member schools have similar enrollments and are all located in the Central Illinois region. The school's teams also compete in state championship tournaments sponsored by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The statewide class designation is A.[6]
The school mascot is the Eagle.
Sports
- Boys Basketball
- Boys Track and Field
- Girls Basketball
- Girls Track and Field
- Girls Volleyball
- Cheerleading
- Cross Country
- Wrestling
- Co-Op with Farmer City (Blue Ridge) — Football, Baseball, Softball, Boys and Girls Golf, Coed Soccer, Bass Fishing[7]
Activities
- Band
- Chorus
- Scholastic Bowl
- Yearbook
Notable alumni
- Ray Ahlrich (class of 1941), was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as an official in 1996.[8]
- Joe Huisinga (class of 1946), was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a player in 2007.[8]
- Larry Huisinga (class of 1969), set 19 school records during his time at DeLand-Weldon, including 1,762 career points and 274 assists. After playing at Illinois State University, he coached at LeRoy High School for 34 seasons, amassing 628 wins and 15 conference championships. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a player in 2012.[8][9]
- Brielle Jones (class of 2008), holds the Illinois High School Association girls basketball all-time individual record for most blocked shots in a season (240), and most blocked shots in a game (21).[10]
References
- ^ a b "School History". Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Deland-Weldon High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ "School Faculty". Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ "School District". DeLand-Weldon CUSD #57. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ a b "DeLand High School". Illinois High School Glory Days. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ "School Info". IHSA. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ "DWHS Student Handbook 25-26". DeLand-Weldon CUSD #57. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame". IBCA. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ "Larry Huisinga". Basketball Museum of Illinois. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ "IHSA Girls Basketball All-Time Individual Records". IHSA. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
External links
- DeLand-Weldon High School — official website