[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H258-H259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CLOSING OF IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY HIGH SCHOOL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the announcement was made last 
week that a high school in my congressional district, Immaculate Heart 
of Mary (IHM) in Westchester, Illinois, would be closing its doors at 
the end of this school year. This closure indicates the end of an era 
in the Chicago western suburbs and for single-sex education due to a 
record low enrollment in 2004, and a significant drop in the number of 
people sitting for the entrance exam in January of 2005.
  The school administration made the difficult decision to close this 
spring.
  Since 1961, Immaculate Heart of Mary has offered a rigorous, single-
sex, college preparatory education for young women throughout Chicago 
and the western suburbs. Over 6,000 women have benefited from the 
education offered by IHM since its inception. Teachers and staff have 
dedicated themselves to fostering a diverse community aimed towards 
achieving academic excellence and building a Christian community made 
up of empowered young women.
  IHM has been successful both academically and in its extracurricular 
activities. Athletic successes include a State championship in 
basketball in 1987. The students of IHM have been involved in many 
other extracurricular activities such as Model United Nations and 
Students Against Drunk Driving. In 1996, IHM received the United States 
Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Award in recognition of 
their academic superiority. IHM is the only all-women school in the 
State of Illinois to receive this award.
  The school's president, Karen Ristau, has led a dedicated staff of 
approximately 30 teachers and administrators in fulfilling IHM's motto: 
``Every student has the need to become what she has the ability to 
become.'' I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to both Ms. Ristau 
and the entire staff of IHM for their years of dedication to the 
education of young women in Illinois. The community, current students, 
and past graduates are grateful for the commitment of the 
administration and staff.
  By deciding to open its doors to women next fall, St. Joseph High

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School has offered the students of IHM the opportunity to continue 
striving for academic excellence in a Catholic environment right next 
door. These two high schools have always shared a special relationship 
in which students from both schools have shared some specialized 
classes and extracurricular activities. As a result of this 
relationship, the transition into creating a coeducational environment 
should be relatively smooth. For any of the remaining 238 students who 
choose not to attend St. Joseph High School in a coeducational 
environment, IHM officials and counselors will help them and their 
parents to choose an alternative school.
  Although IHM is closing its doors, it has left an indelible mark on 
today's world through the actions and successes of its graduates. It 
will be sorely missed by the community and by the entire Illinois 7th 
Congressional District.

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