Lane Tech College Prep High School (often shortened to Lane Tech, full name Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School), is a public four-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools district. Lane is one of the oldest schools in the city and has an enrollment of over four thousand students, making it the largest high school in the state. Lane is a selective-enrollment-based school in which students must take a test and pass a certain benchmark in order to be offered admission. In 2019, Lane Tech was rated the 3rd best public high school in Illinois and 69th in the nation.

School history

thumb|Original school designed by [[Dwight H. Perkins (architect)|Dwight H. Perkins, in use from 1908 to 1934.]]

Founding

The school is named after Albert G. Lane, a former principal and superintendent of Chicago Public Schools from 1891 until 1898. It was founded in 1908 and dedicated on Washington's Birthday in 1909, as the Albert Grannis Lane Manual Training High School. This building, designed by Board of Education Architect Dwight H. Perkins, stood at Sedgwick Avenue and Division Street. During the early years of the school's operation, the school was a manual training school for boys, where students could take advantage of a wide array of technical classes. Freshmen were offered carpentry, cabinet making, and wood turning. Sophomores received training in foundry, forge, welding, coremaking, and molding. Juniors could take classes in the machine shop. Seniors were able to take electric shop which was the most advanced shop course. Lane's huge student body necessitated that classes be held in three shifts. As of 2022, it was typically site of approximately 1,000 games each year.

Memorial Garden

thumb|280px|A picture of the side of Lane Tech College Prep facing Chicago's Addison Street.

At the west end of the Memorial Garden is the Ramo I. Zenkich Memorial, consisting of a flag pole and granite monument inscribed with the names of the students from Lane Tech who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The Memorial Garden was rededicated in 1995. During the school's 90th anniversary celebration in 1998, a commemorative plaque was placed near the "Shooting the Stars" statue. It explains the significance of the Memorial Garden to Lane Tech and its students.

Academics

Honor level courses are offered to qualified students. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are available in English, history, math, science, art, music, computer science, and world languages. Students can also replace their normal physical education classes with a class in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). The program sponsors the Proctors Club, Color Guard, Honor Guard, Drill Platoon, Drum & Bugle Corps, and Raiders of Lane. As of 2025, Lane has a 96% graduation rate.

As of 2025, 97% of Lane students take at least one AP exam throughout their time at Lane.

Lane Tech has the most graduates who complete PhD's in the nation as of 2018.

Lane Tech has the biggest computer science program in Chicago Public Schools, and is considered one of the best schools in computer science in the United States.

Athletics

Lane offers many sports including, but not limited to baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, cross-country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, wrestling, women's rugby, and water polo. Lane has won 16 state championships since 1908. Numerous Lane Tech athletes have competed beyond the high school level and achieved success at the college level and beyond.

Transportation

There are several methods of transportation around the school provided by the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority), including bus routes 49, X49, and 152. Chicago Transit Authority trains "El" Red, Blue, and Brown Lines are also nearby. Lane Tech has bike racks for students and faculty biking to school and home.

Notable alumni

  • Tony Alcantar is an actor and acting teacher.
  • Leonard Baldy was a pioneering Chicago police officer and helicopter traffic reporter.
  • Franz Benteler was a classical violinist and leader of the Royal Strings Orchestra.
  • Edgar Bergen was a ventriloquist, actor, and radio performer, best remembered for creating Charlie McCarthy.
  • Rod Blagojevich is a former Governor of Illinois (attended for a short time before transferring).
  • Aimee Boorman is a gymnastics coach who was the head coach of the Final Five at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Boorman was the personal coach of Simone Biles.
  • Cyron Brown is a former lineman who played in the NFL and AFL.
  • Buzz Capra is a former Major League Baseball pitcher (1971–77).
  • Phil Cavarretta was a Major League Baseball player (1934–55). He spent most of his playing career with, and briefly managed the Chicago Cubs.
  • Frank Dasso was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds (1945–46).
  • Anna Davlantes has been a news anchor at WMAQ-TV and WFLD-TV.
  • Otto Denning was a Major League Baseball catcher for the Cleveland Indians (1942–43).
  • George J. Efstathiou is an architect at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (Burj Khalifa, Chicago Symphony Center).
  • Allan Friedman is former chairman of neurosurgery at Duke University
  • Neal Gabler is an author and political commentator.
  • Carl Giammarese is a singer and guitarist who co-founded The Buckinghams.
  • Ron Gora was a swimmer who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics.
  • Dwight D. Guilfoil Jr., manufacturing executive, advocate for disabled workers
  • Herbert Hans Haupt was a Nazi spy during World War II executed by U.S. Government for his role in Operation Pastorius.
  • Dennis Hejhal is a mathematician at the University of Minnesota.
  • Robert Irsay (1923–1997), owner of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League.
  • Maxwell Jenkins (born 2005—), an American film and television actor.
  • Arndt Jorgens was a Norwegian-born catcher (1929–39), playing his entire career for the New York Yankees.
  • John Komlos is a professor of economics at LMU Munich. He helped found the field of anthropometric history.
  • Frankie Laine was a singer, songwriter and actor. One source notes that Laine's stage name was taken from the school.
  • Ed Linke was a Major League Baseball pitcher (1933–38).
  • Ken Nordine is a voiceover and recording artist best known for his series of Word Jazz albums.
  • Louis Trinca-Pasat was a football defensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL).
  • Frank Piatek is an artist and professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
  • Rachel Barton Pine is a violinist (Honorary Alumna)
  • John Podesta is the former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.
  • Corey Postiglione is an artist and Professor Emeritus of Columbia College Chicago.
  • Marty Robinson was an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning voice-over announcer at WTTW.
  • Towkio is a rapper and producer.
  • Dick Triptow is a former NBL and NBA player (1944–49).
  • Joe Vodicka was a football player.
  • Phil Weintraub was a Major League Baseball player (1933–38, 44–45).
  • Warren Winiarski California grape grower, founder and former winemaker of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
  • Steve Wilkos is a talk show host (The Steve Wilkos Show) and former bodyguard (Jerry Springer).

References

Further reading

  • Kosell, Edward (Loyola University Chicago). "A Historical Study of Vocational Education in the Chicago Public and Technical and Vocational High Schools, 1917–1963" ([ Archive]; PhD thesis). June 1965.
  • The Champion, the school newspaper
  • Lane Tech campus view from above