MHS History

A Brief History of MHS

Beginning with its first graduating class of five students in 1878, Moline High School’s tradition of excellence has carried through generations of Maroons.  In 1894, the new high school building erected on the hillside near present-day district offices, became known as “The Castle” because of its distinctive twin turrets that could be seen from the Mississippi River.  District expansion required another new build in 1914 adjacent to The Castle, leaving The Castle to be converted into a district-wide 8th grade attendance center and the new building to serve students in grades 9-12.  Around that same time, the Browning family donated the acreage around 18th Street and 22nd Avenue to the district for athletic fields.  Thanks to community-raised support through bond sales, the Moline booster club established Wharton Field House in the late 1920’s on a portion of the donated Browning lands.  Both Browning Field and historic Wharton Field House are still used today for Moline High School sports contests.

As the city expanded to the south and east and the population continued to grow, Moline High School needed to grow, as well.  Completed in 1958 on a former orchard owned by the King family, Moline High School’s current campus sits in the center of town between 23rd & 26th Avenues and  34th & 41st Streets.  Both in the sixties and more recently in 2018 and 2021, multiple expansions of the original building were made to accommodate a growing community and changing academic focus.  Currently, MHS graduates around 550 students annually, with a total student population of 2200 and a staff of around 200.  MHS is dedicated to offering a variety of courses in diverse fields of study, including those preparing students for certification to immediately enter the workforce, those focusing on college preparation and early college experience, and elective options to suit a host of interests and talent development. 

Moline High School Mission: 

To assist in meeting the mission of the Moline-Coal Valley School District, Moline High School will prepare all students to become responsible, productive, global citizens by providing experiences that emphasize the development of skills in communication, technology, and critical thinking in a safe, supportive environment.

Academic Overview

We currently offer DOL paid apprenticeship opportunities in CNC Machining and Welding, pre-certification courses in health care, fire science, barbering, auto body repair, auto mechanics and others through the Area Career Center programs, 14 Advanced Placement Courses, and 15 on-campus dual credit courses with Black Hawk College.  Our electives span a full range of vocal and instrumental music, drama, 2D and 3D visual arts, world lanracks, treadmills, a turf sprinting strip, and additional equipment to condition our athletes into tip-top shape. For a full list of course offerings, please see our most recent Course Catalog linked under the Academics section of this website. We are a 1:1 device school, so each freshman and/or new student to the building receives a chromebook for use at school and home. For additional MHS statistics on topics like class size, staff, and student demographics, look at the Illinois School Report Card at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
 

Extracurricular Clubs & Activities

MHS encourages our students to drive the growth and development of our strong extracurricular programs.  While we offer over close to 40 existing clubs and activities from which to choose, we also believe that if a student interest is underserved, a new club for that student interest should be created.  A list of current extracurricular opportunities may be found under the Student Life section of this website.

Athletics

As a part of the Western Bix 6 Conference, Moline offers 20 IHSA sports in a highly competitive, supportive atmosphere.  Our coaches are dedicated to student success in life, not just on the playing field.  Our athletic facilities are some of the best in the state and include not only an off-campus field house and football stadium/track, but also a brand new state-of-the-art PE Facility that houses a 200-meter, 6-lane indoor track, indoor field event areas, and 4 full sized courts.  Plus our new wrestling facility includes 3 collegiate-sized wrestling mats and highly sensitive temperature control.  Our weight room is brand new, boasting 20 lifting