[|Ball Township High School], sometimes called Ball Township Community High School, opened in September 1923 with 35 students; 2 seniors graduated at the end of the 1923-1924 school year. The school was established on New City Road, approximately four miles east of Chatham, three miles north and one mile east of Glenarm. There were numerous additions to the original school building, including the 1935 gymnasium. Ball Township graduated 21 seniors in May 1948, after which it picked up all the students from [|Chatham High School]. The first combined Ball Township graduating class, under Ball Chatham Community Unit School District 5, was 34 seniors in May 1949. The last Ball Township High School graduating class was 1956, with 43 students; students moved to the first Glenwood High School when it opened in March 1957. Since then various combinations of grades have used the Ball Township site. The original 1924 section of the school was torn down in June 2013, but newer sections remain and continue to be used as Ball Elementary School.
Chatham
The Caldwell School was a combination grade school and high school built in 1895, paid for by local resident Ben Franklin Caldwell, who later became a state representative and state senator in the Illinois General Assembly and afterwards a congressman. The 1895 schoolhouse burnt down in 1904, and a new one built in 1905. Chatham High School, operating in this Caldwell School, was a recognized 4-year high school until 1919; it was reduced to 2 years from 1919 to May 1924, then extended to 3 years from 1924 to 1938. In 1938, Chatham High School became a 4-year high school again, with its own new building that cost $32,000. Chatham ended as a high school in May 1948, with 34 students, of which 8 were graduating seniors. Upon consolidation into Ball Chatham Community Unit School District 5 in 1948, students went to Ball Township High School.
Glenwood
Academic statistics
Glenwood High School, based on the 2008 PSAE scores, was ranked in the top 50 high schools in Illinois. All students in Illinois are required to take the SAT exam during their junior year in high school. The SAT examination is optional, and few students elect to take this test. In 2008, though, one GHS student scored 2350 and was a National Merit Scholar. Academic averages are: ACT
Glenwood High School also offers news and sports coverage that goes under the name GCNN, which is short for Glenwood Cable News Network. This program was founded in 1984. Programs include the weekly sports show known as "The Rush" and daily news known as the "First Five". The network is also known for Live Sports, which include Football and Basketball. In early 2014 GCNN Coordinator, Ryan Bandy, announced his resignation after the calendar school year. The long lasting program came to a close in 2016 after low attendance numbers and district wide budget cuts.
