# Curie Metropolitan High School

Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School is a public four-year magnet high school located in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Curie is operated by Chicago Public Schools district. The school has a Technical, Performing Arts, and International Baccalaureate Programme.
Curie Metropolitan High School was named after Nobel Prize laureate Marie Sklodowska–Curie in recognition of the area's historically heavy Polish-American populace. Curie Metro High School is accessible via the Chicago L's nearby Pulaski Orange Line station.

## Academics

Curie Metropolitan High School has been an International Baccalaureate Organization World School since January 1999, and offers both the IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme. Curie Metro was one of sixteen schools nationwide selected by the College Board for inclusion in the EXCELerator School Improvement Model program beginning the 2007-2008 school year. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As of 2014 Curie Metropolitan High School has been on Chicago Public Schools academic probation for 5 years.
Curie Metropolitan High School is rated a 2 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site. GreatSchools’ Summary Rating is based on four of the school’s themed ratings: the Test Score Rating, Student or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, and Equity Rating and flags for discipline and attendance disparities at a school.

### International Baccalaureate

Curie offers a rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme to help academically qualified students gain a valuable competitive edge for admission to college. Offered in grades 11 and 12, this comprehensive, two-year college preparatory curriculum helps students develop the critical thinking skills and knowledge needed to excel academically after graduation. At the end of grades 11 and 12, students sit for world-wide IB examinations. Based on their exam and other assessment scores, students may be awarded university credit for their IB course work at Curie. Each university has its own policy regarding credit awarded for IB scores. Students also take several AP courses during their four years at Curie.

## Demographics

In the 2022-2023 school year, there were 3,178 students enrolled at the school. In the same year, 87% of students identified as Hispanic or Latino, 10% were black or African-American, 2% were Asian, and 1% were non-Hispanic white. 85% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. The school has a student to teacher ratio of 16.4.

## Athletics

Curie competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Curie High School is a school with a wide variety of sports. With twelve varsity sports, Curie students have a wide selection to choose from. The most notable sport recently is the varsity water polo team, which has won eight consecutive Chicago Public League titles in recent years. In 2015, the basketball team won its first class 4A Illinois State Championship. Curie recently won back-to-back CPS Championships in football and played in back-to-back Prep Bowls (City Champ vs. Catholic League champ). On February 17, 2019, the basketball team won its first Chicago Public Schools Tournament Championship.

## Notable alumni

* Victor Adeyanju, former NFL defensive end for the St. Louis Rams
* Alfonzo McKinnie, former NBA player for the Chicago Bulls
* Cliff Alexander, former McDonald's All-American basketball player for the Kansas Jayhawks
* Yung Berg, rap artist (Sexy Lady)
* Samuray del Sol, professional wrestler under the ring names Kalisto and Octagón Jr.; former two-time WWE United States Champion & former WWE Cruiserweight Champion
* Matt Cole, former NFL player
* Mike Wengren, founding member and drummer for the metal band Disturbed
* Dewayne Perkins, comedian and writer who appeared on Season 9 of MTV's Wild N' Out; one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch for 2020
* Stanley Glover, professional dancer/actor, Winner of the Princess Grace Award Dance Fellowship BalletX (2019), actor for The Big Leap (2021) So You Think You Can Dance (2005) and Digging for Life (2021)
* Candice Savage, professional dancer, has performed with Janelle Monae, Ciara, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Savion Glover, and Saweetie, among others
* Justin Harmon, college basketball player for the Illinois Fighting Illini