Joliet West High School announces welcome back events ahead of new school year

Families and students at Joliet West High School are preparing for the upcoming school year with a series of Welcome Back events scheduled for August 4-7. The events, held at both Joliet Central and Joliet West, are organized by grade level. Students and their parents or guardians are encouraged to attend to pick up class schedules, IDs, bus schedules, purchase PE uniforms, and receive information for the new school year. Assistance will also be available for completing the free and reduced lunch application.

For those attending at Joliet West, entry will be through Door 14 (Field House Entrance). At Joliet Central, families should use door “J” on Eastern Avenue.

Health requirements remain in place for certain students. Incoming freshmen and transfer students must submit completed immunization records before the first day of school on August 19. Seniors are required to provide documentation showing they have received one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine after their 16th birthday. “Incoming freshmen, seniors, and transfer students who have not already turned in the required state-mandated proof of immunization must do so by the first day of school scheduled for August 19, 2025.”

All students enrolled in physical education must wear a school-approved PE shirt along with athletic bottoms of their choice. Shirts can be purchased during the Welcome Back events or at Ken Woody Sports in Joliet for $7 (sizes SM–2XL) or $10 (sizes 3XL and up).

Joliet West High School serves grades 9 through 12 and had an enrollment of 3,310 students during the 2019-2020 school year according to the Illinois Report Card (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Of these students, grade 9 accounted for the largest group at 27.3 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolid=560992040170003), followed by grades 12 with 26.1 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolid=560992040170003), grade 11 with 25.1 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolid=560992040170003), and grade 10 with 24.7 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolid=560992040170003). The student body is diverse: as reported by the Illinois Report Card (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?schoolid=560992040170003), it is composed of approximately 34.9 percent white students, 21.2 percent black students, 39 percent Hispanic students, and 1.7 percent Asian students.

The first day of classes for the new academic year is Tuesday, August 19.