The mission of Ridgewood High School focuses on learning. Students will become adaptable life-long learners and responsible, ethical citizens, with the ability to make informed decisions in a changing global society. Students will demonstrate learning in multiple settings and in multiple ways. Members of the Ridgewood High School community will collaborate to ensure that every student learns. Ridgewood High School is located in Norridge, Illinois, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. District 234 is a single high school disrtict serving Norridge and Harwood Heights. Ridgewood opened in 1960 to meet the needs of a community that was undergoing rapid growth brought about by demolition of the near west side of Chicago where the University of Illinois at Chicago currently stands. Many of the early families emigrating to the area were of Italian and Greek heritage, and were primarily middle class working in blue collar jobs. The enrollment of Ridgewood reached its peak in the early 1970's when almost 1800 students attended the school. In the early 1990's the enrollment dipped to its low point of almost 500. In the last few years we have experienced an increase in enrollment caused primarily by an influx of families of Polish heritage coming into the community. Currently Ridgewood serves approximately 920 students with the vast majority coming from the three ethnic groups mentioned above.