Class of 2011: Milestones Go With This Class First to Be Born At Delnor-Community Hospital

On Saturday afternoon, the Geneva High School Class of 2011, nearly 500 strong, will graduate.

Besides aging from cute little 5-year-olds to adult men and women, what else is different in Geneva itself? What’s transpired during their young lifetimes?

As in Geneva had opened in 1991, the kids in this class—at least those born in the Tri-Cities—entered life at the “new” combined hospital, not at either Community in Geneva or Delnor in St. Charles.

This class entered school in the fall of 1998. The class was spread among four grade schools: Western Avenue, Coultrap—which had become an elementary school in 1994—Harrison Street and the relatively new MIll Creek, which had opened in 1995.

Heartland School hadn’t opened—it wouldn’t, until four years later in 2002—and Williamsburg and Fabyan? Just far-off notions that would open, respectively, in 2008 and 2009. The GHS members who attended Coultrap have seen their former school replaced by Williamsburg, with any future plans for the structure currently on hold.

The year 1998 saw a major expansion of the . And earlier that year,  voters approved a $35.6 million referendum to expand (and substantially alter) the school from which they will now graduate. Craig Collins, now director of human resources, was high school principal at the time.

Today’s seniors numbered among the 2,199 elementary school students housed in those four grade schools. The district also included 1,027 middle school students, all in the building now known as Geneva Middle School South, and 1,164 high school students. Total district enrollment: 4,390.

The city’s population was less than 20,000 when they started school. There was still a silo at Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road. Geneva Commons? Not built yet.

For the official enrollment figures for this school year, there are 2,480 elementary students housed in six buildings, 1,437 middle school students housed in two middle schools and 1,937 high school students. That’s an increase of 773 students, or 66.4 percent at GHS!

The shopping landscape has changed much since these students started school, with the opening of the aforementioned Geneva Commons and the development of Dodson Place, both in the early 2000s. The first store had opened on Randall Road in 1993, the year many of these students were born. Since then, well, we all know what’s happened to Randall Road since then.

This class is believed to the largest ever to enter, and to graduate from, Geneva High School.

On one of their first days of high school, severe weather and tornado warnings kept them in the building long past the final bell, and led to flooding at.

Later that same school year, a threat found in a restroom (shortly after the fatal shootings at Northern Illinois University) made GHS the safest place in town for a day, as security was very, very stringent. Nonetheless the vast majority of kids stayed away, congregating instead in places such as Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, other downtown gathering places and the Commons. Those who attended—my two were among them—were treated to Dilly Bars and hopefully smiled when those who stayed away declared, essentially, “not fair!”

When the opening bell rang on their opening day of kindergarten, kids could still get their school supplies at and room parents could still pick up party goodies at Party Setters. When these kids entered school, flowers still bloomed at both Geneva Greenhouse and Geneva Flower Farm, and families could still enjoy a movie in downtown Geneva.

Other entities that have closed include the and the Children’s Shop. And numerous restaurants have come and gone.

In many cases, new entities have sprung up. How many GHS students have taken dance classes at , for example? And where once gas was pumped at Fifth and State, flowers (and vegetables plants) now bloom.

It all shows the changing nature of life.

Graduation offers the chance to anticipate not only the future and new beginnings, but also to look to the past, to see how what once was has shaped that future. Whatever lies ahead for these seniors and wherever they go, Geneva remains a part of their formative years.

Congratulations, and happy graduation to the Class of 2011.

(Many thanks to Laura Rush of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce–and lifetime Genevan!, Lisa Stone of Geneva High School and Pam Burgeson, of the superintendent’s office for Geneva School District 304 for their help with the historical facts needed for this item.)