Charlie Kirk Petition For District To Honor Wheeling High Grad Nears 5K Signatures

WHEELING, IL — An online petition requesting Township High School District 214 to honor Charlie Kirk, including holding a "Charlie Kirk Day of Honor," has reached nearly 5,000 signatures, while another petition opposes such actions.

Kirk, 31, an Arlington Heights native and Wheeling High School graduate, was fatally shot last week during a speaking tour in Utah.

"Charlie's life was cut short on September 10th, 2025, leaving a nation in mourning and our local community reflecting on his profound impact," the petition, which had 4,813 signatures as of Friday morning, reads.

The petition, created on Sept. 12 at Change.org, is asking the district to highlight Kirk as a notable alumnus at Wheeling High School, approve requests for Turning Point USA school chapters district-wide, and establish a "Charlie Kirk Day of Honor."

Kirk was the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization, Turning Point USA, an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses.

The district released a statement last week following Kirk's death which included the following:

"Charlie Kirk will be remembered in District 214 and at Wheeling High School as a student who brought energy, confidence, and passion to the classroom and beyond. During his years as a Wildcat, he was active in athletics as a captain of the basketball team, played varsity football, and was a member of both the marching band and nationally recognized wind symphony. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, a recognition that reflected his commitment to leadership and service."

The petition claims that "prior to this heartbreaking event," Kirk's achievements were "largely unacknowledged" by the district.

As reported by CBS Chicago, a petition opposing the one calling for District 214 to honor Kirk is also up at Change.org. As of Friday morning, that petition has over 4,000 signatures as well. The petition reads in part:

"While we extend our condolences to Charlie Kirk’s family and acknowledge the loss of life as a tragedy, we must draw a clear line between mourning an individual and publicly endorsing a figure — and a political movement — that has proven to be deeply polarizing, exclusionary, and contrary to the values of inclusivity, academic integrity, and equity that our public schools must uphold."

According to CBS Chicago, the debate was discussed at Thursday night's District 214 board of education meeting.

Officials from District 214 tell Patch they're aware of the two petitions.

"Each school has a different process for Distinguished Alumni. Not every school recognizes alumni each year," District 214 said in a statement shared with Patch. "The current process typically includes completing a nomination form which is reviewed by a school-level committee. We recently updated our administrative procedures that align with Board policy regarding namings, and have not updated the process or procedures for Distinguished Alumni Awards at our schools."

The district said it is not aware of any current or previous Turning Point USA chapters in District 214, adding that the organization would need to follow its policies and procedures related to non-school sponsored groups, which state that groups that "advocate particular religious, political, or philosophical beliefs or ideas" are non-school sponsored groups.

"These groups have equal access to district facilities, but District 214 does not provide funding, does not promote or participate in group meetings or events, and does not support the activities of these groups in any way," the district said.

The district said each school has a different process for distinguished alumni, with not every school making such a recognition every year. The district is currently updating its process to nominate and consider candidates for the award to align with the Future 214 Strategic Plan, which was approved in April 2025.

According to the district, Kirk was not previously named a distinguished alumnus from Wheeling High, but from 2005 to 2020, he was included in a "Where Are They Now" campaign that included his picture with other alumni.

"The photos were on foam boards and had deteriorated over time," the district said. "That program ended when the district underwent a full rebranding campaign, and all alumni photos were removed."

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