Morton East might be haunted by the ghosts of people who’ve died here — and a significant number of students believe it. The most popular story is about a boy who drowned in the school pool in 1969.

Morton East High School has been around for roughly 120 years, and both staff and students have reported hearing strange noises around the school. Most of the reports were around the auditorium and supervision room 115. One of the most popular stories of someone haunting the school is a kid who died from drowning in the school pool. Richard L Jagmin was a 15-year-old sophomore who was found floating in the school pool (now supervision room 115) around 10:45 am after reportedly falling in back in 1969.

Another story is said to have happened in the auditorium when an old theater teacher fell off a high place before opening night. His spirit allegedly returns for the opening night of each production.  With the school being over a century old it’s hard to think that it’s not haunted.

In a random survey of 100 students, 22% said the school was haunted.

“Yesterday morning at 7:00 I was entering my room when I found trash all over my floor, and when I asked Mr. Frankfother about it, he said the same thing happened to him. I found it odd because before I leave I always make sure my room is clean. Both our rooms were locked, so I don’t know anyone that got in, but it was unexpected,” literacy teacher Mr. Asay said.

It’s not just Mr. Asay who noticed strange things happening. Other teachers here at Morton also feel that something’s off in the school.

“I heard stories about the (the boy that drowned in the ) old pool in room 115, but I also did hear some rumors that it happened in the annex pool.  I still believe that it happened in room 115,” said librarian Mr. Paychec.

Our journalism teacher, Mr. Frankfother, has told us what he heard from people around the school.

”Rumor I heard is that 20 years ago a homeless teen was staying in the auditorium in one of the small rooms that are rarely used and had been living there for a while.  The teen may have been the source of some of those ghostly sounds and movements,” Journalism teacher Mr. Frankfother said.

Some of the ghost stories aren’t just from teachers here at Morton.

“We were chilling in the library and suddenly  I heard stuff moving aroun.   In the corner of my eye I saw one of the ‘day-of-the-dead” decorations fall down from the bookshelf; I was freaking out because there was no one there,” said an anonymous librarian.

No one knows if the school is haunted. All we have to work with are stories people believe are true. However, it doesn’t matter if you believe in ghosts, people have died here, and their spirits might still be here too.