The Most Important Question in St. Louis

‘What High School Did You Go To?’ is a Regular Part of Local Vernacular

By Ryan K Boman | Sept. 9, 2025

With the Fall season now upon us, the kids have all returned to school, and the weather will soon change. The Autumnal aura always includes raking leaves, having bonfires, and attending high school football games on Friday night.

This time of year always seems to center around our house of academia, where we learned, matured, and graduated to adult life. That’s why it’s a great time to revisit an age-old question: 

“What High School did you go to?”

Originally growing up on the other side of the river, very few Illinoisans have understood the relevance. For most of us from small towns, there was only one high school, so saying where you were from was good enough.

But St. Louis is (obviously much larger) and its metro area has a vast reach. It’s also very provincial, which traces back to the days of the settlers. As much as the STL was a melting pot of different folks and faiths, those groups tended to section themselves off. Which is partially where the ‘high school’ question was born. It comes from generations who have spent their lives in essentially the same neighborhoods where their parents and grandparents grew up.

Although it’s considered a go-to conversation starter, this practice doesn’t occur in other cities. It’s definitely an STL thing, and it says a lot about the city and its inhabitants.

From Sauget to Lemay, everyone has their own origin story. And where you went to high school often says a lot about you - at least, in the minds of the people asking.

A cursory search says that the practice is “tied to the city's historical social divides, reflecting class, religious affiliation, and wealth.”

I would say that’s a reasonable explanation, but it’s much more than that.

In some ways, it’s a way to establish a rapport and some common ground, which is fine. However, more cynical people use it as a way to judge others. For example? If you went to a private school like John Burroughs or Country Day, it might lead the questioner to assume you come from money.

So, for nefarious reasons, some folks use it like a weapon, assessing you based on your wealth, religion, or locality. Then, they attach whatever stereotypes they have in their minds onto you.

For East-Siders and Outsiders, it almost seems silly, and oftentimes, extremely petty. But the tradition continues to this day. So, as you send your kids packing off to school in this first semester, just remember: The school insignia that will be on their diplomas might just ‘brand’ them for life.

Ryan Boman is a contributing writer for On SI at Sports Illustrated and the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter, a Collection of Essays Looking at Life with Laughter & Love. His previous work has appeared at MSN, Heavy, the Miami Herald, Screen Rant, and Yardbarker. Follow him on social media @RyanKBoman