It is named for Dr. William Claude Reavis (1881–1955), a professor at the University of Chicago who played a major role in guaranteeing its completion.

In 2010, Reavis had an average composite ACT score of 19.5 and graduated 96.3% of its senior class.

[10] Reavis has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which the state of Illinois uses to assess schools as is mandated in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Reavis is also member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state.

The following Reavis teams won or place top four in their respective state championship tournaments sponsored by the IHSA:[11] Reavis High School was the site for all of the wrestling matches at the 1959 Pan American Games.