Adrian Public Schools

Adrian Public Schools have about 4000 students in 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and one high school. [ [http://www.adrian.k12.mi.us/about/about_district_main.shtml Welcome to Adrian Public Schools ] ]

History

In 1828, a school committee authorized the building of a combination school and meeting house at the corner of South Main and Winter Street. David Buck was hired to be the first school master.

During the years from 1828 to 1849 four school districts developed in Adrian. Each had its own building and equipment, hired its own teachers, and levied a tax on heads of families. The tax was based on the length of time the children in the family attended school. In 1848 a temporary board was formed to combine the four districts. Funds were raised and the cornerstone for a new building was laid on July 8, 1851. Known as the Union school building it opened for classes on September 13, 1852. A report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction noted that the three story building often contained over 500 students.

The rapid growth of the school population in the late 1850s made it necessary to built four new school buildings:
1857 East Branch for primary grades on East Maumee Street
1859 South Branch for primary grades at South Main and Beecher streets
1860 West Branch for primary and grammar grades at West Maumee and McKenzie streets.
1861 North Branch for primary and grammar grades at Hunt and Broad streets.

In 1859 a resolution was passed to establish a FREE school paid for by taxing property located with in the district. The resolution came ten years before the State of Michigan declared the common schools in the state free.

On the morning of August 10, 1866 the Union school building burned. Faced with full buildings at the branch schools the district rented a number of buildings in the city to hold the 500 students that had been displaced by the fire. Property was purchased at the corner of Division and Church streets to build a new Central building.

The new building was designed to accommodate 1000 students and cost $70,000. On April 23, 1869 Central was opened.

In 2007 a new Performing Arts Center was opened at Adrian High School. [ [http://www.adrian.k12.mi.us/theateropen/theateropen.html Theater Opening - December 9, 2007 ] ]

References