Ypsilanti Community Schools
| Ypsilanti Community Schools | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
1885 Packard Road[1]
, Washtenaw, Michigan, 48197United States | |
| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Grades | PreK–12[2] |
| Superintendent | Dr. Alena Zachery-Ross[3] |
| Schools | 12[2] |
| Budget | Operating expenditures 2021-2022 $79,908,000[2] |
| NCES District ID | 2636630[2] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 3,747 (2023–2024)[2] |
| Teachers | 271.65 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024)[2] |
| Staff | 626.79 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024)[2] |
| Student–teacher ratio | 13.79 (2023-2024)[2] |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Ypsilanti Community Schools is a public school district in Washtenaw County, Michigan. It serves Ypsilanti and parts of Superior Township and Ypsilanti Township.[4] The district has four magnet schools that feature STEM and International Baccalaureate curriculums.[5]
History
The district was formed on July 1, 2013, by the merger of the Ypsilanti Public School District and the Willow Run School District.[6] Experts in K-12 education along with university, business, and parent partners assisted in the development of the district.[7]
The first public schools in Ypsilanti date to 1840 and 1844. A Union School was built in 1858, and destroyed by fire in 1877. A new high school was built in 1879 on the northwest corner of Cross and Washington Streets, which featured a 100-foot bell tower.[8]
During the 19th Century, Ypsilanti was unique in Michigan for having a large African American population. It was centered in the First Ward, near the corner of Adams and Buffalo Streets.[9] The First Ward School, at 407 S. Adams Street, was one of many ward schools in the city, built in 1864. The school was exclusively for Black students up to grade six, at which point they attended integrated schools. As the city's new high school was under construction in 1917, the First Ward School was considered dilapidated, was heated by an indoor stove the students called 'Smokey,' and had an outhouse for a restroom. In 1918, Black leaders in the city won a lawsuit to close the segregated school.[10][11]
In 1917, Ypsilanti High School was built on Court Street between Washington and Adams Streets, the site of the old high school (which was torn down in 1929).[12] The Arts and Crafts Building, an addition along Adams Street, was built in 1951.[13] The building was used as the high school until 1973. It was sold by the district in 1997 and became senior housing.[14]
Ypsilanti's Harriet School had the first Black principal in Michigan, Charles "Chief" Eugene Beatty Sr., in 1940.[15]
Willow Run High School was built in 1955 and rebuilt on the same site in 1985.[16] It was expanded in 2004 to include a middle school and a new pool.[17] It became Ypsilanti Community Middle School with the merger of the school districts.
Ypsilanti Community High School opened in fall 1973.[18] The former Ypsilanti High School became a middle school when the present high school opened.[19]
Schools
| School | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ypsilanti Community High School | 2095 Packard Rd., Ypsilanti | Grades 9-12. Built 1973.[21] |
| Ypsilanti Community Middle School | 235 Spencer Lane, Ypsilanti | Grades 6-8 |
| Ypsilanti A.C.C.E. Program | 1076 Ecorse Rd., Ypsilanti | Achieving College and Career Education. Grades 9-12. Housed at George School |
| YPSI Connected Community School | 1076 Ecorse, Ypsilanti | Grades K-8. Online school/distance learning headquartered at George School.[22] |
| Ypsilanti International Elementary School | 503 Oak St., Ypsilanti | Grades K-5. Application-based International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP).[23] |
| Erickson Elementary | 1427 Levona, Ypsilanti | Grades 1-5 |
| Holmes STEAM Elementary | 1255 Holmes Rd., Ypsilanti | Magnet school, Grades 2-5 |
| Estabrook Elementary | 1555 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti | Grades 2-5 |
| Beatty Early Learning Center | 1661 LeForge Rd., Ypsilanti | Preschool |
| Ford STEAM Early Learning Center | 2440 Clark Rd., Ypsilanti | Grades PreK-1 |
| Perry Early Learning Center | 550 Perry St., Ypsilanti | Grades PreK-1 |
References
- ^ Ypsilanti Community Schools. "Ypsilanti Community Schools". Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Ypsilanti Community Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
- ^ Ypsilanti Community Schools. "Administration". Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Washtenaw County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Ypsilanti Community Schools. "YCS Magnet Schools". Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Miller, Janet. "End of an era: Willow Run School District has final day of classes" (Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine). The Ann Arbor News. Friday June 7, 2013. Retrieved on September 1, 2015.
- ^ "Ypsilanti Community Schools to launch on Monday". Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^ Ypsilanti Historical Society. "Historical Highlights- 1800-1975, Ypsilanti, Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ Siegfried, Matthew. "South Adams Street @ 1900". Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ "Law closes city school". Ypsilanti Recorder. May 8, 1919.
- ^ Siegfried, Matthew. "First Ward School". Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ Ypsilanti Historical Society. "Historical Highlights- 1800-1975, Ypsilanti, Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved May 10, 2025.
- ^ Editorial staff of Ypsilanti High School yearbook. 1951 Ypsilanti Annual (Ypsilanti High School Yearbook 1951). p. 1.
- ^ Haynes, Jessica. "Seniors with walkers, wheelchairs lead housing protest in Ypsilanti". MLive. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ City of Ypsilanti. "Honoring Black History Month". Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Cobbs, Liz (December 3, 2006). "Plagued by problems, Willow Run regroups". Ann Arbor News. p. 1.
- ^ Briggs, Jamie (August 23, 2004). "Willow Run swim club postpones fund-raiser". Ann Arbor News. p. 5.
- ^ Jackson, Aretha (September 7, 1973). "Ypsilanti High exciting place". The Ann Arbor News. p. 11.
- ^ "Ypsilanti High about 40 percent completed". The Ann Arbor News. February 28, 1972. p. 15.
- ^ Ypsilanti Community Schools. "Our Schools and Small Learning Communities". Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Jackson, Aretha (September 7, 1973). "Ypsilanti High exciting place". The Ann Arbor News. p. 11.
- ^ Ypsilanti Community Schools. "YPSI Connected Community School". Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ Ypsilanti Community Schools. "Ypsilanti International Elementary School". Retrieved May 9, 2025.