Circa 1927

History

The beginning of the Jackson school system dates back to 1831. In 1897 the two school districts lying west and east of the Grand River were united by legislative enactment. Immediately thereafter the eleventh and twelfth grades of the east district were transferred to the west high school. On the completion of a high school building on the corner of Jackson and Washington streets in 1908, the ninth and tenth grades from the east school were also transferred.

Prior to March, 1908, the west school was conducted on the upper floors of the West Central building, afterwards known as the W. L. Seaton School and replaced later by the West Intermediate School.

At that time the school contained grades nine to twelve and had 18 teachers. On the completion of the intermediate schools in 1918, the ninth grade was removed and the enrollment reduced to 541, which was about the normal capacity of the high school building. The enrollment doubled within the next five years and the need of a new building became urgent.

The site of the present high school and recreation field, containing fourteen and a half acres, was acquired in 1924, at a cost of $215,000; improvement of the site involved a further expenditure of $50,000; the building itself cost $1,145,000; equipment $150,000; the development of Withington Feid and Stadium $100,000; total for the entire plant $1,660,000.

The building was opened in September and dedicated in November, 1927. It is a cosmopolitan high school, college preparatory, but designed also to meet the needs of that large number of young people whose formal education ends with the high school.

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