Walled Lake Consolidated Schools

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District is a public school district in Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan, serving Walled Lake, Wixom, Wolverine Lake, and portions of Commerce Township, Novi, Farmington Hills, Orchard Lake Village, West Bloomfield, and White Lake Township.[1]

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
Location
, Michigan
United States
Coordinates42°32′06.4″N 83°29′24.1″W / 42.535111°N 83.490028°W / 42.535111; -83.490028
District information
TypePublic
MottoEvery Child, Every Day
GradesPK–12
EstablishedPrior to 1955
SuperintendentMichael Lonze
Students and staff
Students~12,000
Staff1,148
Athletic conferenceLakes Valley Conference
ColorsBlue & White
Other information
Number of Schools20
Websitewww.wlcsd.org

History

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In the 2000s the State of Michigan requested that the district buy land in an area in Commerce Township. At the time the state owned about 600 acres (240 ha) of land there. In February 2004 the district filed an application with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources proposing to purchase 155 acres (63 ha) of land along Wise Road in the township. In response, a land conservation group attempted to stop the efforts.[2]

In 2010 the district reported having a potential deficit of $22.7 million for the 2010–2011 school year. The district proposed a deficit reduction plan which proposed privatizing transportation and custodial services and laying off 300 district employees, including teachers.[3]

In 2017, the school board voted to close the Community Education Center due to increased costs and decreased funding from the state. The district at the time was also completing the Safety, Security and Technology Bond, that was approved by voters in 2014. When it became time to renovate the Community Education Center, it was determined that due to the age and functions of the building, it would not be fiscally-responsible to complete the projects for that building. As of the beginning of the 2017–2018 school year, the district moved all of the Community Education Center offices to the Educational Services Center. The City of Walled Lake filed lawsuit against the school district to prevent it from being demolished, which the district had gone out to bid for. City officials cited that the building is a landmark in the city, being built in the early 1920s, and many residents were concerned about the new use on that property if sold to a private developer. In spite of this, demolition of the Community Education Center was completed in late 2018. The area in the heart of Walled Lake is currently still empty as of November 2024.

Schools

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The district has 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools which serve over 12,000 children.

Preschools

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  • Twin Suns Preschool (Wixom)
  • Dublin Early Childhood Wing (White Lake Township) – opened in 2022 as a wing of the new Dublin Elementary, approved as part of the 2019 Buildings, Infrastructure, & Equity Bond
  • Early Childhood Center (Novi) – opened in 2023, approved as part of the 2019 Buildings, Infrastructure, & Equity Bond

Elementary schools

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  • Commerce Elementary School (Commerce Township)
  • Dublin Elementary School (White Lake Township)
  • Glengary Elementary School (Commerce Township)
  • Mary Helen Guest Elementary School (Walled Lake)
  • Hickory Woods Elementary (Novi)
  • Keith Elementary (West Bloomfield)
  • Loon Lake Elementary (Wixom)
  • Meadowbrook Elementary (Novi)
  • Oakley Park Elementary (Commerce Township)
  • Pleasant Lake Elementary (West Bloomfield)
    • In 2000 it had 600 students, with 20% of them being ethnically Japanese.[4]
  • Walled Lake Elementary (Commerce Township)
  • Wixom Elementary (Wixom)

Middle schools

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  • Clifford Smart Middle School (Commerce Township)
  • James R. Geisler Middle School (Commerce Township)
  • Sarah Banks Middle School (Wixom)
  • Walnut Creek Middle School (West Bloomfield)

High schools

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Other facilities

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  • Educational Services Center (Walled Lake) – District headquarters
  • Operations Facility (Commerce Township)
  • Outdoor Education Center (Commerce Township)

Defunct schools

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  • Community Education Center (Walled Lake)
  • Maple Elementary (West Bloomfield)
  • Twin Beach Elementary School (West Bloomfield)
  • Union Lake Elementary School (Commerce Township)

References

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  1. ^ "Maps: School Districts: Walled Lake Consolidated School District" (PDF). Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "Walled Lake schools want state land." The Detroit News. February 3, 2005. Retrieved on June 19, 2013. ID: det20769999. "A land conservation group is trying to suspend efforts by Walled Lake schools to buy state land to expand. Last February, the school district submitted an application to the Department of Natural Resources with a plan to buy 155 acres on Wise Road in Commerce Township. The district did so at the request of the state, which is trying to sell the land. The state owns about 600 acres in that area. The DNR has not yet responded to the district's[...]"
  3. ^ Tippen, Molly. "Facing $22 million deficit, Walled Lake district eyes cuts." The Oakland Press. Sunday March 14, 2010. Retrieved on June 19, 2013.
  4. ^ Higgins, Lori (February 25, 2000). "Embracing Japanese". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. p. 1B. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
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