Howell High School (Howell, Michigan)
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Howell High School is a public high school (grades 10-12) serving the city of Howell in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Howell Public Schools district. As of 2005 the enrollment of the school is approximately 2,800 students, including approximately 600 ninth graders that attend the adjacent Howell High School Freshman Campus.
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[edit] General Information
- The school mascot is the Highlander.
- The school colors are Green and Gold.
- The current principal of the school is William Smith.
[edit] Background
The current 360,000 sq ft (33,000 m²). high school was designed by respected school architect Richard Prince and was completed in August, 1981 at a cost of $26 million, making it the most expensive high school built in the state at the time. Built for a capacity of 1,733 students, it did not take long for the building to reach capacity. Growing pains at Howell High School were problematic in the early-1990s prompting the placement of up to 16 portable classrooms by 2003. In September, 2003, voters approved a nearly $100 million bond issue to erect a second high school (William Parker High School) and fund extensive renovations and expansions at the existing high school. Renovations were projected to take place for 24 months beginning in 2007. Currently, all students are attending William Parker High School. The date of re-opening of Howell High School is still undetermined as of mid-September 2007.
[edit] History
- 1925: New Howell High School opens on the site of the current US Post Office on Michigan Avenue in Howell.
- 1965: New Howell High School completed in what is currently the Freshman Campus. The Freshman Campus was McPherson Middle School between 1981 and 2002, and will return to use as McPherson Middle School in 2007. The former high school on Michigan Avenue becomes "Michigan Avenue Middle School".
- 1978: (Fall) Construction begins on a new 330,000 sq ft (31,000 m²). building, expanding the campus. Engineers discover issues with soft ground and are temporarily set back.
- 1981: New 3,300,000 sq ft (307,000 m²) ultra-modern campus opens at 1400 W. Grand River Ave. The new building's motto was "We're all in this together", citing the fact that with the new space, it was the first time in 5 years that all four high school grade levels were taught simultaneously in the same building. Prior to 1983, the former high school ran on split shifts with upperclassmen reporting in the morning and underclassmen reporting in the evening. The auditorium is not quite ready for use and is not dedicated until early-1985. The former high school becomes McPherson Middle School and Michigan Avenue Middle School is demolished to make room for a new US Post Office.
- 1993: (October 1) Howell Area Aquatic Center opens at Howell High School.
- 1996: 1,000 sq ft (93 m²) cafeteria expansion/renovation completed.
- 2000: 500 sq ft (46 m²) cafeteria expansion (solarium) completed, six portable classroom units are placed on the south lawn to ease overcrowding.
- 2001: six more portable classroom units are placed between the cafeteria and Field House building.
- 2002: (May 8) An arson fire closes the school for nearly a week with nearly $11 million in damage resulting from five fires set throughout the second floor of the building. Fire sprinklers quickly extinguished the fire, but a faulty fire alarm failed to notify the fire department, causing extensive water damage to classrooms below the fire floor. Disgruntled student Sean McEvoy was charged in the fires. The most extensively damaged areas (the library and main office) remain closed over the summer for repairs.
- 2003: Ninth graders move out of the main building into their own Freshman Campus, the building formerly occupied by McPherson Middle School, made available by the opening of the new Three Fires Middle School in Genoa Township. Since 2001, Howell High School has been split among these two buildings, which have separate principals but share many class offerings and athletic opportunities. The Freshman Campus will become McPherson Middle School once more when the high school construction concludes in 2012 (new Parker High School, renovated Howell High School).
- 2005: A rededicated Memorial Stadium opens up with millions of dollars in renovations, thanks to a nearly $10 million 2008 bond issue. Extensive renovations will take place at Howell High School over the next five years.
- 2007: (September 4)Parker High School is opened to all students.
- 2008: Due to budget restrictions and limited income, the Howell Board of Education announces that Parker High School will be shuttered after only 1 year of use, despite the $72 million it cost to build the school. All original plans to divide the district into two "zones" are abandoned, and students will be shuffled back into Howell High School in the school year of 2008-2009. This news was met with much objection from the public.
