Williamston Community Schools
Williamston Community Schools (WCS) is the K-12 public school district centered in Williamston, Michigan. The district covers 75 square miles (190 km2) in parts of Williamstown, Locke, Leroy, Wheatfield, Alaiedon, and Meridian townships. WCS is a part of the Ingham County Intermediate School District.
| Williamston Community Schools | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 418 Highland Street, Williamston, MI 48895 | |
| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | A Great Place to Learn |
| Established | 1874 |
| Superintendent | Adam Spina |
| Students and staff | |
| District mascot | Hornets |
| Colors | Green and White |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
As of the 2017-2018 school year, Williamston Community Schools has a total enrollment count of 1,879 students and 102 classroom teachers.
History
Williamston Community Schools began in 1874 as a large two story building in the center of town. This building was known as Williamston High School, and along with two school houses, that was Williamston Community Schools for quite some time. Before this, the town used a few one-room school houses. These were auctioned off privately in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The building remained in operation until 1990, when it was abandoned in favor of a new Williamston High School that is still used today. The old high school was purchased and renovated by a non-profit organization in 2016 and renamed to the "Commons of Williamston".
Williamston Middle School and Explorer Elementary were constructed sometime in the 1950s/1960s, have received extensive renovations, but are still in use today. Williamston Middle School actually served as the high school during the 1960s. Discovery Elementary was constructed around the year 2000 and is the newest building in Williamston Community Schools. A bond was drafted in 2006 to construct a third elementary school, but this was rejected.
In 2006, Granger Construction was contracted to expand Williamston High School. The building was expanded by 76,000 square feet, and featured a new gym, as well as a community pool and fitness center open to students and the public. More classrooms were also added, allowing for the expansion of academic opportunities in the district, including the foundation of the WCS Math and Science Academy. Thanks to these renovations, Williamston High School continues to be a center of education and community gatherings for the city.
Great Recession on Williamston Community Schools
During the recession, Williamston Community Schools saw a massive enrollment decline, which lasted a number of subsequent years according to superintendent Dr. Adam Spina. In response, the school board made the decision to aggressively spend the district's fund balance to aggressively market the district's success and encouraged school of choice. WCS also sought out as much alternative funding as possible during the recession, which consisted of many grants and loans. Williamston Community Schools was left with a fund balance of less than 1% at its lowest point during the recession. Williamston Community Schools did not return to pre 2011-2012 enrollment levels until 2019.
COVID-19 on Williamston Community Schools
Around 100 students had un-enrolled from Williamston Community Schools during the 2020-2021 school year, as a result of the school board's controversial decision to move online in 2020. Williamston Community Schools is set to begin optional hybrid learning for all grade levels in January of 2021.
Schools
- Williamston Discovery Elementary (K - 2nd grade)
- Williamston Explorer Elementary (Preschool & 3rd - 5th)
- Williamston Middle School (6th - 8th)
- Williamston High School (9th - 12th)
External links
References
- "District Directory Information". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "Hornet Hive Podcast". Stitcher.com. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "CITY OF WILLIAMSTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (2007)" (PDF). Fanning Howey. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- "WILLIAMSTOWN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES". American Legal Publishing Corporation. Retrieved 8 October 2020.