Dowagiac Union School District
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| Dowagiac Union Schools | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
243 South Front Street[1]
, Cass, Michigan, 49047United States | |
| District information | |
| Grades | Pre-Kindergarten-12 |
| Superintendent | Gregory Blomgren[2] |
| Schools | 7[3] |
| Budget | $31,163,000 2021-2022 expenditures[3] |
| NCES District ID | 2612150[3] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 1,860 (2023-2024)[3] |
| Teachers | 110.5 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024)[3] |
| Staff | 262.26 FTE (2023-2024)[3] |
| Student–teacher ratio | 16.83 (2023-2024)[3] |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Dowagiac Union Schools is a public school district in southwest Michigan. In Cass County, it serves Dowagiac and parts of the townships of LaGrange, Pokagon, Silver Creek, and Wayne.[4] It also serves parts of Keeler Township in Van Buren County[5] and Pipestone Township in Berrien County.[4]
A school was built in Dowagiac around 1858, but it burned down three years later.[6] In 1861, a Union School was built at the corner of Main and Parsonage Streets.[7]
At the current site of Justus Gage Elementary, a ward school (or elementary school) was built in 1864.[7] It was replaced in 1902 by a new Dowagiac High School.[8]
A new high school was built in 1925 at the site of the Union School,[9][6] 520 Main Street.[10] It opened in 1927.[8] The building featured relief sculptures on the cornice and the inscription ENTER TO LEARN LEAVE TO SERVE.[11]
The current Dowagiac Union High School partially opened in fall 1961, and the remainder of the building was completed and occupied in January 1962.[12] Then-candidate for Michigan governor George W. Romney gave the high school's dedication speech on March 27, 1962.[13] The former high school became Central Junior High School.[6]
On September 15, 1963, a parachutist was injured when he landed on the roof of the high school.[14]
Central Junior High, which became Central Middle School, closed in 2005[15] and the new Dowagiac Middle School opened in fall 2005.[16] The middle school includes an 870-seat auditorium.[17][18]