Reeths-Puffer Schools

1870 to 1970

The name of the district is taken from two separate school districts that later merged; named for Mr. Hiram Puffer, who founded the first school in the area in the 1870s, and Mr. Charles Reeths. The first school building that was part of what would eventually become the Puffer School district was built in the 1870s by Hiram Puffer who then taught at the school.^[2]

In 1925, the original Puffer school was replaced by a brick building. Two additional schools, the Pillon and Baxter School buildings, were built in the early 1900s.^[2]

In 1903, children began being taught in a new building that was named the Reeths School in honor of Charles Reeths, who served on the school board and had 11 children who attended the district.^[2]

The Reeths District continued to expand and on November 29, 1946, the Reeths and Puffer districts merged. A new junior high building was dedicated in 1956, although high school students still attended other districts' high schools until 1958, when a high school wing was added to the junior high.^[2]

Baker school district consolidated with Reeths-Puffer in 1963 and Laketon school district consolidated with it the next year. Laketon had recently completed a new junior high school, in 1960,^[6] location of the current Reeths-Puffer Middle School.^[7] Two more consolidations brought the district to its current boundaries: Twin Lake in 1966 and Duck Creek in 1981.^[2]

1970 to present

In the late 1980s, enrollment increased dramatically and the district was crowded. A millage increase to fund construction of a new high school failed in 1989. Taking an incremental approach, the district proposed a new academic building near the high school that could be expanded later into a comprehensive high school.^[8] In April 1992, voters approved the funding to build it, the first phase of the current high school. It was planned to open in fall 1994.^[9]

In March 1995, voters approved funding to complete the high school. Students took classes in both the old and current high school until space was completed to house all students, in fall 1996. Once the academic areas were completed, the builders would finish the 900-seat auditorium and 3,000-seat gymnasium.^[10]

Reeths-Puffer Intermediate School was established in fall 1998 in the former high school building.^[11]