// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Hesperia Community Schools go to the doctor? It had a grade fever.
| Hesperia Community Schools | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
96 South Division Street[1]
, Newaygo County, Michigan, 49421United States | |
| District information | |
| Grades | Kindergarten–12[2] |
| Superintendent | Bryan Mey[3] |
| Schools | 3[2] |
| Budget | $13,488,000 2022-2023 expenditures[2] |
| NCES District ID | 2618270[2] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 799 (2024-2025)[2] |
| Teachers | 41.2 (on an FTE basis) (2024-2025)[2] |
| Staff | 100.31 FTE (2024-2025)[2] |
| Student–teacher ratio | 19.39 (2024-2025)[2] |
| District mascot | Panthers[1] |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Hesperia Community Schools is a public school district in West Michigan, headquartered in Hesperia. In Newaygo County, it serves parts of the townships of Beaver, Dayton, and Denver.[4] In Oceana County, it serves parts of the townships of Ferry, Greenwood, Leavitt, and Newfield.[5]
History
[edit]The first class graduated from Hesperia High School in 1890.[6] The Works Progress Administration helped fund a new school, which opened in fall 1939 on the site of the current campus and initially served all grades.[7]
A new elementary school was dedicated on May 3, 1955.[8] A new gymnasium was built in 1956 to serve the existing junior/senior high school on the site.[9]
On September 25, 1962, voters turned down a bond issue to replace the 1939 school building. An inspection later that fall of the junior/senior high school by the state fire marshal raised concerns, and a structural engineering firm's inspection confirmed the district's fears: the building was in immediate danger of collapse. Cracks were found all over the building, and bowed walls, loose blocks, and separation between floors and walls meant the building was unsafe for students.[10][11] Classes were cancelled until the district arranged for the junior and senior high students to share other district buildings in split-day sessions. In an effort known as "Operation Hesperia", the district closed on December 6 so that teachers could move belongings and equipment out of the condemned school, all in the midst of a snowstorm.[12]
The district tried again to pass a bond issue on April 1, 1963. This time, it passed. Later that year, the 1939 school was demolished. The 1964 yearbook showed the crowded condition of the schools, as the gymnasium had been partitioned into temporary classrooms.[13]
A larger elementary school opened in April 1964, followed by the junior/senior high school, connected to the 1956 gymnasium, five months later.[14] The elementary school was ultimately named for Patricia St. Clair, an elementary school principal and kindergarten teacher.[15]
The 1955 elementary school, known as the Butler building, was torn down and a new high school section was built around 1996, funded by a 1995 bond issue. The new addition connected the schools on the campus and the former high school section was renovated to become a dedicated middle school.[16][17] Bond issues also passed in 2008 and 2025.[18]
Schools
[edit]Schools in the district share a building at 96 South Division Street in Hesperia.[1][2] After the addition of the 1996 high school, the schools retain separate identities but are connected by hallways and share some rooms and spaces.[16]
| School | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hesperia High School | Grades 9–12. Built around 1996.[19] |
| David C. Outwin Middle School | Grades 6–8; built 1964[14] |
| Patricia St. Clair Elementary | Grades K-5; built 1964[14] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Hesperia Community Schools. "Hesperia Community Schools". Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Hesperia Community Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
- ↑ Hesperia Community Schools. "Administration/Business Office". Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Newaygo County School Districts (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Oceana County School Districts (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
- ↑ Editorial staff (1990). Panther Yearbook 1990 (Yearbook). Hesperia High School. p. 1.
- ↑ "New Hesperia school will open on Sept. 5". Grand Rapids Press. August 26, 1939. p. 3.
- ↑ "State officials laud new Hesperia school". Muskegon Chronicle. May 4, 1955. p. 14.
- ↑ "For new gymnasium...". Muskegon Chronicle. April 20, 1956. p. 13.
- ↑ "Closes school". Grand Rapids Press. December 4, 1962. p. 41.
- ↑ "Hesperia school 'unsafe'; 364 students ordered out". Muskegon Chronicle. December 4, 1962. p. 1.
- ↑ Langley, Bill (December 9, 1962). "Hesperia students back in classes". Grand Rapids Press. p. 10.
- ↑ Editorial staff (1964). Panther 1964 (Yearbook). Hesperia High School. p. 6.
- 1 2 3 "Hesperia teens start school in partly finished building". Muskegon Chronicle. September 5, 1964. p. 2.
- ↑ "Hesperia carnival...". Muskegon Chronicle. April 15, 1959. p. 35.
- 1 2 Gager, Wendy (February 16, 1995). "District voters to decide $8 million bond issue". Muskegon Chronicle. p. 14.
- ↑ Gager, Wendy (February 19, 1995). "Hesperia voters OK new school". Muskegon Chronicle. p. 3A.
- ↑ Michigan Department of Treasury. "State Qualified School Bond Election Results Newaygo County: Hesperia Community Schools". Retrieved April 1, 2026.
- ↑ Editorial staff of Hesperia High School yearbook. A Year of Change 1996 (1996 Hesperia High School Yearbook). pp. 1–2.