Lakewood Public Schools

Last updated
Lakewood Public Schools
Address
223 W. Broadway Street [1]
Woodland
, Barry County , Michigan , 48897
United States
District information
GradesPre-Kindergarten-12
SuperintendentJodi Duits [2]
Schools4 [3]
Budget$21,993,000 2021-2022 expenditures [3]
NCES District ID 2620980 [3]
Students and staff
Students1,622 (2023-2024) [3]
Teachers82.92 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024) [3]
Staff174.52 FTE (2023-2024) [3]
Student–teacher ratio19.56 (2023-2024) [3]
Other information
Website www.lakewoodps.org

Lakewood Public Schools is a public school district in West Michigan.

Contents

Geographic Area

In Barry County, Lakewood Public Schools serves Woodland and parts of the townships of Carlton, Castleton, and Woodland. [4] In Eaton County, it serves Sunfield and parts of the townships of Chester, Roxand, Sunfield, and Vermontville. [5] In Ionia County it serves Clarksville, Lake Odessa, Odessa Township, and parts of the townships of Berlin, Boston, Campbell, Orange, and Sebewa. [6] In Kent County, it serves a small area of Bowne Township. [7]

History

Prior to 1961, the geographic area of the current Lakewood Public Schools consisted of four independent districts: Clarksville, Lake Odessa, Sunfield, and Woodland. Facing overcrowding, Lake Odessa and Woodland districts merged in early 1961, forming Lakewood Public Schools. The first school year of the new district began in fall 1961, when Lake Odessa High School became a ninth grade campus and grades ten through twelve used the former Woodland High School. [8] Clarksville merged with Lakewood that November, followed by Sunfield in 1962. [9] By spring 1962, although Woodland and Lake Odessa were combined, they still had separate sports teams. [10]

In 1962, construction began on a new single high school that would serve the consolidated district. Lake Odessa and Woodland high schools would become junior high buildings. [11] The first class to combine all high school seniors in the new district graduated in spring 1964. [9] Lakewood High School opened in fall 1964. [12]

A crisis of overcrowding beset the district in the 1990s, as schools buildings became antiquated. Sunfield Elementary, built in 1893, was still in use. The Lake Odessa Junior High, built in 1923, [13] had been closed in 1992 due to obsolescence, and all junior high students in the district were using Woodland school. The elementary students who were previously using the Woodland school, also built in 1923, [14] [15] had been moved to portable classrooms. The 1916 Clarksville school's upper floors had been closed off for being dangerous. [13] [16] [17] A fifth request to voters for a bond issue approval failed in 1994, and a seventh failed in 1995. [18]

Funding for three elementary school renovations and a new middle school was approved by voters in September 1996, as well as the demolition of the vacant former Lake Odessa High School/Junior High building. At the time, the district had five elementary schools. [17]

Several elementary schools in the district have closed due to declining enrollment, with 2,801 students in 1994 [13] and 1,623 in 2023. [3] The old Woodland High School remains as the Lakewood Early Childhood Center and district administration building. [19] [20]

Schools

Schools in Lakewood Public Schools district [19]
SchoolAddressNotes
Lakewood High School 7223 Velte Road, Lake OdessaGrades 9–12. Built 1964. [12]
Lakewood Middle School8699 E. Brown Road, WoodlandGrades 6–8
Lakewood Elementary812 Washington Blvd, Lake OdessaGrades K–5
Lakewood Early Childhood Center223 West Broadway, WoodlandPreschool

References

  1. ↑ Lakewood Public Schools. "Lakewood Public Schools" . Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  2. ↑ Lakewood Public Schools. "Superintendent's Office" . Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Lakewood Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences.
  4. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Barry County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  5. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Eaton County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  6. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Ionia County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  7. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Kent County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  8. ↑ "1,700 pupils to enroll in new Lakewood district". Battle Creek Enquirer. August 22, 1961. p. 4.
  9. 1 2 Lakewood Public Schools. "The History of Lakewood Public Schools" . Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Sports slants". The Kalamazoo Gazette. May 27, 1962. p. 29.
  11. ↑ "Lakewood, Sunfield vote Tuesday on annexation". Battle Creek Enquirer. February 11, 1962. p. 14.
  12. 1 2 "New Lakewood High School now serves annexed areas". Grand Rapids Press. September 17, 1964. p. 41.
  13. 1 2 3 Wilson, Rick (January 27, 1994). "Middle school approval sought again". Grand Rapids Press. p. East section page 23.
  14. ↑ "Lay cornerstone of new Woodland school". Kalamazoo Gazette. April 6, 1923. p. 27.
  15. ↑ "Board to begin new Woodland school". Lansing State Journal. August 10, 1922. p. 11.
  16. ↑ Adgate, Paul (September 14, 1995). "Bond issue targeted at repairing schools". Grand Rapids Press. p. East Grand Rapids/Forest Hills section p. 4.
  17. 1 2 Essenburg, Keith (September 26, 1996). "Soft millage pitch credited for hard-fought win". Grand Rapids Press. p. East Grand Rapids/Forest Hills section p. 4.
  18. ↑ DeVries, Karen (September 16, 1996). "District asks voters for money for 8th time". Grand Rapids Press. p. B3.
  19. 1 2 "Schools". Lakewood Public Schools. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  20. ↑ Editorial staff of Lake Odessa High School yearbook. Memories 1959 (Woodland High School 1959 yearbook). p. cover.
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