Otsego Public Schools

Otsego Public Schools
Address
400 Sherwood Street [1] Otsego , Allegan , Michigan , 49078 United States
District information
Grades	Pre-Kindergarten-12
Established	1957 [2]
Superintendent	Jeffery Haase [3]
Schools	6 [4]
Budget	$38,980,000 2021-2022 expenditures [4]
NCES District ID	2627060 [4]
Students and staff
Students	2,377 (2023-2024) [4]
Teachers	121.5 FTE (2023-2024) [4]
Staff	287.61 FTE (2023-2024) [4]
Student–teacher ratio	19.56 [4]
Other information
Website	www.otsegops.org

Otsego Public Schools is a public school district in Allegan County and Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It serves Otsego and parts of Otsego Township, Trowbridge Township, and Watson Township in Allegan County. ^[5] In Kalamazoo County, it serves parts of Alamo Township, Cooper Township, and Oshtemo Township. ^[6]

History

A one-room schoolhouse existed in Otsego as early as 1839. ^[7]

Otsego Public Schools was established in 1957, when several small districts in the Otsego area consolidated with districts in Alamo Township. ^[8]

The site at the corner of Allegan Street and North Street has long been used by the school district. First, it was the site of Oak Grove Seminary, a private school built in 1855 and later acquired by the school district. ^[9] It, and many of the schools there, have been affected by fires: ^[10]

• The Oak Grove Seminary burned down in 1863. It was rebuilt, and a brick school was later built on the site in 1868. ^[11] In 1897 the seminary was torn down and a high school was built on the site. ^[12]
• In 1902, the high school burned down and was rebuilt. A three-story building called Oakwood School was added to the site in 1910, replacing the 1868 building, and it was connected to the 1902 building in 1925 with a bridge.
• In 1932, the complex was destroyed by fire. Parts of it, including the Oakwood School, were salvaged and rebuilt.
• On February 15, 1952, the wing of the building known as Oakwood School burned down. The Oakwood School was used as an elementary school, ^[13] and it was connected to the newer high school section with fire-resistant doors that protected the high school. ^[14] A new high school, designed by G.E. Diekma of Kalamazoo, ^[15] opened in fall 1961 on its current campus ^[16] The Allegan Street building became a junior high.
• In 1966, one of that building's wings burned down. This led to the construction of a new junior high on its current campus. The former junior high was repaired and reopened as Allegan Street Elementary. ^[17] It closed in summer 2007. ^[18]

Otsego High School opened in fall 2007. It was designed by architecture firm TowerPinkster. ^[19] It replaced a building, now Otsego Middle School, built in 1961. ^[20] The former middle school, built in 1969, became Washington Street Elementary. ^[21]

Schools

Schools in Otsego Public Schools district ^{[22] [4] [23]}

School	Address	Notes
Learn 'n Grow Early Childhood Education Center	485 18th Street, Otsego	Preschool with an outdoors/nature-based curriculum [24] Opened fall 2019. [25]
Alamo Elementary	8184 N. 6th St., Kalamazoo	Grades K-5
Dix Street Elementary	503 Dix St., Otsego	Grades K-5
Washington Street Elementary	538 Washington St., Otsego	Grades K-5. Built 1969.
Otsego Middle School	540 Washington St., Otsego	Grades 6-8. Built 1961. [26]
Otsego High School	550 Washington St., Otsego	Grades 9-12. Opened fall 2007.

References

1. Otsego Public Schools. "Otsego Public Schools" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
2. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
3. Otsego Public Schools. "Superintendent" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
4. "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Otsego Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences.
5. Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Allegan County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved May 1, 2025.
6. Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Kalamazoo County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved May 1, 2025.
7. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
8. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
9. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
10. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
11. Monroe, Permelia H. (1924). History of the Otsego Public Schools (Aurora, Vol. 1 ed.). Otsego, Michigan: Otsego High School Yearbooks. p. 6.
12. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
13. "Otsego school building burns". Kalamazoo Gazette. February 15, 1952. p. 1.
14. "Effectiveness of fire doors proven". Kalamazoo Gazette. March 2, 1952. p. 8.
15. "Otsego accepts bids on schools". Kalamazoo Gazette. January 29, 1960. p. 8.
16. "Plan dedication event at Otsego High School". Kalamazoo Gazette. September 28, 1961. p. 8.
17. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
18. Hoekenga, Bryce (August 12, 2008). "Otsego elementary to become a college". Kalamazoo Gazette. p. 1.
19. TowerPinkster. "Otsego High School" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
20. "Plan dedication event at Otsego High School". Kalamazoo Gazette. September 28, 1961. p. 8.
21. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
22. Otsego Public Schools. "Schools" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
23. Otsego Public Schools. "About OPS" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
24. Otsego Public Schools. "Curriculum & Assessment" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
25. Otsego Public Schools. "Facilities and Operations" . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
26. "Plan dedication event at Otsego High School". Kalamazoo Gazette. September 28, 1961. p. 8.

External links

• Michigan portal
• Schools portal

• Official website