Paw Paw Public Schools

Last updated

Paw Paw Public Schools
Address
119 Johnson Road [1]
Paw Paw
, Van Buren , Michigan , 49079
United States
District information
GradesPre-Kindergarten-12
SuperintendentJeremy Davison [2]
Schools5 [3]
Budget$28,963,000 2021-2022 expenditures [3]
NCES District ID 2627660 [3]
Students and staff
Students2,135 (2023-2024) [3]
Teachers132.24 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024) [3]
Staff300.53 FTE (2023-2024) [3]
Student–teacher ratio16.14 (2023-2024) [3]
Other information
Website www.ppps.org

Paw Paw Public Schools is a public school district in Van Buren County, Michigan. It serves Paw Paw and parts of the townships of Almena, Antwerp, Lawrence, Paw Paw, and Waverly. [4]

Contents

History

The first school in Paw Paw was established in 1835. A union school district was established later in the 19th Century, and the Union School was overcrowded by 1868. In fall 1870, a new school, which came to be known as Old Red Brick, opened. [5] The opening of Old Red Brick marks the official founding of the school district, according to its website. [6]

A new high school opened in 1924 at 600 East Michigan Avenue. [7] Old Red Brick was demolished around that time, and its bell stored in an attic. [8]

Cedar Street Elementary was built in 1954. As neighboring rural districts consolidated with Paw Paw's district in 1958, more schools opened: Black River Elementary in 1960, and a new high school in fall 1961. [7]

A few years prior to the opening of the 1961 high school, its alumni association placed the bell from Old Red Brick atop the 1924 high school, but, according to a local newspaper article, "it seldom rang." [8] To celebrate the opening of the new high school, five seniors used donated materials to put the bell in a brick frame on the school's front lawn. The Victory Bell was to "ring out special events and especially all victories" scored by the football team. The article continued, "Students were hopeful they might get the first opportunity to hear its ding-dong last night during homecoming. But alas, South Haven's Rams whipped the Paw Paw Redskins 45-0." [8]

The current high school opened in March 1998. [9] Construction faced a setback when the steel frame of the gym roof collapsed in a high wind on April 6, 1997. [10] The football and athletic fields remained at the former high school site, [11] which became the district's middle school. [12] The Victory Bell is currently located near the entrance to the football stadium and is often mentioned in sports coverage of the school. [13]

Mascot

In 2017, the district witnessed a controversy involving the removal of "Redskins" as the school mascot name, with the school board of education voting 4–3 to keep the name. [14]

On January 21, 2019, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a federal discrimination complaint alleging a racially hostile environment in the Paw Paw Public Schools District. [15] The ACLU reported that it "used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain a substantial number of school district records that betray the widespread racially toxic climate in the schools." [16]

On March 9, 2020, Paw Paw Public Schools Board of Education trustees voted to retire the Redskin nickname at the end of 2019–20 school year. A 27-student task force worked to gather input from students, alumni, and the Paw Paw community, and after a several-month search, announced the new nickname for the school would be the Paw Paw Red Wolves at the July, 2020 meeting of the Board of Education. Paw Paw Athletes, Coaches React to New Red Wolves nickname. The school district will begins the 2020–21 school year as the Paw Paw Red Wolves, the only school with the Red Wolves nickname and logo in the State of Michigan. [17] Paw Paw School District Officially Changes Nickname to 'Red Wolves'; Introduces Logo [18]

Schools

Schools in Paw Paw Public School District [12] [3]
SchoolAddressNotes
Paw Paw High School 30609 Red Arrow Highway, Paw PawGrades 9-12. Opened 1998. [9]
Paw Paw Middle School313 West Michigan Avenue, Paw PawGrades 6-8. Opened 1961. [7]
Paw Paw Later Elementary612 North Street, Paw PawGrades 3-5.
Paw Paw Early Elementary512 North Street, Paw PawGrades K-2.
Paw Paw Early Childhood CenterPreschool. Opened fall 2025. [19]
Cedar Street Campus555 Cedar Street, Paw PawAlternative high school. [20]

References

  1. ↑ Paw Paw Public Schools. "Paw Paw Public Schools" . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  2. ↑ Paw Paw Public Schools. "Staff" . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Paw Paw Public School District". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences.
  4. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Van Buren County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  5. ↑ Danny J. Smith. "Paw Paw High School Beginnings" (PDF). Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  6. ↑ Paw Paw Public Schools. "General Information" . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Danny J. Smith. "Paw Paw High School Beginnings" (PDF). Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "Old bell gets new role at Paw Paw". The Herald Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). October 28, 1961. p. Section 2 page 4.
  9. 1 2 Knape, Chris (March 10, 1998). "Paw Paw opens new high school". Kalamazoo Gazette. p. C3.
  10. ↑ Lersten, Andrew (April 8, 1997). "High winds flatten new Paw Paw gym". Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). p. 1B.
  11. ↑ Nothaft, Patrick (September 18, 2022). "10 must-see Kalamazoo-area football stadiums". Kalamazoo Gazette. p. B3.
  12. 1 2 Paw Paw Public Schools. "Schools Menu" . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  13. ↑ Ehler, Matthew (October 17, 2023). "Undefeated Paw Paw sends 'unrelenting' seniors off right way in dominating win over Otsego". Kalamazoo Gazette. p. C3.
  14. ↑ Jones, Al (February 9, 2017). "Paw Paw remains the 'Redskins,' but it suffered on way to that decision". MLive.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  15. ↑ ""Artistic" swastika? School district accused of racially hostile environment". CBS News. January 28, 2019. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Racism in the Paw Paw school district threatens to crush MLK's dream". ACLU of Michigan. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Paw Paw athletes, coaches react to new 'Red Wolves' nickname". mlive. June 23, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  18. ↑ Paw Paw school district officially changes nickname to ‘Red Wolves,’ introduces logo
  19. ↑ Paw Paw Public Schools. "Build Together" . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  20. ↑ Paw Paw Public Schools. "General Information" . Retrieved September 17, 2025.
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