Pennfield Schools

Last updated
Pennfield Schools
Address
8587 Pennfield Road [1]
Battle Creek
, Calhoun , Michigan , 49017
United States
District information
GradesPre-Kindergarten-12
SuperintendentStephanie Lemmer [2]
Schools5 [3]
Budget$27,147,000 2021-2022 expenditures [3]
NCES District ID 2627810 [3]
Students and staff
Students1,928 (2023-2024) [3]
Teachers97.5 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024) [3]
Staff248.72 FTE (2023-2024) [3]
Student–teacher ratio19.77 (2023-2024) [3]
Other information
Website www.pennfield.net

Pennfield Schools is a public school district in West Michigan. In Calhoun County, it serves parts of Battle Creek, Brownlee Park, and parts of the townships of Bedford, Convis, and Pennfield. [4] In Barry County, it serves parts of Assyria Township and Johnstown Township. [5]

Contents

History

The district originated with the Pennfield Township District No. 7 schoolhouse, which had 27 seats in a single elementary classroom. By 1915, many of the district's students attended school in Battle Creek because there was no room in the schoolhouse, and confusion arose over which district would receive the township's tax revenue. [6] [7] Crowded conditions continued in 1929, when consolidation with Battle Creek Public Schools was considered. [8]

By 1947, the district had several elementary schools. That fall, the district assigned different grades to different schools for the first time. "Under the new plan, seventh and eighth grade pupils will attend one school, either the new building being erected on the Pennfield road school property or at Joy school No. 1. Hicks school will become a kindergarten school and Joy school No. 2 will have kindergarten and first graders on half-day schedules. All other schools will have pupils from first or second grade through the sixth grade," reported the Battle Creek Enquirer. [9] Over the next nine years, voters would continue to debate annexation to the Battle Creek school district, establishing a high school of its own, and bond issues. [10] [11] Two new elementary schools were built in 1953. [12]

The district established its own high school in fall 1956. [13] The district was set to name it Dunlap High School after a long-serving school board trustee. Residents circulated a petition requesting the name Pennfield High School. [14] This building is currently used as Dunlap Elementary. [15] The district had previously sent its tenth through twelfth grade students to other districts' high schools. [11]

East of the former high school, [16] a new high school opened in 1962. [17]

The current Pennfield High School opened in fall 2007. It was designed by Fanning/Howey and Associates. [18] The 1962 high school building became the district's middle school. [15] [19]

Schools

Schools in Pennfield Schools district [15] [3]
SchoolAddressNotes
Pennfield High School8299 Pennfield Road, Battle CreekGrades 8-12. Built 2007. [18]
Pennfield Middle School8587 Pennfield Road, Battle CreekGrades 5-7. Built 1962. [17]
Dunlap Elementary8465 Pennfield Road, Battle CreekGrades 2-4. Built 1956. [18]
North Penn Elementary7422 Poorman Road, Battle CreekGrades K-1
Purdy Elementary6510 Purdy Road, Battle CreekGrades K-2

References

  1. ↑ Pennfield Schools. "Pennfield Schools" . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  2. ↑ Pennfield Schools. "Administration" . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Pennfield Schools". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences.
  4. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Calhoun County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  5. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Barry County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Pennfield School situation serious". Battle Creek Enquirer. December 2, 1915. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "Keeler comes Wednesday to straighten tangle". Battle Creek Enquirer. December 5, 1915. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "Submit petition for annexation". Battle Creek Enquirer. March 16, 1929. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Annual school meetings bring up many subjects". Battle Creek Enquirer. July 15, 1947. p. 2.
  10. ↑ "Vote sought on Pennfield School annexation". Battle Creek Enquirer. February 13, 1948. p. 1.
  11. 1 2 "Pennfield sets school election". Battle Creek Enquirer. May 5, 1955. p. 1.
  12. ↑ "Pennfield OK's 3 building bids". Battle Creek Enquirer. May 29, 1953. p. 5.
  13. ↑ "Goodbye vacation-time, hello books: That's the story for kids tomorrow". Battle Creek Enquirer. September 3, 1956. p. 11.
  14. ↑ "Pennfield OK's school bonuses". Battle Creek Enquirer. March 9, 1956. p. 22.
  15. 1 2 3 Pennfield Schools. "Schools menu" . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Pennfield votes Monday on $1,672,000 schools millage and expansion". Battle Creek Enquirer. May 22, 1960. p. 28.
  17. 1 2 "Pennfield High on schedule". Battle Creek Enquirer. April 20, 1962. p. 24.
  18. 1 2 3 "Say 'hi' to new Pennfield High". Battle Creek Enquirer. July 13, 2007. p. 3A.
  19. ↑ Editorial staff of Pennfield High School yearbook. The Penn 1963 (Pennfield High School 1963 yearbook). p. 1.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.