Decatur Public Schools (Michigan)

Decatur Public Schools
Address
110 Cedar Street[1]
Decatur
, Van Buren County, Michigan, 49045
United States
District information
GradesPreKindergarten–12[1]
SuperintendentPatrick Creagan[2]
Schools2[3]
Budget$12,283,000 2022-2023 expenditures[3]
NCES District ID2611670[3]
Students and staff
Students755 (2024-2025)[3]
Teachers42.63 (on an FTE basis) (2024-2025)[3]
Staff88.01 FTE (2024-2025)[3]
Student–teacher ratio17.71 (2024-2025)[3]
District mascotRaiders[1]
Other information
Websitewww.raiderpride.org

Decatur Public Schools is a public school district in West Michigan. In Van Buren County, Michigan, it serves Decatur, Hamilton Township, and parts of the townships of Decatur, Lawrence, and Paw Paw.[4] In Cass County, it serves parts of the townships of Volinia and Wayne.[5]

History

Decatur's school district was organized in 1862 and the first brick school was built in 1864. The first class graduated in 1867.[6]

The high school burned down in 1919, and a new high school opened in fall 1920. It became a K-6 school in 1963 called Edgar Bergen Elementary, and it was later called Bergen Alternative High School. It closed in 2007.[7]

A new elementary school opened in 1952. In 1982, the school was named for Marion Davis, a long-serving teacher and principal who retired in 1971.[8]

Ground was broken for the current junior/senior high school building on December 3, 1962. The ceremony came hours after four school board members won a court case in which they were threatened with a recall election for not choosing the building site preferred by voters.[9] The Decatur Better Schools Association was found not to have collected enough signatures on their petitions, and when appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, the court declined to hear the case.[10][11] The building, designed by architecture firm O'Dell, Hewlett & Luckenbach, was dedicated on March 15, 1964.[12]

In May 1965, rumors of a monster in a 152-acre tract of woods owned by the district sparked a craze among students. For three consecutive nights, they ventured into the woods armed with weapons in search of the creature. To prevent accidents and reduce the risk of fire among the dry pine trees, the sheriff warned of a crackdown on anyone entering the woods, a warning that was reported in the local newspaper. The following evening, only seven violators were found. "This monster thing is a hoax," stated the sheriff.[13][14]

A new middle school section, connected to the junior/senior high and elementary schools, opened in fall 2001. Students in fourth through sixth grades were moved from Bergen Elementary, while seventh- and eighth-grade students were transferred from the high school to the new addition.[15]

Schools

The district's schools share a building on the northwest side of Decatur.[1]

Schools in Decatur Public Schools district[1][3]
SchoolAddressNotes
Decatur Junior/Senior High School110 Cedar St., DecaturGrades 9-12.
Marion Davis Elementary409 N. Phelps St., DecaturGrades K-5.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Decatur Public Schools. "Decatur Public Schools". Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  2. ↑ Decatur Public Schools. "Superintendent". Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Decatur Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
  4. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Van Buren County School Districts (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Cass County School Districts (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  6. ↑ Editorial staff of Decatur High School yearbook. 1967 Raider (Decatur High School 1967 yearbook. p. 2.
  7. ↑ Decatur Public Schools. "History of the JR SR High School". Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  8. ↑ Decatur Public Schools. "Marion Davis Elementary School". Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ground breaking held for new Decatur High School". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). December 4, 1962. p. 13.
  10. ↑ "Decatur school recall issue may go to Supreme Court". Cassopolis Vigilant (Cassopolis, Mich.). January 3, 1963. p. 4.
  11. ↑ "Deny plea in Decatur school case". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). August 5, 1963. p. 20.
  12. ↑ "New school dedication set Sunday". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). March 11, 1964. p. 22.
  13. ↑ "'Monster' area quiet". The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). May 21, 1965. p. 1.
  14. ↑ "Police 'protect' monster's haunt from 200 teens". The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). May 20, 1965. p. 1.
  15. ↑ Paruch, Tamara (August 2, 2001). "New middle schools rising". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). p. C1.
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