Benton Harbor Area Schools
Benton Harbor Area Schools is a public school district in West Michigan. It serves Benton Harbor, Benton Heights, Fair Plain, and parts of the townships of Bainbridge, Benton, Hagar, and Sodus.
History
Benton Harbor High School was established in 1872 within Central School and the first class graduated in 1876. A new high school was built in 1892.The current Benton Harbor High School opened in fall 1921 as enrollment in the district was growing quickly. The original building included a 1,200-seat auditorium, which is described in the 1922 yearbook: "With sky lights above a row of large windows on one side, the room is lighted very well during the daytime. The twelve hanging clusters of lights enclosed in beautiful stained glass domes afford especially artistic lighting at night time. It is fully equipped with a motion picture projector in a fire proof cage."
A major addition was built at the high school in 1956. A library addition with a stone facade was built on the east side of the 1921 section around 1962.
Fair Plain Middle School received classroom and gymnasium additions in 1960. Prior to that it was known as Central School.
Until the consolidation done in the mid-1960s certain out-lying areas, such as Fair Plain, had their own independent school districts.
In 2007, the district hired a new superintendent, Carole Schmidt. The hiring of Schmidt was notable because she left her job as superintendent of the St. Joseph Public School District. Schmidt is the first white superintendent of the Benton Harbor School District in decades.
Declining enrollment and less revenue have challenged the district. In 2011, the district was under review by the state Department of Education due to its poor financial health, which then-superintendent Leonard Seawood said could be mitigated by layoffs and school closures. In 2019, the state offered the district a plan to save itself financially, which included closing the district's high school. The school board rejected the state's plan and developed its own turnaround plan, approved by the board in 2020. The district began the 2020-2021 school year with no teacher vacancies and negotiating with the state to forgive its debt.
School Board
The school board governs the school district. The board is affiliated with the Michigan Association of School Boards. The current president is DaShuna Robinson. Board members are: Vice President Trenton Bowens, Secretary Reinaldo Tripplett, Treasurer Angel Crayton, Trustees Stephanie Rockette-Martin, Elnora Gavin, and Angela Doyle. Board members are elected to four year terms every two years. the next election is scheduled for November 5, 2024.Superintendents
- Renee Williams to 2002
- Dr. Paula R. Dawning 2002-2007
- Dr. Carole Schmidt 2007-2010
- Dr. Leonard Seawood 2010-2015
- Dr. Shelly Walker 2016-2018
- Dr. Robert Herrea 2018-2019
- Patricia Robinson Interim 2016; 2018; 2019-2020
- Dr. Andre Townsel 2020-2022
- Dr. Kelvin Butts Interim 2022-23