Dowagiac Union School District


Dowagiac Union Schools is a public school district in southwest Michigan. In Cass County, it serves Dowagiac and parts of the townships of LaGrange, Pokagon, Silver Creek, and Wayne. It also serves parts of Keeler Township in Van Buren County and Pipestone Township in Berrien County.
WWW dowagiacschools.org

History

A school was built in Dowagiac around 1858, but it burned down three years later. In 1861, a Union School was built at the corner of Main and Parsonage Streets.
At the current site of Justus Gage Elementary, a ward school was built in 1864. It was replaced in 1902 by a new Dowagiac High School.
A new high school was built in 1925 at the site of the Union School, 520 Main Street. It opened in 1927. The building featured relief sculptures on the cornice and the inscription ENTER TO LEARN LEAVE TO SERVE.
The current Dowagiac Union High School partially opened in fall 1961, and the remainder of the building was completed and occupied in January 1962. Then-candidate for Michigan governor George W. Romney gave the high school's dedication speech on March 27, 1962. The former high school became Central Junior High School.
On September 15, 1963, a parachutist was injured when he landed on the roof of the high school.
Central Junior High, which became Central Middle School, closed in 2005 and the new Dowagiac Middle School opened in fall 2005. The middle school includes an 870-seat auditorium.