Kettering High School Explained

Charles F. Kettering Senior High School
Motto:"Go Hard or Go Home"
Established:1965
Closed:2012
Type:High school
Status:Permanently closed
Gender:Co-ed
Affiliation:Detroit Public Schools
Principal:Patrisha Murrey
Enrollment:2,100 (capacity), 800 (in 2012)
Grades:9—12 including Dual Enrollment
Streetaddress:6101 Van Dyke
City:Detroit
State:Michigan
Country:U.S.A.
Colors:Royal blue and white
Athletics:Pioneers

Kettering High School was a four-year high school within the Detroit Public Schools system.[1] The school, located in the low-income Gratiot Town/Kettering neighborhood, was around 1,200 students under capacity at its closure in 2012.[2] [3] [4]

History

Kettering opened in 1965 in response to the growing Detroit Public School system (DPS) and to serve the needs of factory workers and their families in east Detroit.[5] The school is named after Charles F. Kettering, co-founder of DELCO and head of research at General Motors for 27 years.[6] Construction began in 1961 with removal of housing on the land where Kettering would stand, but due to financial difficulties and worker strikes, the school did not open until fall 1965.[7] The school was compliant with desegregation efforts from the start.[8] Additional classrooms and the gym were built between 1967 and 1969; a pool was planned but was delayed until 1975 by Milliken v. Bradley, a major move towards desegregation in DPS.[7] The city itself was dramatically segregated and enrollment records show 89% of Kettering was Black while Denby High School, just 5 miles away, was 93% White.[7] [9]

In 1978, a $4-million performing arts space, 1,200-person auditorium, ROTC training area, and additional cafeteria space designed by architect Roger Margerum were built as an addition to the building.[10] Margerum also added a 14-foot, 15-ton concrete "K" in front of the school.[7] In 1981, the auditorium was dedicated to Leonard Sain, one of the early successful Black educators in Michigan.[11]

As the government continued to integrate the city, Detroit went from a majority white city in the 1940s to a majority Black city in the 1970s and 1980s.[12] More than 310,000 white residents moved to the suburbs to escape the integration and violence that stemmed from white pushback against Black citizens.[13] The consequential loss of student enrollment severely affected Detroit schools.[7] In 1970, nearly 300,000 students were enrolled in DPS; this number dipped below 200,000 by 1990 and to 47,959 by 2015.[14] Between 1991 and 2016 alone, enrollment dropped 73%.[15] Gang violence increased; in 1989, starting quarterback Raheem Wells was murdered, allegedly so his killers could steal his Nikes and overcoat.[16] [7] Enrollment continued to decrease and by 2003, Kettering had 1,673 students.[7] In 2004, Kettering West Wing, a special education school specially designed to accommodate physically disabled students, was opened in part of the Kettering High School building; even with the reduced space, Kettering High still struggled to fill classrooms.[17] [7] [18]

In 2009, rumors spread that Kettering would be shut down and students walked out in protest.[19] [20] In 2010, DPS slated the school for closure after enrollment dipped well below 50%.[7] [21] Southeastern High School was initially supposed to absorb students after Kettering closed in 2010,[22] but the administration quickly realized that the schools were controlled by rival gangs and that combining the two student bodies might lead to more violence.[23] In fact, before the decision was reversed, Southeastern hired 16 security guards in preparation.[24] [7] When repairs amounting to $5 million became too pressing over the next two years, DPS following through with the closure and Kettering closed following the 2011—2012 academic year.[25] [26] [24] Its students were absorbed into Denby, King, Pershing, and Southeastern, all of which were struggling academically; all but King had been moved to the Education Achievement Authority (EAA), the new school district where failing DPS schools were funneled. Following the 2012 closures, wherein 16 schools were closed, Ford, Mumford, Pershing, Central, Denby, Kettering, Southeastern, and Southwestern neighborhoods were all without a DPS high school.[27] [28] West Wing was moved to similar programs in surviving DPS and EAA schools, including Charles R. Drew Transition Center, East English Village Preparatory Academy, Southeastern, and Jerry L. White Center.[29] [30] [31]

The initial idea for Kettering's empty lot was to turn it into a 27-acre urban farm called the Kettering Urban Agricultural Campus, which would provide DPS and EAA schools with fresh fruits and vegetables.[32] [26] [33] Hoophouses were built, crops were planted, and the auditorium and athletics wings were meant to be turned into food production facilities, but the district continued to struggle financially and the project fizzled out.[7] [34] In 2019, Dakkota Integrated Systems purchased Kettering and a nearby defunct school, Rose Elementary, for $2.6 million.[7] [35] The auto parts supplier intended to demolish the empty building and build a $55 million factory to build Jeeps, but later decided demolition would take too long and shifted their plans to make use of the athletic fields instead.[7] [35] The initial factory was estimated to create 625 jobs[36] and the updated plans, which will cost around $45 million, expect to fill about 400.[37] [38]

The iconic K in front of the high school was preserved and moved to the southeastmost point of the school lot at the corner of Van Dyke and Hendrie.[7] [35] [39]

Rankings

Between 2010 and 2012, Kettering was academically among the bottom 22% of DPS.[40] [41] In 2011, Kettering West Wing had a 0% graduation rate.[42] In the mid-2010s, Kettering was recognized as a "Good School" by the Skillman Foundation and in 2008 was awarded with a $50,000 grant to help improve the academic experience.

Detroit Allied Health Middle College High School

Detroit Allied Health Middle College High School (DAHMCHS) opened in 2007 by DPS to lower drop-out rates by offering introductory vocational training in healthcare professions and dual-enrollment options.[43] [44] Students would graduate in their 13th year, rather than 12th, with an associate's degree.[44] DAHMCHS was headquartered at Kettering and worked directly with the Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD), Detroit Public Schools, and the Detroit Medical Center.[44] Eventually, it was hoped the program would operate entirely on the WCCCD campus.[44]

Notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. Book: Queen, J. Allen. [{{Google books|pSuOAQAAQBAJ|page=69|plainurl=yes}} Student Transitions From Middle to High School]. 69.
  2. Web site: 'It gets really bad after dark': Crime persists on Gratiot in Detroit. 2019-11-11. Hunter. George. The Detroit News. 2021-11-10.
  3. Web site: These 7 Places Where The Data Says Detroit Is Gentrifying May Surprise You. 2015-02-24. Daily Detroit. 2021-11-10.
  4. Web site: Charles Kettering High School, Van Dyke Ave. at East I-94, Detroit, 2019. Kettering High School closed in 2012 due to declining enrollment. n.d.. Library of Congress. 2021-11-10.
  5. Web site: Special Plans for the K: Former Kettering High School Area Will Be Turned Into an Auto Supplier Plant. Hunter. Branden. 2019-07-16. Michigan Chronicle. 2021-11-10.
  6. Web site: Charles F. Kettering High School. 2019-02-16. dETROITfUNK. 2021-11-10.
  7. Web site: Charles Kettering High School. n.d.. Detroit Urbex. 2021-11-10.
  8. Web site: Testimonial resolutions and special privilege. 2019-09-10. Detroit City Council. 2021-11-12.
  9. News: Once an Industrial Mecca, Detroit Fights Back Against Crime and Decay : Cities: Those who could afford to fled the troubled schools and soaring murder rate. But citizen action and a new Canadian trade pact could give the town new life.. Dickerson. A.J.. 1990-10-28. LA Times. 2021-11-10.
  10. News: . 1978-11-22. Kettering addition under construction. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-10. newspapers.com.
  11. News: Weddell. Dorothy. 1983-03-21. profile: Roger Margerum Jr., president, Society of Architects. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-10. newspapers.com.
  12. Web site: Freeways are Detroit's most enduring monuments to racism. Let's excise them. Opinion. Vejendla. Nithin. 2020-07-05. Detroit Free Press. 2021-11-11.
  13. Thompson. Heather Ann. 1999-01-01. Rethinking the politics of white flight in the postwar city: Detroit, 1945-1980. Journal of Urban History. 25. 2. 163–198. 10.1177/009614429902500201. 143653553. 2021-11-11.
  14. Web site: Public school enrollment trends in Detroit. 2016. Citizens Research Council of Michigan. 2021-11-11.
  15. Web site: Inside Detroit's Radical Experiment to Save Its Public Schools. Sanburn. Josh. 2016-09-06. TIME. 2021-11-11.
  16. News: Walton. Scott. 1990-12-17. PSL work turns to labor of love. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  17. News: Pratt. Chastity. 2005-08-17. Thefts put the heat on special ed students. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  18. Web site: Title VI Complaint against Governor Rick Snyder and the State for retaliation and discrimination against teachers, students, parent advocates & neighborhoods. 2015-07-27. Detroit Board of Education with Members of the Community. Motor City Muckraker. 2021-11-12.
  19. Web site: Detroit students demonstrate against school restructuring. Kishore. Joe. 2009-05-21. World Socialist Web Site. 2021-11-12.
  20. Web site: DETROIT WILL BE PAYING FOR SCHOOL BONDS UNTIL YEAR 2040; DISMANTLING OF DPS ALL ABOUT CORPORATE GREED. Bukowski. Diane. 2016-03-03. Voice of DEtroit. 2021-11-12.
  21. News: Pratt Dawsey. Chastity. 2012-06-21. DPS will be a third the size of 10 years ago. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  22. Web site: Emergency manager: Detroit Public Schools to close Kettering, City high schools. Foley. Aaron. 2012-02-07. MLive. 2021-11-12.
  23. Web site: What Killed Aiyana Stanley-Jones?. LeDuff. Charlie. 2010. Mother Jones. 2021-11-11.
  24. News: Pratt Dawsey. Chastity. 2012-09-21. Teachers make house calls to get to know students. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  25. Web site: Twenty Detroit Public Schools to be closed, chartered or consolidated; 15 to join statewide district. Foley. Aaron. 2012-02-08. MLive. 2021-11-12.
  26. Web site: Abandoned Detroit School Will Become a 27-Acre Urban Farm. Beshouri. Paul. 2014-03-12. Detroit Curbed. 2021-11-11.
  27. News: Pratt Dawsey. Chastity. 2012-06-21. DPS: Enrollment, schools shrinking, but heavy debt load isn't going away. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  28. News: Pratt Dawsey. Chastity. 2012-02-09. DPS: 16 school buildings to close as part of downsizing. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  29. Web site: Emergency Financial Manager announces school closings . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131211163257/http://detroitk12.org/content/2012/02/08/dps-emergency-manager-roy-roberts-announces-school-changes-academic-initiatives-key-dates-and-timelines-for-parents-for-the-2012-13-school-year/ . 2013-12-11 .
  30. News: Pratt Dawsey. Chastity. 2012-02-09. DPS changes announced. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  31. Web site: Detroit Public School. 2012. Detroit Public Schools. https://web.archive.org/web/20140904162617/http://detroitk12.org/content/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/4.-Kettering-High-School-Kettering-West-Wing.pdf. 2021-11-12. 2014-09-04.
  32. Web site: Food business park eyed for Kettering site. 2016-11-25. Detroit Free Press. 2021-11-12.
  33. Web site: Closed Detroit high school campus to become 27-acre farm. 2014-03-13. MLive. 2021-11-12.
  34. Web site: Food business park eyed for Kettering site. Zaniewski. Ann. 2016-11-25. Detroit Free Press. 2021-11-12.
  35. Web site: Detroit's historic Kettering High School property could get new life housing auto suppliers for new Jeep plant. Higgins. Lori. 2019-06-06. Chalkbeat Detroit. 2021-11-12.
  36. Web site: Old Kettering High School Site To Become Auto Supplier Plant. 2019-07-26. 62 CBS Detroit. 2021-11-12.
  37. Web site: Dakkota automotive supply plant expected to bring 400 new jobs to Detroit's east side. 2020-01-22. Click On Detroit. 2021-11-12.
  38. Web site: Companies to watch. 2021-06-30. Detroiter Magazine. 2021-11-12.
  39. Web site: Michigan named a "top state" for new manufacturing jobs and investment; award recognizes projects in Detroit among state's biggest wins. 2021-06-16. Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. 2021-11-12.
  40. News: Higgins. Lori. 2012-10-08. EAA: District could be largest in 5 years. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  41. Web site: Chancellor of new Michigan schools system starts job by visiting classrooms in Detroit. 2011-09-29. MLive. 2021-11-12.
  42. News: Higgins. Lori. 2012-04-10. Grad, dropout rates announced. en. Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 2021-11-11. newspapers.com.
  43. Web site: Inside Detroit Public Schools » Kettering High School. 2008-10-31. Detroit Public Schools. https://web.archive.org/web/20120604131029/http://detroitk12.org/inside_dps/2008/10/31/kettering-high-school/. 2021-11-12. 2012-06-04.
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