Watervliet Public Schools
| Watervliet Public Schools | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
450 East St. Joseph Street[1]
, Berrien County, Michigan, 49098United States | |
| District information | |
| Motto | Working together to keep us together.[1] |
| Grades | Pre-Kindergarten-12 |
| Schools | 5[1] |
| Budget | $20,292,000 2021-2022 expenditures[2] |
| NCES District ID | 2635460[2] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 1,436 (2023-2024)[2] |
| Teachers | 81.38 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024)[2] |
| Staff | 181.56 FTE (2023-2024)[2] |
| Student–teacher ratio | 17.65 (2023-2024)[2] |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Watervliet Public Schools is a public school district in West Michigan. In Berrien County, it serves Watervliet and parts of the townships of Bainbridge and Watervliet.[3] In Van Buren County, it serves parts of the townships of Covert, Hartford, and Keeler.[4]
History
A new school building opened in Watervliet in fall 1890, and included a high school.[5] It was used until the next high school opened in January 1925.[6][7] That school was located at the corner of Red Arrow Highway and M-140.[8] North and South Elementary Schools were built in 1953.[9]
The current Watervliet High School opened in fall 1967 and was dedicated in April 1968.[10] Planning for the building began after Watervliet voters turned down a merger with Coloma Community School District in 1964, and Watervliet had a better idea of its facilities needs. Trend Associates of Kalamazoo was the architect.[11]
The 1925 high school building then became the district's middle school, but it was closed after the 1976-1977 school year. A resident insisted that the building’s roof had structural problems, and an engineering study confirmed it. The district could not afford repairs, and retrofitting the building to meet fire code posed additional challenges. Students were redistributed to other district schools.[9]
In 1999, an addition was built at the high school to house middle school students who were already attending school in the building.[12] The 1925 school building was torn down in 2004.[8]
Schools
| School | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Watervliet High School | 450 E. Red Arrow Highway, Watervliet | Grades 9-12. Built 1967.[10] |
| Watervliet Middle School | 450 East Red Arrow Hwy., Watervliet | Grades 6-8. Shares a building with Watervliet High School. |
| North Elementary | 287 W. Baldwin Ave., Watervliet | Grades 3-5. Built 1953.[9] |
| South Elementary | 433 Lucinda Lane, Watervliet | Grades PreK-2. Built 1953.[9] |
| WAY Program | 450 E. Red Arrow Highway, Watervliet | Alternative/online high school housed at Watervliet High School |
External links
References
- ^ a b c d Watervliet Public Schools. "Watervliet Public Schools". Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Watervliet Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
- ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Berrien County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Van Buren County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Watervliet's new school...". Buchanan Record (Buchanan, Mich.). October 16, 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "Watervliet". St. Joseph Herald-Press (St. Joseph, Mich.). May 31, 1924. p. 8.
- ^ "$210,000 Watervliet school ready Jan. 1". The Dowagiac Daily News (Dowagiac, Mich.). December 3, 1924. p. 3.
- ^ a b North Berrien Historical Museum. "Here are some images related to the Watervliet Public School..." Facebook. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Watervliet closes middle school". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). July 21, 1977. p. 17.
- ^ a b "New Watervliet High School". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). March 30, 1968. p. 13.
- ^ "Watervliet had school problems". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). December 31, 1964. p. 24.
- ^ "Open house planned at new Watervliet school". The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Mich.). August 24, 1999. p. 15.