History of Ford School / Highland Park Renaissance Academy

The original Ford School was built in 1909, and due to rapid growth in the city between the original school’s construction in 1909 and the 1920s another addition was added in 1924. This addition was significantly larger then the original 1909 build. In the early years of Highland Park every school in the district had a swimming pool and students were required to learn how to swim. During this period Highland Park schools were considered some of the best in the nation, along with nearby Detroit Public Schools. This was accomplished with a well funded education system and amenities inside the district’s schools that were rare at the time elsewhere. Ford was one of the best added onto schools of this era of Highland Park schools receiving a expansive gymnasium, a dedicated library space, complex locker rooms, institutional shower stalls, and a full-sized indoor swimming pool in its 1924 addition. Similar to the Poe School in Detroit the original building was demolished later between 1957 and 1967, during a period of modernization efforts in the city of Highland Park. Evidence inside the school shows Ford was modernized with drywall and drop ceiling alongside other changes, during this same time, however the school aside from the original 1909 was not demolished. Many schools in Highland Park in the 50s and 60s were demolished and built back up from the ground up such as Ferris School. Into the 1970s many Detroit parents enrolled there kids into Highland Park schools, due to the declining education quality of Detroit Public Schools, it allowed parents to give their kids a suburban like education while not moving out of the city. While industry continued to decline in Highland Park throughout the 80s, enrollment in the district didn’t begin to fall until the 90s. In 1984 another addition was added onto Ford School, this addition sits today were the original 1909 build once was. It is likely this late addition served as a attempt to upgrade and maintain the student population in the district. The Ford School alongside the Highland Park High School. Sat the closest to the Model T Plant of Highland Park, of which up to 1981 was owned by Ford. It wouldn’t be until 1992 when Chrysler would follow Ford and leave Highland Park as well. It is likely that the Ford School was selected to receive this late addition in the hopes that the Model T plant would be repurposed into a new industry, however this never came and it was instead turned into a strip mall. In the 90s as enrollment declined Highland Park closed all its pools made a staple in its early years citing high maintenance costs. By 2003, 45% of the district's students did not live in Highland Park. This prevented significant closings of schools, prevented a state takeover, and added $2 million to the district's budget. Between 2006 and 2012 enrollment dropped over 2,000 students going from 3,000 to 1,000. The same year the district was taken over by the state and a emergency manger was appointed by the state. In 2014 the Highland Park High School located nearby to the Ford School was closed as enrollment continued to freefall, and the program was moved into Ford, the previous K-8 school became a K-12 school. When the program was moved into Ford the school was renamed Highland Park Renaissance Academy. By the time the program was consolidated into the Ford School the high school program had dropped to 160 students between the 4 upper grades, 9-12. Largely due to resistance from parents following the state takeover, Renaissance Academy only lasted one school year (2014-2015), before it was closed. In the months leading up to the Ford School closure, the state organized job fair style meetings in the Ford School gymnasium, where students were instructed to walk between tables manned by representatives from neighboring Detroit schools and suburban charters to select their next destination. The Ford School was the last High School program in Highland Park, even to this day no High School program is available for residents of the city, and must enroll in neighboring cities to complete their education. The Barber Preparatory Academy took over the Ford School program after closing in 2015, and is the only public school in Highland Park serving grades K-8.