History of Liberty School

The Liberty School a school in Highland Park MI that was built in 1917 during a period of rapid growth in Highland Park. 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. Liberty for most of its time as a school served students grades K-8. In the 1950s Mayor Lindsey Porter, which held the longest standing mayor position in Highland Park from 1991-2003, attended Liberty. In 1954 modernization updates were conducted at the school, and in 1969 a new addition was added as enrollment reached 900 students. As trust in Detroit Public Schools continued to decline into the 1960s, many parents enrolled their students in Highland Park schools, the district gave Detroit residents an opportunity to enroll in a suburban like district without relocating elsewhere. However a 1971 report stated "The Liberty School attendance area is characterized by an older White population and a younger, low-income Black population . Many of the older families no longer have school-age children which accounts in part for the high percentage of Black students attending the school." Throughout the 1980s and 90s Highland Park saw large population decline as auto jobs left the city. By the late 90s enrollment in Highland Park Schools had declined with most schools operating close to half capacity. In 1997 6 schools in Highland Park closed (Highland Park Community College, Liberty, Ferris, Willard, Field, and Thompson). Many of these that schools closed in 1997 would reopen a couple years later including Liberty. Though some were not as lucky like Ferris and Thompson. In September 2000, Liberty reopened as the Liberty Academy, with a starting enrollment of 200, another 200 students were brought in from another school, and by 2001 Liberty was operating with 548 students. However enrollment would not grow and would begin to decline. By 2006 the school was operating at just 333 students, at less then half capacity. On January 20th, 2006 the district voted to close Liberty in the middle of the school year. In 2024 the school was a focus of a project named Liberty Plaza Project. With plans to convert the school into a mixed use residential and community hub, however nothing has come of this as of 2025.