Swartz Creek Community Schools
Encyclopedia
Swartz Creek Community School District is a public school district in Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and in the Genesee Intermediate School District
Genesee Intermediate School District
Genesee Intermediate School District is an Intermediate School District in Michigan serving the school districts that primarily lay with Genesee County.-Charter School/Academies:*Academy Of Flint*Burton Glen Charter Academy*Center Academy...
. The School District serves the City of Swartz Creek
Swartz Creek, Michigan
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 5,102 people, 2,233 households and 1,460 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,269.6 per square mile . There were 2,355 housing units at an average density of 586.0 per square mile...
, parts of Flint Charter Township
Flint Township, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 33,691 people, 13,972 households, and 9,025 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,425.5 per square mile . There were 14,864 housing units at an average density of 628.9 per square mile...
, Gaines Township
Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan
Gaines Township is a civil township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,491 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*The Village of Gaines is located within the township....
, Clayton Township
Clayton Township, Genesee County, Michigan
-Government:Clayton has a Supervisor-Board style township government with elected supervisor, clerk, treasurer and four trustees.The township and Swartz Creek cooperate in operating the Swartz Creek Area Fire Department,...
, Argentine Township
Argentine Township, Michigan
Argentine Township is a general law township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 6,521.-Communities:...
and Village of Lennon
Lennon, Michigan
Lennon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 517 at the 2000 census. The village is situated on M-13, the boundary between Venice Township in Shiawassee County and Clayton Township in Genesee County and is partially in both....
even over into Shiawassee County
Shiawassee County, Michigan
-Transportation:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,687 people, 26,896 households, and 19,849 families residing in the county. The population density was 133 people per square mile . There were 29,087 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile...
.
Buildings
| Building | Type | Built | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Crapo School | Alternative High & pre-school | 1929 | Swartz Creek |
| Swartz Creek High | secondary | 1958 | Swartz Creek |
| Swartz Creek Middle | secondary | 1967 | Swartz Creek |
| Gaines | elementary | 1880 | Village of Gaines Gaines, Michigan Gaines is a village in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 366 at the 2000 census. The village is within Gaines Township.-Government:... |
| Syring | elementary | 1959 | Swartz Creek |
| Morrish | elementary | 1964 | Mundy Township |
| Elms Road | elementary | 1966 | Swartz Creek |
| Dieck (Van Vleet Road) | elementary | 1969 | Clayton Township |
Sports
| Class | A |
|---|---|
| Year Joined/Rejoined | 1968/2006 |
| League | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| County C Genesee County C League The Genesee County C League was a high school sport league in Genesee County Michigan that operated in the mid-20th century with Class C size schools.... |
1950 | 1960 |
| County B Genesee County B League The Genesee County B League was a high school sport league in Genesee County Michigan that operated in the mid to late 20th century.... |
1960 | 1968 |
| Flint Metro Flint Metro League Flint Metro League is a high school sports league in the Flint area of Michigan. It is currently composed of ten high schools.-History:In 1968, six Flint area schools formed a new league to play against schools of similar size and to cut down on travel for some schools... |
1968 | 1976 |
| Big 9 Big Nine Conference The Big Nine Conference, formerly the Big Eight Conference, is a high school sports conference in Genesee County, Michigan currently with four high schools.-History:... |
1976 | 2006 |
| Flint Metro Flint Metro League Flint Metro League is a high school sports league in the Flint area of Michigan. It is currently composed of ten high schools.-History:In 1968, six Flint area schools formed a new league to play against schools of similar size and to cut down on travel for some schools... |
2006 | present |
At the Little Red School House No.2 back in the late 19th century, Swartz Creek Schools started its sports tradition starting with a championship girls baseball team followed by a winning boys baseball team. In the 1940s, the football team earned the county championship trophy awarded by the Flint Journal, which nicknamed the Swartz Creek Teams as the "Dragons", after which the yearbook was called the dragon. Swartz Creek belong to the County B League
Genesee County B League
The Genesee County B League was a high school sport league in Genesee County Michigan that operated in the mid to late 20th century....
then joined the Flint Metro League
Flint Metro League
Flint Metro League is a high school sports league in the Flint area of Michigan. It is currently composed of ten high schools.-History:In 1968, six Flint area schools formed a new league to play against schools of similar size and to cut down on travel for some schools...
upon its founding in 1968 until the 1976 when they joined the Big Nine Conference
Big Nine Conference
The Big Nine Conference, formerly the Big Eight Conference, is a high school sports conference in Genesee County, Michigan currently with four high schools.-History:...
. The Cross Country squad had extraordinary success racking 15 Big Nine Conference championships, many Greater Flint Area Champions, Regional Champions, multiple state meet appearances with runners up in 1982 and State Championship in 1986. Given the even large schools in the Big 9 that were some times classified as AA making teams uncompetitive in league play, Swartz Creek returned to the Flint Metro League in 2006.
History
In 1840, notice were posted to organize a school district in Miller's Settlement and included parts of FlushingFlushing Township, Michigan
Flushing Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,230 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
and Mundy Townships extending a half mile South of the current City of Swartz Creek limits. For the initial two years, no taxes were levied and tution was charged to the parents of the students with classes held in a log schoolhouse with the first teacher, Jane Watlkins of Grand Blanc, taught for three months. With the third year and a third district organization, taxes were levied to build a new schoolhouse to replace the burnt down previous schoolhouse. Those settled west of Miller's Settlement, Ryno Settlement, were not content with the control of the district laying with those from Miller's Settlement. With the creation of the Begole School district on Bristol in then Flint Township, Ryno Settlement members claimed that current board members were in Begole and therefor illegally a member of the district board and elected Ryno Settlement residents and allies as replacements: Aaron B. Ryno, director, Philander McLain, treasurer and John M. Nash, moderator. They then changed the district's boundaries to exclude the "removed" board members. County school inspectors overruled the Ryno board's changes. Ryno versus Miller's residents continued on into 1846 when six special meetings where held in which 4 times a school was vote on to be built in Ryno and rescinded an equal amount of times. Nonetheless a new building was final build in 1853 at Miller and Morrish Roads (now Holland Drive) referred to as the "Little Red School House". Some time in the future the Ryno Settlement was separated into its own School District as it will later merge with other districts. An addition was built on a few years later and while waiting for that addition other space was rented.
In 1891, the original Little Red School House was replace with a new Little Red School House on Morrish Road South of the railroad station. Two years of high school was added with an additional space in 1903. Swartz Creek was only a one of a few schools that offered any High School grades, so many students from neighboring school attend for high school. Flint and Durand offered all four year of high school and was where most went after Swartz Creek to finish high school. In 1910, a kindergarten program was started by renting space in the Odd Fellow Hall on the Corner of Miller and Morrish Roads with Agnes Richardson as the first kindergarten teacher.
To meet the need of the community for the students to finish high school in the District, Stanford Tappan Crapo donated in 1928 land (five acres) on Miller Road and $40,000 for the purpose of building a gym and auditorium at a school there. A school with 10 classrooms and the gym/auditorium was design and built by 1929 and was name Mary Crapo School in honor of Mary Ann Slocum Crapo. The system purchased a bus fleet at the end of 1945 to bring in high school students from seven neighboring districts. In that same year, a hot lunch program was started.
Consolidation
In 1947, Swartz Creek, Crocker, Hill, Kline, Fletcher, Grove, Irish, and Ryno School districts voted to consolidate into the Swartz Creek Rural Agricultural Community School District. Schools in those districts included Calkins at Morrish & Corunna Roads, Crocker at Linden and Bristol Roads, Fletcher at Seymour and Grand Blanc Roads, Green at Seymour and Corunna Roads, Grove at Seymour & Grand Blanc Roads, Hill at Hill and Jennings Roads, Kline at Sharp and Reid Roads, and Ryno at Van Vleet and Miller Road. Begole School at Bristol and Elms Roads was joined to the district in 1948. At this time, students were being sent throughout the district with some kindergarten at the new Odd Fellows Hall, Begole and Fletcher as elementary with 1st through 4th grades, K-8 at Crocker and Grove as a middle school (fifth and sixth grades). It also saw expansion in programs with a school band begun and driver's education course first being taught.Annexation of the Gaines School was completed in 1962 and its school was converted into an elementary school.
| Years | Director | Treasurer | Moderator | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-10/1840 | Peter Miller | David Miller | Philander McLain | ||||
| 1941 | Emir Woodin | Daniel Miller | Elisha Martin | ||||
| Spring 1942 | Joseph Goodrich | A. L. Elsswork | Jacob Rall | ||||
| 10/1842 | Joseph Goodrich | David Miller (1) | Peter Miller (1) | ||||
| 10/1842 Ryno faction | Aaron B. Ryno | Philander McLain | John Nash | ||||
| 1853 | Caleb H. Howes (1) | Enos Miller (1) | A.C. Brewer (1) | ||||
| 1868–1869 | Charles McLain | Ira Gilbert | Kellicut | ||||
| Years | President | Vice-President | Treasurer | Secretary | Trustees | ||
| 1928 | E.G.Smith | none | Fred Holland | Frank Kennedy | Fred Smalley | Floyd Larobardiere | |
| 1949 | Frederick Dieck (1) | Raymond Syring (1) | Ernest Boardman (1) | John Pajtas (1) | |||
| 1958 | John Fick (1) | Lyle Laroardiere (1) | Austin Van Norwick (1) | Leonard Morrish (1) | Raymond Syring (1) | ||
| 1976 | Roger Verrell | F.D. Bloss (1) | Richard Sovis (1) | Erma Courter | Herbert Ratliff | Patricia Schoenfield | |
| 2006–2007 | John Knickerbocker | Brian Mitchell | Chuck Shults | Michael Bean | Nick Chiros | Dallas Gatlin | Brian Sepanak |
| current | John Knickerbocker | Brian Mitchell | Nick Chiros | Carrie Germain | Chuck Shults | Dallas Gatlin | Brian Sepanak |
1) Exact board position unknown
| Years | Superintendent | (High School) Principal |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Merton S. Vincent | none |
| 1945–1949 | Edmund Bremer | Orel Champney (1948) |
| 1949–1960 | Orel Champney | Elden Buell |
| 1960–1971 | Elden Buell | |
| 1971–1975 | John Dickey (1) | |
| 1976-? | Richard Fitzgerald | |
| ?-2001 | Charles Townsend | Sheldon Safer, Michael Dodge |
| 2001–2005 | Roy Pearson | Michael Dodge, Michael Vanderlip |
| 2005–2007 | Jeff Pratt | Michael Vanderlip |
| 2007–Present | Jeff Pratt | Sandra Macut |
1) Interim Superintendent after John Dickey was Robert H. Brown, Assistant Superintendent of schools in charge of finance.