Kalamazoo Central High School is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

serving students from ninth through twelfth grades. It was the first public high school in Michigan. It began operating in 1858 and graduated its first class of five men and three women in 1859. It moved to its current location in 1972. It is rated Class A by the

Michigan High School Athletic Association The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Unlike ma ...

(MHSAA). On May 4, 2010, the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

announced that Central High had won the first annual

Race to the Top Race to the Top (R2T, RTTT or RTT) was a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education competitive grant created to spur and reward innovation and reforms in state and local district K–12 education. Funded as part of the American Recovery ...

High School Commencement Challenge and that President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

would deliver the school’s 2010 commencement address. Kalamazoo Central students are eligible for the

Kalamazoo Promise The Kalamazoo Promise is a pledge by a group of anonymous donors to pay up to 100 percent of tuition at many Michigan colleges and universities for graduates of the Kalamazoo Public Schools school district of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Kalamazoo Pro ...

, which provides reduced or free college tuition for students attending public colleges in Michigan.

History

The first legal public high-school in Kalamazoo and in the state of Michigan began operating in 1858. The first class, consisting of five men and three women graduated in 1859.Kalamazoo Central High School History 1885-1898

Charles E. Stuart Charles Edward Stuart (November 25, 1810May 19, 1887) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Stuart was born in New York, either near Waterloo, New York, or in Columbia County. He studied law, was admi ...

sued the Kalamazoo School Board in 1874 alleging that the school-board's use of taxpayer money to fund secondary education was unconstitutional (up until that point taxpayers money was only for elementary schools). The School Board prevailed, setting a precedent allowing publicly funded secondary education throughout the country. In 1925 the school moved to the building currently known as Old Central High School at 714 South Westnedge.Kalamazoo Central High School History 1905-1948
On the fourth floor of the Old Central High School is currently located the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center, or KAMSC. Following the largest graduating class of 799 students in 1960, some Central High School students transferred to the newly opened

Loy Norrix High School Loy Norrix High School is a high school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serving students from grades nine through twelve. It is one of two high schools in the Kalamazoo Public Schools district. The student body totals at approximately 1,550. T ...

in 1961. Central High School moved to its current location in 1972.Kalamazoo Central High School History 1951-1989
After the introduction of the

scholarship program, the school along with the

Kalamazoo Public Schools Kalamazoo Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Graduates of the district are eligible to receive scholarships through the Kalamazoo Promise, a program launched in 2005 and funded by anonymous donors. The distri ...

system was placed into the national spotlight highlighted with a

Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...

visit. Enrollment in KPS has risen significantly, and the surrounding area has begun to find economic benefits. Buddy Holly and the Crickets played a show in the Old Central High School Auditorium on April 28, 1958.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 1,595 students enrolled in 2013-14 was: *Male - 48.7% *Female - 51.3% *Native American/Alaskan - 0.6% *Asian/Pacific islanders - 2.4% *Black - 49.1% *Hispanic - 8.7% *White - 33.7% *Multiracial - 5.5% 64.6% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Student activities

The Choir program competes in the MSVMA (Michigan State Vocal Music Association). The

Mock Trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting ...

team took first place at Nationals in 1996.

Athletics

Kalamazoo Central's Maroon Giants compete in the

Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference The Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference (also known as the SMAC or the Big 16) is a high school athletic conference in Southwestern Michigan. It is composed of Class A schools from the MHSAA in Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren c ...

. The school colors are maroon and white. The following MHSAA sanctioned sports are offered: *Bowling (boys & girls) *Football (boys) *Baseball (boys) *Basketball (boys & girls) **Boys state champion - 1932, 1938, 1949, 1950, 1951, 2010, 2011 *Softball (girls) *Soccer (boys & girls) *Track (boys & girls) **Boys state champion - 1933, 1942, 1965 *Tennis (boys & girls) **Boys state champion - 1937 **Girls state champion - 1972 *Wrestling (boys) *Swimming and Diving (boys & girls) *Lacrosse (boys & girls) ** *Ice hockey (boys) ** *Volleyball (girls) **State champion - 1996 *Golf (boys & girls) **Boys state champion - 1939, 1940 **Girls state champion - 1994, 1995, 1996 *Cross-Country (boys & girls) **Boys state champion - 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930(tied), 1931, 1935, 1943, 1946, 1950, 1954 *Skiing (boys & girls) *Competitive cheer (girls) **Kalamazoo United teams with

Notable alumni

* Neil Berry, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player (

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

) *

Don Boven Donald E. Boven (March 6, 1925 – March 10, 2011) was an American basketball player, coach, and university instructor. He was a World War II veteran who was a standout athlete at Western Michigan University. After playing professional basketball, ...

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

basketball player *

Jerome Harrison Jerome Harrison (born February 26, 1983) is a former American football running back who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Washington State University, and was recognized as a consensus All ...

, former NFL running back (Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions) * Ron Jackson, former MLB player (

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

) *

Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...

, former NFL wide receiver (

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

)

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player,

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

champion *

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

(1992), Captain of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

(2003–2014), five-time

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

champion and fourteen time All-Star, member High School Athletic Hall of Fame *

Jordan Klepper Jordan Klepper (born March 9, 1979) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, television host, and actor. He began his career as a member of The Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade. From 2014 to 2017, he was a corre ...

, comedian * Danny Lewis (born 1970), American-English basketball player *

Isaiah Livers Isaiah Maurice Livers (born July 28, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. He attended Kalamazoo Centr ...

, NBA player for the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

James McDivitt James Alton McDivitt (June 10, 1929 – October 13, 2022) was an American test pilot, United States Air Force (USAF) pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Gemini and Apollo programs. He joined the USAF in 1951 and flew 1 ...

(1947),

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

Scott Rehberg Scott Joseph Rehberg (born November 17, 1973) is an American former football guard who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was inducte ...

(1992), former NFL player (New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals) * Mike Squires,

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player * Frederick S. Strong, US Army major general * Kurt Thoroughman, professor of biomedical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis * Dorothy B. Waage, numismatist *

Duane Young Curtis Duane Young Sr. (born May 29, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Young was selected by the Sa ...

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

player

References

External links

Kalamazoo Central High School official site
{{authority control Public high schools in Michigan Educational institutions established in 1858 Schools in Kalamazoo, Michigan 1858 establishments in Michigan