GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) – The Grand Rapids community gathered in celebration of a remarkable milestone -- 100 years of learning, growth, and impact at North Park School. Alumni, scholars, staff, and neighbors came together to honor a century of education and the enduring legacy of a school that has shaped generations.
“For many of you, these are the halls where you grew up, where key relationships were formed, where lessons were learned and memories were made,” said Dr. Brandy Lovelady Mitchell, GRPS Deputy Superintendent of Preschool-12 Learning & Leadership. “Whether it's been 30 years or 30 minutes since you last walked through the doors, we are all connected by this special place and that love, and that legacy will continue.”
“I hope you're able to make connections with old friends, old teachers, former classrooms,” said North Park Montessori Principal Dan Morse. “Although I have only been here for about 3-percent of this building's long and illustrious history, it's obvious to me why this place is so special.”
“As we celebrate North Park's 100th birthday, let's take a moment to reflect, to honor the past, and to remember that buildings hold memories,” said longtime North Park Montessori Teacher Jen Hall.
The story of North Park School District begins in 1875, with the humble Lamberton School — a one-room schoolhouse on Three Mile Road that served the local farming community. As the area grew, so did the district, opening the four-room Grove Avenue School in 1910 to meet the needs of more families.
In 1925, the North Park Board of Education opened the current school on Cheney Avenue. To support continued growth, additions were made to the building in 1948 and 1953.
During the population boom of the 1960s, the North Park Board of Education opened nearby Wellerwood School, named in honor of Superintendent Helen Weller, one of the first female superintendents in the area. Later that decade, North Park made a transformative decision: to join Grand Rapids Public Schools, becoming part of the largest district in the region.
