District History

In the beginning of this decade, our nation had become involved in World War II, and many students and former students quickly became part of the U. S. Armed Forces. A popular student in the Class of 1933, Clifford Gilliam, was remembered by his class with a bronze memorial and beautiful evergreen tree in the front of the school building. In this same time period, a greenhouse was added to the building with an entrance through Room 6, which was the agricultural lab where Mr. Waldo Proctor taught from 1925 to 1954.

Also, during this period, the second largest addition in the school’s history was added to the South Wing for elementary school classes. One of the two major features of this addition was an elementary school gymnasium/auditorium. It could hold 100 people in temporary seating and had an excellent and well-lighted stage where many plays were presented in the years that followed. Under the auditorium were several large storage areas known as “Fort Knox.”
The other major feature of the South Wing addition contained eight elementary classrooms. The four rooms on the first floor (119, 120, 121, and 122) had a storage room between 119 and 120 for elementary school supplies. The four rooms on the second floor (221, 222, 223, and 224) also had a storage room between 222 and 224. At this time, kindergarten classes were added to the building.

It was obvious by the end of this decade that there was a need for additional school buildings in the Walled Lake School District. This was especially true in the elementary school grades. Six elementary schools were built in various parts of the Walled Lake School District. The elementary school or south wing was then converted into junior and senior high school classes.

The Walled Lake Consolidated School building’s use changed dramatically in this decade. A separate high school was built on South Commerce Road in 1954. It was built at the cost of $25 per square foot and 200 people served on the planning committee. The new building was named Walled Lake High School when it opened in 1955. At that same time, the building on Pontiac Trail was renamed Walled Lake Junior High School. Its varied facilities, which had housed kindergarten through the 12th grade, were now used entirely by grades seven, eight and nine. During this time, a modernization occurred in the 1922 portion of the building. Most of the original windows were replaced with glass, brick upper parts and smaller, manually-operated metal windows along the bottom of the glass brick portions.

Walled Lake Junior High School took pride in its academic performance and also in its athletic successes. In addition, the students were given many opportunities for enrichment through after-school club activities. Of the more than ten clubs at this time, two are especially worthy of note. One was the ATWAS Club (All the World’s a Stage). This club presented many excellent dramas under the direction of Mrs. Mary Lott and later Mr. Garth McAllister. The other club of special merit was the Explorers’ Club whose varied activities were led by Mr. John Moffat for its more than 20 years of existence. Each year, the club went on six Saturday excursions to places of special interest in Southeastern Michigan. The club members appeared on several television channels, met many celebrities, and were present at the arrival of the first jet plane in Michigan.

The student body had a full hour for lunch and could eat in the local restaurants or in the science room until the cafeteria opened. The school buses in those days were painted red, white, and blue and were housed in a fenced area behind the school. In 1945, they purchased buses at the cost of $2,500 each.

The most popular activity of the student body was the annual trip to the famous Walled Lake Amusement Park. Students of the Walled Lake Junior High School were given free tickets to ride the more than 20 attractions in the eight acre park. The favorite was the roller coaster, which at the time was the highest in Michigan.

This decade saw many changes in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District. In 1964, the Board decided to build a new junior high in the north end of the District. Tradition was broken by naming the building after an individual instead of the geographic area. Clifford Smart had been the District’s longest serving Superintendent of Schools and later was the area’s representative to the State House of Representatives. In the House of Representatives, Mr. Smart’s work was so outstanding that he was elected Leader of the Republican Party. He sat in one of the three chairs of honor in front of the Michigan legislature.

Walled Lake Junior High School received its last additions in 1964. A cafeteria and two industrial arts rooms were constructed on the building’s south wing. The other addition was added to the north wing. A small gymnasium was added to the larger, older one, and the home economics rooms were enlarged.

At this same time, the library became a media center. The ceiling was lowered and the ceiling of the media center was increased by using the space formerly occupied by two classrooms.

The Walled Lake School District was also enlarged during this time period. In 1967, Walled Lake annexed the former Dublin School District to increase the District’s size to its full and current 55 square miles. This annexation with its additional population caused the need for a second senior high school building. The new building on Beck Road became Western High School in 1969. Western and Central High Schools absorbed the ninth graders from both the junior highs. From 1969, Walled Lake Junior High School housed only seventh and eighth graders.

In this decade, the main changes in the Walled Lake Junior High Building were in its curriculum. For many years, Walled Lake had been a leader in the state in the “Core Class” concept. Students in the seventh and eighth grades had the same teacher for almost half of their school day in a three period block of language arts and geography in seventh grade and language arts and history in eighth grade. For several years, these students were grouped according to their reading ability.

This decade saw a movement away from the “Core Class” concept by integrating more elective classes. During this time, the State of Michigan mandated that student textbooks, paper and pencils should be supplied by the schools. Therefore, the Student Book Store became an office for the assistant principal.

Since the ever-growing student population of the district brought about a great increase in administrators and specialists, an administration building was built adjacent to Walled Lake Junior High in the late 1950’s. Mr. Smart’s office was there by the time he left in 1965. Also, several of the former Walled Lake Junior High classrooms were converted to district offices including rooms 2, 4, 5, 6, 108, 110, 111 and 112.

The seventh decade of the Walled Lake Consolidated School building saw a series of changes to the building. All the old wooden multi-pane windows of the 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1942 additions were replaced with double-pane aluminum windows which included upper green shade-shields.

With the increased interest in the study of science, labs were built in the west lower level area of the 1922 building, where the first gymnasium and lunchroom were located.

Rooms 206 and 208 became a center for the combination study of typing and computers. The rooms for the school counselors were also improved by moving them to the former classroom/school district office of 106.

In 1984 the Community Education offices were cubicles in the school basement. At this time, Dr. Don Sheldon was the superintendent, and Hugh “Bud” Davies was his assistant superintendent. Roy Danley was the WLJHS principal and Joan Heinz was hired shortly after as the assistant principal. Robert Duff was the Community Education director. In those days, there was a contentious Board of Education and soon Don Sheldon and Robert Duff found other positions or retired. Dr. Leroy Bartman became the new district leader and Dave Dursum took the position of Community Education director. The Adult Education department developed many vocational programs such as cosmetology, phlebotomy, auto body repair and computer programming. They also installed a learning center at the Wixom Ford Assembly Plant. It was a challenging, yet rewarding time.

Dr. James Geisler was hired as superintendent in 1988. Shortly before he arrived, Dr. Carl Pacacha joined the District as assistant superintendent; Dave Dursum, took a position in Royal Oak, and Rob Masson became the Community Education director. Vickie Banyash, who then was Adult Education supervisor, said: “I believe that no one loved that building the way Rob did.”

With the dedication of the new Walled Lake Middle School in 1992, the Walled Lake Consolidated School building of 1922 celebrated its 70th birthday and entered a new phase in its long and useful history as the District’s Community Education Center with Rob Masson as the building administrator.

At that time, the new Community Education Center began housing all of the satellite programs, including Teen Moms, New Potentials, Adult Ed classes, preschool and other programs. In no time, the old building was full of students and participants of all ages. Foreign born students came to take English as a Second Language (ESL classes), nurseries were installed for the Teen Moms babies, preschool children ran and climbed in the new playground, and high school students attending New Potentials were filling classrooms.

In 1993, the District administration moved into the Educational Services Center at 850 Ladd Road, across the street from the Community Education Center. Also in that time frame William “Bill” Hamilton came into the District along with Dr. Steve Gaynor. They both wanted an improved high school option for the alternative students. Dr. Hamilton assembled a committee consisting of the two high school principals, Richard Smith and Dennis Champnella along with the Staff Development director Sandra Feely, and Vickie Banyash, the then supervisor of Adult Education, to develop Community High School.

Community High School opened in January 1995. Vickie Banyash was appointed the school’s administrator. Banyash said: “I began the best position of my entire career.”

The Community High School students had the advantage of support staff including a substance abuse counselor, a teen mom facilitator, a police liaison officer, a child care nursery, a staff committed to mentoring as well as individualized learning, and a school meant for new beginnings and a fresh start.

In 1998, Walled Lake Consolidated Schools opened two new middle schools, Walnut Creek and Sarah G. Banks. The later named after a pioneer woman, Dr. Sarah Gertrude Banks. Dr. Banks was born in Walled Lake on June 11, 1839. She was one of the first three women to graduate from the University of Michigan Medical School back in 1873. Dr. Banks practiced medicine for 50 years and co-founded Detroit's Free Dispensary for Women and Children. She was also a vocal advocate for women's rights and got to vote for the first time right before she died on January 10, 1924. 

The Transitions program moved to CEC in 2002 from Walled Lake Central High School where the 14-26 year old program was combined for several years. Teacher Janie Main, who was a certified Transition coordinator, developed an authentic Transition program for 18-26 year olds. This was the beginning of micro-businesses, including a store where the students learn to shop, stock, re-stock, count money and inventory for their own store, with Community High students and staff as their customers. This provided an opportunity for Transition students to develop social skills.

Also in the fall of 2002, the CEC gym was dedicated for the former teacher and coach, Niles E. Freeland, who was a highly respected educator from 1939-1976.
The Community High School continued for 15 years, graduating an average of 50 students per year, mentoring and assisting hundreds of students to overturn and change negative behaviors and learn to make positive choices for their lives. “Many former Community High students credit Community High School for a second chance that saved them,” Banyash added.

The new millennium brought serious budget constraints to the Walled Lake School District. In 2009, the District continued to suffer severe budget cuts and Community High School became too expensive. Sadly, the program at CEC was discontinued and many of the staff transferred to positions at the District’s high schools.

Although Community High was no longer at CEC, the Transitions Program, Community Education, Recreation, Adult Education, preschool programs, including Head Start and Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) and Prime Time Care, before, after and summer school child care, continued and flourished. Prime Time Care programs began in 2003 and currently serves more than 1,800 children at 16 buildings.

In 2005, Rob Masson retired after serving WLCSD for more than 18 years and Janelle McGuire was named Community Education director. Prior to Masson retiring, at the Community High graduation, Mr. Richard Beagle, then in his late 70s, was granted a WLCSD high school diploma. A new Veterans Administration law granted public schools permission to award diplomas to veterans who left high school to serve our country. Mr. Beagle left his senior year of high school to serve in the Korean War.

In 2006, the District expanded its recognition programs and began honoring community members, who made lifelong contributions to the District, with the construction of the Wall of Fame in the CEC’s main hallway. It’s first honoree was former assistant superintendent Rolland Langerman. Subsequent honorees included: Naomi Smith, 2007; Mary Weborg, 2008; Barbara Garbutt, 2009; and Evelyn Brown in 2010.

The CEC Closes Its Doors

The CEC continues to hum, with expanded Preschool Programs, Adult Education, added micro-businesses for the Transitions program and a plethora of Recreation classes, camps and programs for all ages.

With Dr. Lora Stout as the director of Community Education, Professional Development and Grants, Adult Education has flourished with English Language Learners filling the halls; many who take their children to one of the many preschool programs that participate in one of the Adult Education classes.

Jim Calhoun, who has worked in Community Recreation for the District for nearly 30 years, has been the supervisor for the past 12 years. With 18,000 registrations annually, community members of all ages have the opportunity to participate in one of the classes to Explore, Evolve and Enjoy life.

Approximately 95 young adults have attended the CEC Transition programming.

Calhoun said: “Throughout my many years involved in the great programs the CEC has offered our community, many things come to memory. First, the bat, “Charlie,” that has given me the pleasure of coming in at 2 a.m. because he yet again flew past a motion sensor and tripped the alarm. I recall the tremendous applause received during a first/second-grade basketball game when the ball finally went in. I will never forget watching the volcano experiment flood lava on the floor in science camp. Mostly, I will always remember fondly the many faces and smiles that have had the opportunity to experience the assortment of classes, programs and events at the CEC!”

He also noted: “I can still see the one-and-two-year-olds in our toddler classes; and I can hear the kind words spoken by so many people about our yoga instructor, Mimi Holland-Moritz, who was my fourth-grade teacher and staff alumni from the building. I will always recall watching the kids trick-or-treat down the CEC halls. This facility has been utilized to its fullest extent!”

Whether it is a recreation event, family fun night, a Daddy-Daughter dance, Adult Education class, new Transitions micro-business, or a volunteer basketball coaches meeting, the CEC building will remain imbedded in the many memories of the Walled Lake Schools community forever.