District Overview
Portage Schools, established in 1922, has 8,692 students for the
2009-2010 school-year. The District, which serves residents in the City of
Portage, and parts of Texas and Pavilion Townships, and a small portion of the
City of Kalamazoo, consists of 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2
comprehensive high schools, and Community High School.
The Magic of Learning
Portage Schools enjoys an extraordinary reputation as a place for outstanding
teachers and involved parents to help their students discover the magic of
learning and graduate with the education necessary for happy and productive
lives and successful careers. The District’s vision statement is “Portage Public
Schools will shape the future by empowering every student to contribute
intelligently and ethically in an information rich, global society.”
2009-2010 Honors
▪ 7 National Merit Semi-Finalists
▪ 24 AP Scholars
▪ Michigan Teacher of the Year for Business Education for 2009 was
awarded to Northern High School's Amy Meyer by the Michigan Business Education
Association.
2008-2009 Honors
▪ Newsweek "Top of the Class" national ranking for 2009, placeing Central
and Northern High Schools in the top 5% nationwide.
▪ 7 National Merit Finalist recipients.
▪ State Championship titles for
in Forensics (Northern High) and Women's Soccer (Central High) bringing the District’s total to 47.
▪ Laurel Scheidt at Northern High is a recipient of the national 2008-09
Outstanding Speech, Debate and Theatre
Educator Award and Northern’s Mike Scheidt was recently been inducted into
the Michigan Speech Hall of Fame.
▪ Certificate of Excellence in Financial
Reporting, Association of School Business Officials
(4th year in a row).
▪ Certificate of Achievement for
Excellence in Financial Reporting, Government Finance Officers Association
for the Business Office (3rd year in a row).
Recent Honors
▪ Our faculty members have won several state and national
“Teacher of the Year” awards. In 2008
the “Award for Excellence in Teaching History” to Kent Baker by the Michigan
Council for History Education and “Michigan Chemistry Teacher of the Year” by
the SW section/Michigan American Chemical Society to Jon Taylor.
▪ Central and Northern
High Schools made the 2008
Newsweek “Top of the Class” national ranking. The Huskies and Mustangs are the only
schools in the area to make the list, joining the ranks of 29 other
Michigan high schools in the
listing of the top 1,300 nationwide. All of the high schools making the list are
in the top 5% of high schools in the country, according to the criteria based on
Advanced Placement, IB, and/or Cambridge tests.
▪ Community High, one of the few
Michigan high schools using
Positive Behavior Support at all levels, is a two-time winner of
District of the Year by the Michigan Alternative and Adult Education Association.
Shaping the Future
Many "Firsts": First school district in the state to have its
high schools accredited with the International Baccalaureate program, first area
district to offer an online education program, first area district with Parent
Internet Viewer, and the first area district to have all schools wireless.
Our students, grades 3-12, continue to score in the 90th percentile,
rating above state and national averages
at each grade level and in each subject area and
90-93% of our seniors pursue college.
Faculty members have earned national
certification, presented at state and national conferences, published articles
in professional publications, and have won a variety of grants.
Updated October 30, 2009