Wikipedia

Forest Hills Central High School

Forest Hills Central High School is located in Ada Township, Michigan, near Grand Rapids.[3][4] It is one of three high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools system. The district also includes Forest Hills Eastern High School (FHE) and Forest Hills Northern High School (FHN).

Forest Hills Central High School
Address
Map
5901 Hall St SE

Grand Rapids
,
Michigan
49546

United States
Coordinates42°56′37″N 85°31′22″W / 42.9436°N 85.5229°W / 42.9436; -85.5229
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1958 (1958) (first graduating class 1961)
PrincipalJonathan Haga
Teaching staff50.11 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,053[1] (2022-23)
Student to teacher ratio21.01[1]
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s)Forest green and white
    [2]
Athletics conferenceOttawa-Kent Conference White Division
NicknameRangers[2]
Websitewww.fhps.net/high-schools/central

History

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Forest Hills Central High School (originally "Forest Hills High School") became the first high school of the newly formed Forest Hills School District in the fall of 1958. The doors opened in September with only freshman and sophomore students. The first graduating class was 1961.

The school was memorable for its campus style construction consisting eventually of thirteen separate buildings, including an auditorium added in 1977. The classroom buildings were long hallways, which connected five or six individual rooms. Michigan winters were not amenable to the open campus and the constant walks outside from building to building. In addition, the student population continued to grow, and the buildings began to quickly deteriorate. In 1986, Central High was completely rebuilt with the exception of the auditorium, the gymnasium, the cafeteria, and the art/industrial arts wing, all of which were incorporated into one new building. Since that time, the school has undergone numerous building and remodeling projects.

In 2009, the building underwent a multimillion-dollar construction project that included a new weight room, student and staff parking lots, main office renovation, athletic field entrance, athletic office, classrooms, and a new gym entrance and foyer. Also added to the new gym entrance were heated sidewalks. In 2010, the auditorium was remodeled.

Demographics

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The demographic breakdown of the 1,315 students enrolled in 2015-16 was:

GENDER

  • Male - 49.0%
  • Female - 51.0%

ETHNIC BACKGROUND

  • Native American/Alaskan - 0.3%
  • Asian - 6.2%
  • Black - 2.5%
  • Hispanic - 1.7%
  • White - 85.6%
  • Multiracial - 3.7%

7.1% of the students were eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Athletics

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Forest Hills Central's athletic teams compete under the "Rangers" mascot. Most teams compete in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White division. Forest Hills Central offers the following varsity sports:

Boys' sports

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  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Bowling
  • Cross-country
  • Football – 1994, 2022 state runner-up Division 2,[5] 2023 Champions Division 3[5]
  • Golf – 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2010 state runner-up, 2009, 2011 state champions[6]
  • Hockey
  • Lacrosse – 2007 was the first year of competition separate from Forest Hills Northern. Prior to that, the two schools fielded a combined team. 1990 state champions, 2008 runners-up. 2010 Division II State Champions. 2012 Division II State Champions 2013 Division II state runners-up.[7] 2016 State Champions, 2018 Runner Up State Champions, 2019 State Champions, 2022 State Champions, 2023 State Champions.
  • Skiing – 1996 state champions[8]
  • Rowing — 2022 JV4+ SRAA Nationals 3rd place medalist,[9] 2023 Varsity 4+ SRAA Nationals 3rd place medalist[9]
  • Soccer – 2004, 2015 state champions[10]
  • Swimming and diving
  • Tennis – 1998, 2003, 2014, 2015 state champions; 2001, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2016 runner-up[11]
  • Wrestling

Girls' sports

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  • Basketball
  • Bowling
  • Cross-country
  • Competitive cheer
  • Field hockey
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Lacrosse
  • Rowing – 2022 JV8+ SRAA Nationals 7th place finisher[9]
  • Skiing – 2017 state champions[12]
  • Soccer – 2005, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2022 state champions; 2003 runner-up[13]
  • Softball
  • Swimming and diving – 1993, 1994 state champions, 1995, 2007 runner-up[14]
  • Tennis – 1985, 2023 state runner-up[15]
  • Track and field
  • Volleyball – 1986, 1987 state runner-up
  • Water polo
  • Wrestling – 2020 state champions

Weekend education

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The Grand Rapids Supplemental School (グランドラピッズ補習授業校 Gurando Rappizu Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a part-time Japanese school, holds its classes at the high school.[16]

Notable alumni

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In the film American Pie, the "Central Chicks" and "Central" Lacrosse team that East Great Falls High School plays against is an amalgam of Forest Hills Central High School.[22] East Great Falls, in turn, is based on the nearby East Grand Rapids High School.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Central High School". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Forest Hills Central High School". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  3. ^ "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Ada township, MI (Part 2) (Archive). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on April 6, 2015. See Part 1 of Ada Township (Archive), See Overall (Archive)
  4. ^ "Contact Us." Forest Hills Central High School. Retrieved on April 6, 2015. "Central High School 5901 Hall Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546"
  5. ^ a b "MHSAA Yearly Results". Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  6. ^ "Team Champions - Boys Golf". MHSAA Sports. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
  7. ^ "FHCLacrosse.com". Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  8. ^ "MHSAA Yearly Results". Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  9. ^ a b c "FHC Rowing Team". Retrieved 2012-05-04.
  10. ^ "MHSAA Yearly Results". Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  11. ^ "Boys Tennis Team Champions 1925-2022". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  12. ^ "MHSAA Yearly Results". Archived from the original on 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  13. ^ "Girls Soccer Champions 1983-2023". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  14. ^ "Team Champions – Girls Swimming & Diving". MHSAA Sports. Archived from the original on 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
  15. ^ "Girls Tennis Team Champions 1972-2023". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  16. ^ "北米の補習授業校一覧（平成25年4月15日現在）." () MEXT. Retrieved on May 5, 2014. "Forest Hills Central High School 5901 Hall St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 U.S.A."
  17. ^ "2009 Keynote Speaker - Reed Timmer". Northwest Council for Computer Education. 2009-02-20. Archived from the original on 2015-11-27. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
  18. ^ Kyle Visser Archived 2017-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Wake Forest. Accessed February 21, 2017. "Forest Hills Central High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., 2003"
  19. ^ Mathews, Reena. "FHC alumna Senator Gretchen Whitmer is running for Governor". The Central Trend. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  20. ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Biographies". State of Wisconsin 2009-2010 Blue Book (PDF) (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 10. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  21. ^ Sanford, James. "Kim Zimmer talks about portraying Norma Desmond in the Barn Theatre's Sunset Boulevard", The Ann Arbor News, August 21, 2011. Accessed February 21, 2017. "Written in a free-wheeling 'Can-we-talk?' style, the book chronicles her journey from Forest Hills Central High School and Hope College to San Francisco, New York and, naturally, the mythical town of Springfield, where Zimmer ruled the roost for more than 25 years as Reva Shayne, the guiding light of the CBS daytime drama “The Guiding Light."
  22. ^ eeggs.com (May 28, 2000). "American Pie Reunion". Eeggs.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  23. ^ "The Michigan Daily Online". umich.edu. February 29, 2008. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2012 – via Web Archive.
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