{{short description|School district in Michigan}} {{Infobox school district | name = Spring Lake Public Schools | streetaddress = 345 Hammond Street<ref name="website">{{cite web| author= Spring Lake Public Schools| title= Spring Lake Public Schools| url= https://www.springlakeschools.org| access-date= September 21, 2025}}</ref> | city = Spring Lake | county = Ottawa | state = Michigan | zipcode = 49456 | country = United States | superintendent = Dennis Furton<ref>{{cite web| author= Spring Lake Public Schools| title= Staff Directory Central Office| url= https://www.springlakeschools.org/our-district/staff-directory| access-date= September 21, 2025}}</ref> | schools = 6<ref name=NCES/> | budget = $35,832,000 2021-2022 expenditures<ref name=NCES/> | students = 2,297 (2023-2024)<ref name=NCES/> | teachers = 143.21 {{FTE}} (2023-2024)<ref name=NCES/> | staff = 304.17 FTE (2023-2024)<ref name=NCES/> | ratio = 16.04 (2023-2024)<ref name=NCES/> | grades = Pre-Kindergarten-12 | us_nces_district_id = {{NCES District ID|2632550|district_name=Spring Lake Public Schools|ref_name=NCES}} | website = {{URL|https://www.springlakeschools.org}} }}

'''Spring Lake Public Schools''' is a public school district headquartered in Spring Lake, Michigan. It serves the village of Spring Lake and most of Spring Lake Township (except for a portion in the north zoned to Grand Haven Area Public Schools and a portion in the east zoned to Fruitport Community Schools) and parts of Crockery Township in Ottawa County.<ref name=OttawaDistricts>{{Cite web |author= Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget| title=Ottawa County School Districts| url=https://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_OTTAWA%20COUNTY.pdf|access-date=September 21, 2025}}</ref>

==History== The first school in Spring Lake was built in 1844. Known as Barber Street School, it remained in service until 1855, when a new school was built, and it was moved and put to other uses. In 1988, it was moved to the southwest corner of West Exchange Street and South Buchanan Street and renovated for community use.<ref name="history">{{cite web| last= Jones| first= Barb| title= Organization and History of the Spring Lake Township Schools| url= https://www.migenweb.org/ottawa/schools/springlake/schhistory.html| access-date= September 21, 2025}}</ref>

A union school district was established in 1867, and a Union School was built in 1869. On May 11, 1893, half of Spring Lake village was destroyed in a fire,<ref>{{cite news| title= Great Events of 1893| date= December 28, 1893| publisher= Ann Arbor Register| url= https://aadl.org/node/528008}}</ref> including the Union School. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1894. It was located across Exchange Street from the current site of Barber Street School.<ref name="history"/>

In 1951, Holmes Elementary was built.<ref name="history"/> The Jeffers school district and its three-room school, Jeffers Elementary, was annexed by Spring Lake district in 1957. By 1969, the district had built several additions to Jeffers Elementary.<ref>{{cite news| last= Oslund| first= Carol| title= New library is eye catcher| date= November 14, 1969| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 5}}</ref>

As of 1957, the Union School was still in use as a junior high school. An article in the Grand Haven Tribune called it a "‘horse and buggy’ building which was built in 1893 and enlarged in 1919. In case of fire the youngsters on the upper floor must slide down the ‘chute.’ [A fire escape slide attached to the outside of the building.] … Lighting, ventilation, and other structural problems are not easy to solve …"<ref>{{cite news| title= Why Spring Lake needs a new junior high school| date= November 8, 1957| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 8}}</ref>

In November 1957, voters passed a bond issue to build a new junior high school at 345 Hammond Street.<ref>{{cite news| title= Reports Tri-Cities face vast school construction| date= November 20, 1957| publisher= Grand Rapids Press| page= 43}}</ref> It was dedicated on November 30, 1959.<ref name="middle">{{cite news| title= S.L. Junior High to be all set for Nov. 30 dedication| date= November 20, 1959| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 1}}</ref> By 1961, the community was debating establishing a high school of its own instead of sending its high school students to Grand Haven High School.<ref>{{Cite news| title= Letters to the editor| date= November 16, 1961| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 6}}</ref>

In fall 1963, additions to house a high school were completed at the junior high school.<ref>{{cite news| title= SL Senior High open house, Sept. 3| date= July 13, 1963| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 2}}</ref> Ninth and tenth grade were added that year, and by 1965, the high school went to grade twelve.<ref name="history"/>

The current high school was dedicated on June 15, 2000<ref name="dedication">{{cite news| last= Miller| first= Cynthia L.| title= New $16.4 million high school ready for unveiling| date= June 2, 2000| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 2B}}</ref> and opened in fall 2000.<ref>{{cite news| title= Housing development near new high school on road to approval| date= October 10, 2000| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 1}}</ref> The architecture firm Fanning/Howey Inc. designed the building.<ref name="dedication"/> The former junior/senior high school building became the district's middle school and intermediate school.<ref name="schools"/>

Substantial reconstruction of Jeffers and Holmes Elementaries was completed in fall 2016.<ref>{{cite news| last= Wagner| first= Krystle| title= Celebrating Holmes Elementary School| date= September 19, 2016| publisher= Grand Haven Tribune| page= 1}}</ref>

==Schools== {| class="wikitable" |+Schools in Spring Lake Public Schools district<ref name="schools">{{cite web| author= Spring Lake Public Schools| title= Our Schools menu| url= https://www.springlakeschools.org| access-date= September 21, 2025}}</ref> ! School !! Address !! Notes |- | Spring Lake High School ||16140 148th Ave., Spring Lake ||Grades 9-12. Built 2000.<ref name="dedication"/> |- | Spring Lake Middle School ||345 Hammond St., Spring Lake ||Grades 7-8. Shares a building with Spring Lake Intermediate School. Built 1959.<ref name="middle"/> |- | Spring Lake Intermediate School ||345 Hammond St., Spring Lake ||Grades 5-6. Shares a building with Spring Lake Middle School. |- | Holmes Elementary ||426 River St., Spring Lake ||Grades PreK-4. Built 1951.<ref name="history"/> |- | Jeffers Elementary ||16031 144th Ave., Spring Lake ||Grades PreK-4 |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.springlakeschools.org Spring Lake Public Schools]

Category:School districts in Michigan Category:Education in Ottawa County, Michigan