Forest Hills Central High School is located in Ada Township, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. 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).
As of the 2014â€"15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,305 students and 67.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentâ€"teacher ratio of 19.3:1. There were 68 students (5.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 27 (2.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
History
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.
Athletics
Forest Hills Central's athletic teams compete under the "Rangers" mascot. Most teams compete in the Ottawa-Kent Conference White division. Forest Hills Central currently offers the following varsity sports:
Boys' sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cross-country
- Football â€" 1994 state runner-up
- Golf â€" 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2010 state runner-up, 2009, 2011 state champions
- Hockey
- Lacrosse â€" 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.
- Skiing â€" 1996 state champions
- Soccer â€" 2004, 2015 state champions
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis â€" 1998, 2003 state champions, 2001, 2002, 2011 runner-up, 2014 state champions, 2015 state champions, 2016 state champions
- Wrestling
Girls' sports
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cross-country
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Skiing
- Soccer â€" 2005, 2007, 2008, 2017 state champions, 2003 runner-up
- Softball
- Swimming and diving â€" 1993, 1994 state champions, 1995, 2007 runner-up
- Tennis â€" 1985 state runner-up
- Track and field
- Volleyball â€" 1986, 1987 state runner-up
- Water polo
Music
Theatre
At Forest Hills Central, there are several theatre classes offered. These include Theatre I, Theatre II, and Musical Theatre. The Theatre Program at the school puts on several shows and events every year, including the Fall Play, the Spring Musical, a talent show entitled "Random Acts of Talent", and an improvisation show known as "Improv Central".
Weekend education
The Grand Rapids Supplemental School (グランドラãƒ"ッズ補ç¿'授æ¥æ ¡ Gurando Rappizu HoshÅ« JugyÅ KÅ), a part-time Japanese school, holds its classes at the high school.
Notable alumni
- Gretchen Whitmer (born 1971), Michigan state legislator
- Kyle Visser (born 1985, class of 2003), professional basketball player
- Kim Zimmer (born 1955), actress, Guiding Light and Santa Barbara
- Eric Rosengren (born 1993), convicted serial killer
References
