Frankenmuth Education

Frankenmuth Education. . In 1846, Reverend August Craemer and his wife began a mission school in Frankenmuth for children of the Chippewa tribe, building the foundation of the educational system that would grow to nine St. Lorenz Church district schools by the early 1920s. The districts covered Frankenmuth Township and some areas beyond. Public and parochial education co-mingled in St. Lorenz schools, with state law requiring 100 days of public education annually. To comply, Frankenmuth conducted 200 half days of public education within the St. Lorenz system. Some subjects were taught in German, others in English. In 1901, the Michigan Superintendent of Schools ruled that public and private education must be separated. In 1902, a public school serving grades 1-8 was built on Genesee Street; later, it was expanded to serve grades 9 and 10. Those wishing to continue in grades 11 and 12 attended Saginaw or Arthur Hill High Schools until 1956, when Frankenmuth High opened., St. Lorenz began consolidating the district schools in 1927. On this site (245 S Main Street) in 1928, St. Lorenz dedicated a new Lutheran elementary school for grades 1-8. Through 1946, three-fourths of Frankenmuth's students were enrolled in St. Lorenz schools. Construction on the new St. Lorenz School began in 1957 and by 1962, it had 612 students on two campuses, making it the largest Lutheran elementary school in America., In 1965, the St. Lorenz congregation sold the school on this site to Frankenmuth School District, for use as a public middle school through 1979. The building was converted into a retail mall, serving as an incubator for many small businesses. The building was demolished in 2009 and the vacant site was purchased by Star of the West Milling Company. Frankenmuth's public schools are now located on East Genesee St. and St. Lorenz Lutheran School is on West Genesee St.