Gwinn Area Community Schools
| Gwinn Area Community Schools | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
50 West M-35[1]
, Marquette County, Michigan, 49841United States | |
| District information | |
| Grades | PreKindergarten–12 |
| Superintendent | Sara Croney[2] |
| Schools | 3[3] |
| Budget | $14,649,000 2021-2022 expenditures[3] |
| NCES District ID | 2614690[3] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 907 (2024-2025)[3] |
| Teachers | 66 (on an FTE basis) (2024-2025)[3] |
| Staff | 161.7 FTE (2024-2025)[3] |
| Student–teacher ratio | 13.74 (2024-2025)[3] |
| District mascot | Modeltowners |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Gwinn Area Community Schools is a public school district in Marquette County, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It serves Gwinn, K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, the townships of Forsyth, Skandia, and West Branch, and parts of the townships of Marquette and Sands.[4]
History
William Gwinn Mather, president of the mining company that founded the town, designed Gwinn as a planned community around 1906. Maher's intentions for an idyllic town earned it the nickname the "Model Town," and "Modeltowners" became the name of Gwinn Schools' sports teams.[5][6] The first class (consisting of one student named Jane Pepin) graduated from Gwinn High School in 1909.[7] A new school was built that same year and expanded in 1915.[8]
The current Gwinn High School opened in fall 1963. With K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base a major presence in the town, construction was funded by the United States Office of Education.[9] Gwinn Middle School opened in November 1967 on the site of the old Gwinn School.[10][11]
In 1988, a natural gas leak under the street seeped into the high school's basement weight room. The spark of a light switch ignited a small explosion, injuring twenty students and staff.[12]
The air force base, which had contributed to district enrollment through service members’ children, closed in 1995.[13]
Schools
| School | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gwinn Middle/High School | 50 W M-35, Gwinn | Grades 6–12. Built 1963.[9] |
| George D. Gilbert Elementary | 250 W Iron St., Gwinn | Grades 3–5. |
| K. I. Sawyer Elementary | 411 Scorpion, Gwinn | Grades PreK-2. |
References
- ^ a b Gwinn Area Community Schools. "Gwinn Area Community Schools". Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ Gwinn Area Community Schools. "Staff". Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Gwinn Area Community Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
- ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Marquette County School Districts (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Lansing: Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ Gwinn Sawyer Chamber of Commerce. "History of Gwinn". Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ "Gwinn Model Town Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ Editorial staff of Gwinn High School yearbook. 100th Year Gwinn's Centennial Edition (2008 Gwinn High School yearbook). p. 1.
- ^ Editorial staff of Gwinn High School yearbook. 1958 Gwinner (1958 Gwinn High School yearbook). p. 3.
- ^ a b "Peninsula Potpourri". Escanaba Daily Press. April 3, 1962. p. 4.
- ^ Editorial staff of Gwinn High School yearbook. 100th Year Gwinn's Centennial Edition (2008 Gwinn High School yearbook). p. 1.
- ^ Editorial staff of Gwinn High School yearbook. Gwinner 1966 (1966 Gwinn High School yearbook). p. 38.
- ^ Editorial staff of Gwinn High School yearbook. Gwinn High School 1988 yearbook. p. 3.
- ^ Editorial staff of Gwinn High School yearbook. Changing Times 1995 (Gwinn High School 1995 yearbook). p. 6.