John Glenn High School (Westland, Michigan)

History

One of two traditional high schools serving the Wayne-Westland Community Schools, John Glenn High School is located in the city of Westland, Michigan. The school, which opened in 1964, was named for astronaut John Glenn, who just two years prior had become the first American to orbit the Earth. The "space" theme dominates at JGHS, including the nickname (Rockets), yearbook (the Satellite), newspaper (the Explorer, formerly the Echo), and school store (the Gantry).

When John Glenn High School opened its doors in 1964, it did not have its own football field, having to play home games on the field of rival Wayne Memorial High School for the better part of its first decade. The building was only a fraction of its current size. To keep up with expanding enrollment in the 1970s and 1980s, new wings were added for Fine Arts and Special Education, as well as a new gymnasium and its own football and baseball fields. Fitting for a school named for an astronaut, JGHS is one of the few high schools in the state to feature a planetarium.

When John Glenn High School opened under principal Frank Higgins, it served students in grades 7–11, expanding to grades 8–12 from 1965 to 1967. After a brief stint as a four-year high school (9–12), it stabilized as a 10–12th grade school in 1970, finally returning to its 9–12 status in 1995 when the Wayne-Westland district adopted a middle school format.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 1,634 students enrolled in 2021–2022 was:

• Native American/Alaskan – 0.5%
• Asian/Pacific islanders – 2.1%
• African American – 37.6%
• Hispanic/Latino – 7%
• White – 49.2%
• Multiracial – 3.4%

49% of students were economically disadvantaged during the 2021–2022 school year

Athletics

The John Glenn Rockets are members of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. The school colors are red, white and blue. The following MHSAA sanctioned sports are offered:

• Baseball (boys)
• Basketball (boys and girls)
• Bowling (boys and girls)
• Competitive cheer (girls)
• Cross country (boys and girls)
• Football (boys)
• Golf (boys and girls)
• Soccer (boys and girls)
• Softball (girls)
• Swim and dive (boys and girls)
• Tennis (boys and girls)
• Track and field (boys and girls)
• Volleyball (girls)
• Wrestling (boys)

Prior to his tenure at the Michigan Wolverines football team, head coach Lloyd Carr coached the Rockets.

Notable alumni

• Keshawn Martin, New England Patriots wide receiver
• Tony Boles, University of Michigan running back
• Josh Gracin, country music singer
• Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears running back
• Jewell Jones, state representative
• Danielle Hartsell and Steve Hartsell, pairs figure skating US national champions 1999
• Guy Rucker, NBA player for the Golden State Warriors
• Mike Kelley, artist
• Jeffrey M. Monforton Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit

References

References

1. "John Glenn High School". National Center for Education Statistics.
2. "Search for Public Schools – School Detail for John Glenn High School".
3. "MHSAA > Schools".
4. "MI School Data Annual Education Report". MI School Data.
5. "[http://www.wwcsd.net/downloads/district_maps/johnglenn.pdf johnglenn.pdf]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20131103195654/http://wwcsd.net/assets/pdfs/maps/johnglenn.pdf Archive]) [[Wayne-Westland Community Schools]]. Retrieved on October 21, 2017.
6. (2011). "The Satellite". John Glenn High School.
7. (1965). "The Satellite". John Glenn High School.
8. (1965). "The Satellite". John Glenn High School.
9. (2016-04-19). "Westland John Glenn HS debuts state of the art planetarium".
10. Blum, Andrea. "Inkster councilman chosen to run to replace late state representative".