West Ottawa High School

History

The high school was founded in 1958, a year after 13 small K-8 districts north of Holland merged into a single K-12 district. For years, these districts had sent their children to Holland High School, but Holland Public Schools insisted on a full merger after finding out the rural areas were outgrowing the city. After four years of holding classes at the former school building in Beechwood, the first dedicated building opened on 136th Avenue in Park Township in 1962. Originally named Suburban High School, it later changed its name to West Ottawa High School. The school moved to its current building in 2005, while the old high school building is now home to Harbor Lights Middle School.

A new section of the high school was constructed and completed in 2005 due to the large student body at the school (about 2,500 students, the largest in Ottawa County). The current campus now consists of two buildings approximately 500 yards apart. In February 2022, Kristine Jernigan became the first female principal of West Ottawa.

Academics

West Ottawa offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses and an International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in dual-enrollment programs with area colleges. Participating colleges include Davenport University, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Hope College, and Kendall College of Art and Design.

Arts

In 2007, West Ottawa was awarded the Grammy Foundation Signature School. West Ottawa was selected as a nationwide finalist in 2010.

Band and Orchestra

The West Ottawa Band and Orchestra program is divided into three bands (Symphony, Wind Symphony, and Concert) and three orchestras (Concert Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra).

The West Ottawa Marching Panthers participate in the Michigan School Band & Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District 10 Marching Festival, the area Christmas Parade, Tulip Time Parades, and Memorial Day Parade.

The high school is home to the West Ottawa Percussion Ensemble, which was named best in the state in 2007 and 2008, and was given the opportunity to perform at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival at Western Michigan University.

Choir

Choirs include the Vocalaires, Men Of West Ottawa, West Ottawa Select Women's Ensemble, Bella Voce and Bel Canto.

Theatre

Each year, West Ottawa Theatre presents 3 productions: a large-scale fall musical, a large-scale winter or spring play, and a middle school musical. West Ottawa is Troupe 5081 in the International Thespian Society.

Athletics

The West Ottawa varsity baseball team won the 2003 MHSAA state championship.

The girls swimming team was the MHSAA Division 1 state champion in 2012.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 2,166 students enrolled in 2020-21 was:

• Male - 53.0%
• Female - 47.0%
• Native American - 0.3%
• Asian - 7.8%
• Black - 3.0%
• Hispanic - 37.2%
• Pacific Islander - 0.1%
• White - 46.9%
• Multiracial - 4.8%

In addition, 797 students (36.8%) were eligible for reduced-price or free lunch.

Notable people

• Tony Annese - head football coach at Ferris State University.
• Margo F. Jonker - former softball coach, now head coach at Central Michigan University.
• Desmond Morgan - linebacker at U of M.
• Rob Renes - football co-captain at U of M, semi-finalist for the Lombardi Award.
• Jake Van Tubbergen (born 1998) - basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Matt Vanderbeek (born 1967) - former NFL player.

References

References

1. "MI School Data Annual Education Report". MI School Data.
2. Kloosterman, Stephen. (September 19, 2008). "WO turns 50: District has evolved during past half-century". The Holland Sentinel.
3. "West Ottawa High School".
4. http://www.westottawa.net/westottawa/files/2012/06/wohs_course_book_20122013.pdf {{Dead link. (February 2022)
5. Staff reports. (August 2025). "West Ottawa's music department a finalist for national award". Holland Sentinel.
6. Staff Writer. "West Ottawa singers have successful day".
7. "Yearly Champions - Baseball - MHSAA Sports".
8. "Team Champions". mhsaa.com.
9. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for West Ottawa High School Campus".
10. "Hall Of Fame".