Grandville — Formerly known as Grandville High School and then Grandville Middle School, the building at 3535 Wilson Ave. SW will have a new name when it welcomes fifth- and sixth-graders next fall.
Oakestown Intermediate School will open for instruction in August 2024 as the district revamps its upper elementary structure and moves grades five and six to their own building.
Superintendent Roger Bearup said the name pays homage to both the founder of Grandville, Charles Oakes, and the city’s origins. In the early 1830s, the town at the “bend in the river” was initially called Oakestown.
The name was chosen following a community-wide contest, during which the committee received 167 suggestions for a new name; the district said around 16 of those suggestions included a variation of the “Oakes” theme.
“We are excited to honor the tradition of this great community while creating an intermediate school steeped in high student engagement, innovation, peer relationships and family involvement,” Bearup told SNN. “It will be a truly amazing learning environment for fifth- and sixth-grade scholars!”
The building is currently undergoing renovations to transform the space into a school tailored to suit intermediate education.
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