Education

The first school in the area opened in 1820 in response to the Potawatomi Indians request for educational and religious support from the U.S. government. Reverend Isaac McCoy moved his existing Indian Mission School from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to a site just west of present day Niles. The school – named the Carey Mission School – employed three teachers and had about 30 students. In 1847, Father E. Sorin, founder of the University of Notre Dame, began St. Mary’s of the Immaculate Conception Church in Niles, which housed a small school dedicated to teaching religion, reading and writing to children. St. Mary’s continues to educate the children of the community today.

My Town, My School, My Future —The Niles Community School System

The national award-winning Niles Community School System offers residents an opportunity for both children and young adults to grow into successful citizens. Dedicated, caring teachers and administrative staff are committed to helping each and every student reach their full potential. Nearly 80 percent of the graduates pursue higher education after high school graduation.

Early Learners — Northside Child Development Center

The Niles Community School System understands the importance of starting each student off on their path to learning with a strong, basic foundation. The Northside Child Development Center provides a positive beginning for students through a variety of developmentally appropriate programs such as Kindergarten, Begindergarten, Head Start, Preschool Special Education, Infant/Toddler Special Needs Programs, Speech Therapy and Parenting Skills classes.

Building a Foundation of Learning — Our Elementary Schools: Ballard, Eastside, Howard-Ellis, Oak Manor

The award-winning teachers and administrators strive to have all four of the school system’s elementary schools provide a safe, peaceful, yet stimulating learning environment for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Ballard, Eastside, Howard-Ellis and Oak Manor Elementary Schools focus on learning fundamentals with an emphasis on developing sound reading and math skills. Ballard Elementary Technological Team is recognized as a top technology program in web design.

Stepping into Young Adulthood — Ring Lardner Middle School

Ring Lardner Middle School provides a challenging academic environment designed to address the needs of about 600 students. Teachers and staff provide students with many opportunities to develop academic skills, acquire fundamental knowledge, determine their individual interests and special talents, and experience a sense of belonging.

Ring Lardner won seventh place at the Science Olympiad County contest and placed 16th at the State contest. The students at Ring Lardner continue to win more awards at the Berrien County Arts and Science Expo than any other middle school. This middle school takes pride in the advancement of their students and focuses on enhancing their minds with
out-of-school activities.

Preparing Young Adults for a New World — Niles High School

The goal of Niles High School is to help prepare students to become responsible, productive adults. Since instituting a career-focused curriculum, the school system has seen a steady increase in overall student attendance. The program strives to make the subject matter meaningful and relevant to students so that they can see the connection between school and entry into the workforce of the future.

The Niles High School and our staff are considered state experts in career-focused education. To date, more than 300 educators from across the state have visited Niles High School to experience our career-based educational process. Niles High School is a two-time recipient of the “Innovator to Watch” award and has also received the “National School Change” award from the Chase Manhattan Foundation. The U.S. Department of Education has named Niles High School the Best Practices School.

Learning experiences also exist outside the classroom. Numerous clubs are offered to help students expand their interests, including: Robotics Club, Mock Trial Competitions, Ecology Club, Japanese Club, and the Young Educators Society – just to name a few. Traditional athletics is also an important part of the school program. More than 45% of all students participate in some form of interscholastic sports, such as football, soccer, volleyball, golf and swimming.