[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 149 (Friday, October 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            175TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERKLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

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                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2015

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Berkley 
School District as it celebrates its 175th anniversary this year. The 
Berkley School District serves the cities of Berkley, Huntington Woods 
and the northern portion of Oak Park, all of which I have had the 
privilege of representing during my tenure in the House of 
Representatives.
  The Berkley School District had its beginnings in 1840, only 3 years 
after Michigan attained statehood, in the Blackmon School, a one-room 
schoolhouse that was part of the Royal Oak Township School District #7. 
Berkley, like our nation, has changed dramatically in the last 175 
years. What began as a one room school house in the area of Catalpa and 
Coolidge (Blackmon School) is now a comprehensive PreK-12 district 
including nine buildings and a commitment to personal excellence for 
all students. This commitment is evident in the achievement of Berkley 
School District students, whose high school graduation rate is 98%, 
with nearly 100% of graduates continuing their education at colleges 
and universities.
  It is no surprise that Berkley School District students are so well-
prepared for future success, as nearly 60% of its teachers have Masters 
degrees or higher, its high school students are offered more Advanced 
Placement courses than any other traditional high school campus in 
Oakland County, and the district is home to Norup Academy, the only K-8 
International Baccalaureate program in the country which is housed on a 
single campus. Just a few weeks ago, Pattengill Elementary School was 
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue 
Ribbon School for 2015, which helps to illustrate the district's 
commitment to excellence for the earliest learners as well as those 
preparing to graduate from high school.
  As important as strong academics are to student success, the Berkley 
School District has helped students excel in music, the arts, and other 
extracurricular activities. Its orchestra, marching band and concert 
band have won numerous state honors, as has its a cappella, bell tone 
and concert choirs. Its students have had their artwork shown at 
national, state and local competitions. And students in the Berkley 
School District's co-curricular programs, including marketing, 
communications, literacy and poetry, and robotics have won honors at 
the state, local, and national levels.
  The Berkley School District has long benefitted from strong community 
support, which I know firsthand. My beloved late wife Vicki and I 
raised our children in Berkley, and all four of them attended the 
Berkley Schools. Indeed, it is fair to say that the roots of my career 
in public service were planted in our involvement in the district. 
Vicki joined the Berkley Council for Better Schools in 1959, an 
organization committed to maintaining excellence in the schools. We 
hosted Council meetings in our house and made many lifelong friends 
through our involvement.
  This community involvement, which has been so meaningful to me 
personally, continues today. Parents frequently volunteer for school 
activities, voters support millages to improve students' learning 
environment and to upgrade technology, and residents contribute to the 
Berkley Education Foundation, which supports classroom needs as well as 
the arts programs. In its 175th year, the district's success is rooted 
in support from the community; it is shepherded by the committed 
leadership of the Berkley School Board, Superintendent Dennis McDavid 
and his administrative team; and most importantly it has as its 
cornerstone the teachers and other education professionals who every 
day demonstrate their commitment to helping children achieve their 
fullest potential.
  As the Berkley School District celebrates this significant milestone, 
I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the students, staff, 
alumni and the entire community as they celebrate their rich history 
and continue their success.

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