Eisenhower High School, occasionally referred to as simply "Ike", is a high school located in the Metropolitan Detroit suburb of Shelby Township. It is consistently ranked as the top performing high school in Macomb County.
History
Opened in 1972, Eisenhower is one of two public high school located in Shelby Township. Until the 1990s, the school had a Washington Township mailing address. As the surrounding area began to develop, the city limits changed and the school fell into Shelby Township boundaries. The original design of the school had few windows and no walls in the individual wings, giving the school an open concept. This open concept failed, as multiple classes could be heard at the same time. The building was quickly segmented into its current classroom structure. When the school opened, the surrounding area was rural and there were no paved roads within miles of the school. Today, the surrounding area is suburban, and has subdivisions and strip-malls within the school's immediate proximity. Over the years, Eisenhower has received several renovations. In 2002, the restrooms adjacent to the Commons were extensively renovated. In 2004, the current media center and library were constructed. The following year, in 2005, the Performing Arts Center was constructed on the eastern-most side of the school.
Competitions
Eisenhower's Quiz Bowl team has won four state championships and two national championships. Eisenhower's Varsity Dance Team has earned top honors multiple times in regional competitions, as well as the UDA National Dance Team Championship under coach Rachelle Kiehle. Since 2009, the team has been consistently ranked in the top three dance teams in the nation, placing first in the Jazz category in 2014. In 2015 the team placed first in Hip Hop and second in Jazz, while Eisenhower's Junior Varsity Dance Team scored their first National championship with their Pom routine and took third place in Jazz. On February 5, 2017, both teams captured first place gold as Eisenhower JV Dance won the Pom division and Eisenhower Varsity Dance topped both the Hip Hop and Jazz categories.
Academics
As of the 2014-2015 school year, Eisenhower ranked better than 89.9% of all high schools in Michigan. As such, Eisenhower is the top performing high school in Macomb County, and one of the top performing high schools in the Metro Detroit area. Eisenhower students have a variety of AP courses to choose from:
Eisenhower's publications department is advised by former Oakland Press journalist, Erica L. Kincannon, and has received numerous awards at both the state and national levels. The department produces an annual school yearbook, Esprit de Corps, and a monthly newspaper, The Eagle's Eye. The newspaper also features an online website, IkeNews.com. Students may elect to join the Newspaper and/or Yearbook staffs, and take them as a class during the day. In 2012, Esprit de Corps was named a Pacemaker Finalist by the National Scholastic Press Association, one of the most prestigious awards of journalistic excellence. In 2014, The Eagle's Eye editor-in-chief, Lauren Kostiuk, was named Michigan High School Journalist of the Year.
Eisenhower's Key Club was formed in 1973. During the 2008-2009 school year, Key Club, for the first time in its history, was awarded the honored title of "Diamond-Level Distinguished". IKE was one of the two Michigan Key Clubs to receive the title that year.
