About Us

History of School City of Mishawaka

Mishawaka Schools began in 1834 in a small frame building with a stove in the middle of the room. By 1840, the first public schoolhouse was built. Records from 1860 show 251 males and 259 females (510 total) between ages 5 and 20 within the corporate limits of Mishawaka.

The Board of Education was established in 1873. By 1877, tuition rates were established for “foreign” children, children from out of the city limits. The first graduating class of Mishawaka High School was in 1878. In 1879, the School Board recommended to the Town Board that they levy a special school tax of $0.25 on each $100.00 and a levy of $0.25 on each poll for school use.

In 1947, Penn Township and Mishawaka Schools considered consolidation. This was voted out by township trustees. By 1949, Mishawaka citizens requested a 5-man school board and for that board to include a woman.

IUSB student teachers in 1968 began participating in the elementary school student teaching program. This program is still in place today. Also in 1968, many discussed a merger of School City of Mishawaka (SCM) and Penn-Harris-Madison (PHM) School Systems. It was mutually agreed consolidation would be postponed indefinitely.

A merger with PHM was approached and delayed again in 1970. In 1971, SCM adopted an official seal, the first in its 127-year history. The circular seal has an open book representing learning, with a wheel symbolizing progress. Circumscribed are the words “School City of Mishawaka”.

Residents formed a group in 1973 called “Friends of Mishawaka Education”. Its purpose was to ensure that each student of School City of Mishawaka received the best possible education. Also in 1973, PHM and SCM pooled resources to provide a joint special education program. Joint Services was disbanded in 2015 and is currently known as “Exceptional Learners” at SCM.

In 1976, for the first time in SCM history, two women were serving on the school board. The current hybrid school board was established in 2011: consisting of three elected members, one member appointed by the mayor and one member appointed by the city council.

The School Board voted to close Emmons Junior High School in 1981 and for Emmons to become an elementary only school. Emmons Junior High closed in 1983 along with Bingham School and all ninth graders were moved back to the high school. John Young Middle School and Beiger continued as the two junior high schools until 2002 when Beiger became an elementary only school.

Source: Early Mishawaka School History by Betty Berger Hans. Copyright 1982, by Betty Berger Hans.

Below is the infrastructure that totals 1,110,251 square feet making up School City of Mishawaka.

Building	Address	Total Square Footage	Year Built	Renovations
Battell Elementary School	715 East Broadway Street, Mishawaka, IN 46544	48,000	1981
Beiger Elementary School	1600 East Third Street, Mishawaka, IN 46544	78,000	2002
Emmons Elementary School	1306 South Main Street, Mishawaka, IN 46544	99,344	1958
Hums Elementary School	3208 Harrison Road, Mishawaka, IN 46544	60,660	1970
LaSalle Elementary School	1511 Milburn Boulevard, Mishawaka, IN 46544	89,900	1927	1958, 1991
Liberty Elementary School	600 Pregel Drive, Mishawaka, IN 46545	60,660	1999
Twin Branch Elementary School	3810 Lincolnway East, Mishawaka, IN 46544	66,700	1952	1962, 1985
John Young Middle School	1801 North Main Street, Mishawaka, IN 46545	198,835	1973	1999
Mishawaka High School	1202 Lincolnway East, Mishawaka, IN 46544	368,912	1924	1958, 1962, 1978, 1983, 1999
Administration Center	1402 South Main Street, Mishawaka, IN 46544	17,000	1975
Services Building	1402 South Main Street, Mishawaka, IN 46544	12,000	2002

Ward Baker Park Complex

811 South Byrkit Street, Mishawaka, IN 46544

Year Purchased	Developed	Total Acres
2004	2005-2008	24

Baker Park includes 2-Softball Diamonds, 2-Baseball Diamonds, 1-Soccer Field, 10-Tennis Courts, 1-40'x40' Equipment Barn.

Every effective organization is grounded with a set of Core Values, a Mission, and a Preferred Future. Senior Leadership within School City of Mishawaka have been shaping a plan to lead SCM to its Preferred Future. "The Mishawaka Way" is that plan. The Mishawaka Way provides our colleagues and our community with an understanding of how we work at School City of Mishawaka, why our work is life-changing, and how we will go about accomplishing the important goals entrusted to us. Creating a Culture of Excellence in SCM is integrated with ten core values. The Mishawaka Way is rooted in "Growing Leaders in a Culture of Excellence".

THE MISHAWAKA WAY provides our colleagues and our community with an understanding of how we work at School City of Mishawaka (SCM), why our work is life-changing, and how we will go about accomplishing the important goals entrusted to us.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
SCM benefits whenever a student, teacher, staff, or community member achieves beyond expectations. High expectations drive high achievement. We value those who expect more of us than we think we are capable of.

GROWTH MINDSET
Knowing that you can always learn and improve. A learning organization celebrates perseverance, resilience, and incremental progress toward ambitious goals. Nurturing the confidence to take a “Good Risk” and learning from failure, rather than denying it.

COLLABORATION
Working together for the good of the group, organization, or community. Great things happen when no one cares who gets the credit. Valuing everyone’s talents makes the total effect of our contributions greater than the sum of our efforts.

COMMUNICATION
Sharing meaningful information through respectful conversation, thoughtful writing, or creative media. Doing our best to understand, even before trying to be understood.

CREATIVITY
The ability to transcend old practices with new, meaningful ideas that propel our organization to higher levels of success. We honor the achievements of our predecessors, but use them as stepping stones to new heights, not barriers that impede progress.

CRITICAL THINKING
SCM encourages students, teachers, parents, staff, and community members to think deeply about the daily practices of our school district and long term significance of a quality public education. Respectfully questioning the work of our peers, colleagues, leaders, or representatives is a sign of vigilance and concern. Critical thinking facilitates a high-performing workplace and, ultimately, a free society.

INNOVATION
The use of imagination and initiative to generate new ideas and solutions that add value to our organization.

INTEGRITY
Doing the right thing. Finding a way to do your personal best, even when a lesser effort might be accepted.

BUILDING COMMUNITY
Positively contributing to the community by practicing behaviors that grow trust, involvement, identity and ownership. Understanding that solid foundations are constructed of “bricks” and “mortar”. If you are not in the role of leader, be the best follower you can be.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Every interaction of every SCM stakeholder is an opportunity to serve and build trust on behalf of our school community. Modeling empathy and service shows our public how we choose to treat each other.