Trenton Public Schools is the school district of the city of Trenton.

Partial History

(Lifted from Truaxton Truago Trenton, Bicentennial Book Committee, 1979)

In the 1830's, a small crude schoolhouse was built of logs on the banks of the Detroit River. This little log building was about twenty by twenty-four feet, had seats along the wall in the form of benches and in the center of the room stood a large stove near which the master had his desk and all the pupils faced him. This building was used for many years but the time came when more room was needed.

A temporary log structure was built at the corner of Washington (Jefferson Avenue) and Elm Street and was painted bright yellow. This was soon replaced by a frame schoolhouse near the other building and was called the North School.

In the early 1870's, another school, the South School, a two story building was built at the south end of town below Washington Street (Jefferson Avenue) between the old cemetery and Slocum's Island. School board minutes of September, 1876 moved to have a graded school system and upper classes through eight grade were held here in South School.

At the turn of the century, the school population was increasing so rapidly that a school was built at the corner of St. Joseph and Third Street. Eleven years later three rooms were added. In 1917 the bond issue for a new school was defeated. From that year until 1923 it was necessary to construct portables for the continually increasing school population. In 1923, Slocum-Truax High School was built.

Since the old high school was being used for the elementary grades and was filled to capacity, provisions were made for a new grade building. The entire block bounded by Third and Fourth Streets, St. Joseph Avenue and Pine Street (West Road) was purchased and on the corner of Pine and Third, the first unit of the Washington Grade School was completed in December, 1929. The school site cost $65,482 and the eight room building was said to have cost $65,136. Further additions were made to the "New Elementary School", as it was also called at a cost of $146,000. About half of this money was a Federal contribution as a Public Works Act project and the other money was furnished by the people of Trenton. The school was formally dedicated on January 20, 1937 and the name was changed to the G. E. Strohm School at that time. Total school enrollment in 1937 was 1,101 and the student capacity of Strohm was 350.