Bentley High School

Livonia Township was served by seven small school districts at the time of the United States’ entry into World War II. None of these districts had a high school. Children were sent to larger neighboring districts that some-times refused their admission due to overcrowding. Seeking its own high school, in 1943 Livonia Township began discussions about consolidating the small districts and accessing federal and state funding available for larger school districts. Voters approved the consolidation on April 22, 1944. A 5 percent millage increase passed the next year provided additional funding for the construction of a high school. Construction began on November 8, 1946. Bentley High School, named after school board president George N. Bentley, hosted its first classes on September 15, 1947, in spite of ongoing construction. On June 15, 1950, a few weeks after Livonia was incorporated as a city, ninety-five students made up Bentley High School’s first graduating class. Livonia’s unprecedented growth led to the construction of three more high schools between 1962 and 1969. Expansions to Bentley High School in the 1950s and 1960s included an auto shop, a woodshop, band rooms, a library, and a swimming pool. By 1982 Livonia’s student enrollment was falling as population growth slowed and the average age of the city’s residents increased. In 1983, citing declining enrollment, high maintenance costs, and overdue renovations, the superintendent recommended the closure of Bentley High School. The school closed following the 1984-85 school year. The building served as a community center until 1999 and was later demolished.