History of Burt Elementary

Built in 1925 under Redford Union Schools and annexed by the City of Detroit in 1926, it was designed to accommodate 580 students with a setup of 10 classrooms. The school was found in 1926 to "not have been built right," citing that the chimney was constructed upside down and the playroom ceiling had collapsed. In May 1926, the school closed until repairs were completed . After the school reopened, crowding issues arose, and students were required to attend on a half-day basis to manage the overcrowded student body. In 1953 and 1954, a new $50,000 expansion across many Detroit public schools was approved and Burt was one building to get upgrades, after decades of using portable buildings, a new wing was built increased the student capacity by an additional 350 students. In 1959, Burt was reorganized as a junior high school, and by 1970, it was at capacity again, serving a predominantly white student body, which was uncommon for Detroit schools at that time. With declining enrollment throughout the 2000s, the decision was made in 2010 to close the school as part of the district's major downsizing, which involved the closure of over 100 schools between 2007 and 2012. In 2015 , the school was sold to the Detroit Land Bank.