Oakman Elementary Orthopedic School

History of Oakman Elementary Orthopedic School

Oakman Elementary School was an orthopedic school meant to accommodate disabled and handicapped students. It was built in 1929, at a time when students with disabilities often received subpar educations. Along with this, many schools didn't accommodate these students. Though Oakman was not the first school to welcome these students, it was an effort to better suit them. Oakman sits on a completely one-story level floor plan, complete with handrails and other mobility assistance features . Oakman's architect was Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, which didn't design many schools but did create many iconic Detroit buildings, such as the Guardian Building, the Penobscot Building, and the Buhl Building. The middle of the school hosts a large courtyard with a playground, designed to be easily accessible from many parts of the school. Each corner of the school has an auxiliary room. Though Oakman never received an additional wing or extension, it was built in two parts throughout 1929 to form the rectangle shape seen today. Throughout the 2000s, declining enrollment in Detroit Public Schools became a major problem. Between 2007 and 2012, many Detroit schools closed due to the district's downsizing efforts. Oakman was spared during the major closures because of its purpose as a school, but in 2013, Detroit Public Schools announced its closure. Many parents pressured Detroit Public Schools to keep the school open, but by the end of the school year, the school was closed. The district informed parents that enrollment was falling, and that the school was under capacity. In fact, enrollment had actually increased over the previous five years, and the building 's capacity had been revised upward without any actual physical change in the layout of the school. Efforts to reopen the school continued but ultimately failed. The two schools these students were sent to did not accommodate the needs of Oakman's students. In 2015 , a fire broke out in one of the classrooms, and around that same time, the building was sold to the land bank. In 2023, Oakman was among many schools planned for demolition in the near future. But for now, in 2025, it still stands.