Lutheran High School Westland is a parochial high school located in Westland, Michigan in Wayne County. It is governed by the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Detroit and is associated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Its current enrollment is slightly more than 200. The school colors are black and white, and its mascot is the Warrior.
| Lutheran High School Westland | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
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United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′37″N 83°22′20″W / 42.34361°N 83.37222°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Parochial School |
| Established | 1986 |
| Principal | Steven Schwecke |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | approx. 220 |
| Color(s) | Black and white |
| Athletics conference | Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Michigan High School Athletic Association |
| Mascot | Warrior |
| Affiliation | Lutheran Church Missouri Synod |
| Website | Lutheran H.S. |
History
Talks began in the mid-1980s to open another Lutheran high school in western Wayne County. As declining enrollment plagued Lutheran High School East in Harper Woods and Lutheran High School West in Detroit, Westland was selected as the site for the new school.
Mascot
The school's mascot is the Warrior. Originally represented as a cartoonish American Indian warrior figure, the Warrior later became incorporated into the school's interlocking "WL" logo as a sword and knight's mask.
Early in the school's history, a teacher owned a foot and a half-tall replica of a suit of medieval armor that the school began using as both a mascot and a traveling trophy. The winner of the annual football game between Lutheran Westland and Lutheran High School Northwest gains possession of this mascot, affectionately called "Rusty."
Building history
The school opened in 1986 in the building that was formerly Nankin Mills Middle School, where singer Alice Cooper attended. A series of city school buildings had been constructed on landfill, and while the sites had been deemed safe, a series of long running legal disputes arose. Cheryl Graunstadt became a member of the Westland city council as a result of her efforts to close down schools built on landfills that were expelling leachate. As part of the ongoing legal disputes, several school buildings, including the Nankin Mills Middle School were sold to private interests. It is unknown if the Lutheran High School Westland building was among those expelling leachate, as no formal statements have been made on the topic.