About Us

Farmington High School’s story goes back to the late 1800s—though the exact start date is hard to confirm because many early records were lost in a 1918 fire. Tradition traces FHS to 1888, when several one-room school districts joined to create a “Union School” that offered learning beyond 8th grade. The school provided a four-year curriculum, and the first graduating class was in 1890.

After the 1918 fire, the school reopened within a month and was rebuilt. That building served the community—along with additions—until 1952. With enrollment growing and no room to expand further, the current Farmington High School opened in 1953. Since then, the original high school district has evolved with the later creation of North Farmington and Harrison High Schools.

In the early years, classes were small—often just a handful of graduates at a time. By 1920, there were 11 graduates and a school population of 61, with students typically taking four core courses, plus options like music and chorus. By 1927, enrollment had grown to 132 (including 24 seniors), and students could choose from expanded offerings such as shorthand, bookkeeping, public speaking, typing, physics, business English, commercial arithmetic, and French.

In 1944, the township’s one-room schoolhouses officially consolidated into Farmington Public School District, following a school study by Clarence Hickey of the University of Michigan.

FHS has continued to grow and modernize. In 1988, a 100-year time capsule was buried near the media center—capturing a snapshot of learning at the time, including a first-generation classroom computer. A decade later, a major transformation began with a groundbreaking on March 10, 1998, launching a three-year renovation and expansion that touched nearly every area of the building. Updates included a new performing arts center (with expanded music and theatre spaces), a new science wing, computer labs, a fully renovated technology wing, and upgraded athletics facilities—including a modernized pool, auxiliary gym, and fitness center—bringing state-of-the-art technology into place for future generations.

Since 1957, FHS has grown from 35 staff members to more than 140, and from 818 students to more than 1,400. Along the way, Farmington High has earned significant recognition, including a 1998 Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Award from the State of Michigan, and being named by Newsweek as one of the top 1,000 high schools in the U.S. for three consecutive years.