Western International High School is a secondary educational facility, located across from Clark Park, within southwest Detroit's Mexicantown. Western is operated by the Detroit Public Schools system.WIHS holds no admission test; enrollment is open to all Detroiters of high school age. Western is the most culturally diverse public high school in Detroit; the student body is (approximate figures) 72.2% Hispanic/Latino, 20.6% African American, 5.3% Caucasian, and 1.9'% listed as "other".As of 2012 it was the final remaining public high school in southwestern Detroit. Western serves Mexicantown, Boynton–Oakwood Heights, Delray, and Springwells Village.HistoryThe school opened in 1898 as "Western High School." The Webster School held high school classes on a temporary basis until Western was built.On 26 Feb 1935 Western High School's campus was destroyed by a fire. Western received a new campus as part of the Public Works Administration projects. $216,381 in federal aid was used to rebuild the school.Western International previously had a rivalry with Southwestern High School. In 2012 Southwestern closed, and part of its boundary was reassigned to Western International. Students from both schools protested the closure of Southwestern, the perceived quality of education, and DPS policies. As a result, over 100 students from Western received suspensions, with several also receiving tickets from police officers. In response several students started a "freedom school" so they could receive education during their suspensions.
