1 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
2 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
3 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
4 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
5 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
6 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
7 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
8 Albert Stephens Elementary School was built in 1913 and was located at 6006 Seneca Street at the corner of Lambert Street, on Detroit’s lower east side. Stephens Elementary School was a large, two and three-story structure that was designed in a Chicago School architectural style by noted-architect Wirt Rowland.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary School had a red-brick exterior with a concrete border-lines between the separate floors of the school. The façade of Stephens Elementary School also featured stone-bordering and quoins around the exterior of the stairwell windows, as well as stone-crest designs at the top of each entrance. Each of the stone-crest designs crowned and overlooked the entrances and stood out as one of the school’s most prominent exterior features. Above the main entrance to Stephens Elementary School, the stone-crest design read “ABLERT STEPHENS SCHOOL MCMXIII,” as the letters were carved into the stone. Stephens Elementary School had a slight “A-shaped” floor plan that consisted of administration offices, classrooms, a gymnasium, and an auditorium. Throughout the years, Stephens Elementary School served an average of 700 students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Albert Stephens Elementary School was named after Mr. Albert Stephens, who was the property owner of the land that Stephens Elementary School was built upon. Alumni and former students of Stephens Elementary School were known as the “Stephens Eagles,” as their school mascot was a eagle. Stephens Elementary School was a property of the Detroit Public Schools system.
Stephens Elementary School was “flagged” for closure by Detroit Public Schools due to low enrollment and expensive maintenance costs. Stephens Elementary School had always had a steady enrollment, but by the 2000’s the number dropped down to below 300 students. Stephens Elementary School also had trouble with maintaining the expensive and necessary repairs to the near 100 year-old school. With Stephens Elementary School using only approximately 50% of the school’s capacity, it became apparent that something needed to be done. With the drastic decrease in enrollment and combination of high operation costs, it was evident that Stephens Elementary School was in deep trouble. In 2010, Stephens Elementary School was forced to close its doors for good.
When Stephens Elementary School closed in 2010, the school was one of the original Detroit Public School (DPS) properties that was chosen by DPS to get the Vacant Property Security (VPS), in other words, large sheets of metal to cover the doors and windows, that are designed to help keep scrappers and trespassers out of vacant property. So all of the school’s doors and windows on the first floor and second floor were covered in the big, metal, and most of all, ugly VPS sheets. The troubling fact for DPS was that they were millions of dollars in deficit and needed to come up with a cheaper way to try and properly secure the near-100 abandoned schools that they owned. This was their new and improved method. The VPS sheets worked for a little while, but then Detroit Public Schools switched security measures again by adding some technology into the mix.
In 2011, Stephens Elementary School also received the greatest and latest form of security measures from DPS, which consisted of motion-censored video cameras. The cameras, known as Videofied, were relatively small cameras that would hang on the walls inside the vacant school. When somebody would enter the school, the cameras would be turned on by sensing motion and they would begin recording. The video clips were then sent to Detroit Public Schools Police, who would respond to the proper scene. Videofied was responsible for arresting hundreds of scrappers, trespassers, vandals, and even urban explorers. The Videofied system was Detroit Public School’s response to the Vacant Property Security (VPS) dilemma. By 2010, it seemed that the metal VPS sheets were disappearing on some of the vacant schools because the scrappers had figured out how to remove them. By 2011, the newly vacant schools would now get Videofied instead of VPS. Some of the vacant schools that had already closed and had VPS would also now get the Videofied as well. Stephens Elementary School was lucky enough (at the time) to be chosen for both the VPS panels and the Videofied motion-sensor cameras. It was a sure way to have double measures and double security to prevent the biggest problem in Detroit: SCRAPPING. Stephens Elementary School has managed to hold on strong over the years.
Stephens Elementary