Salina Intermediate School began in 1918 as a four room school house, but quickly expanded as the population around it grew. In 1922, a new building was opened, which still stands today as the main part of the current Salina school. Salina played an integral role in welcoming new immigrant families to America and Salina was known as a cosmopolitan school from as early as 1938. Most of these immigrant families were drawn to Salina's Southend Dearborn neighborhood because of jobs in the Ford Motor Company that paid well and did not require much English.  

In the 1960s and 1970s, the character of the Southend changed dramatically as older Italian, Polish and Russian families moved out and were replaced by Yemeni, Palestinian and Lebanese immigrants. The result was that the Southend, and Salina, came to consist mostly of Arab immigrants and their families. The teachers and administrators at Salina recognized the importance of serving their diverse community, from providing lunch options for children with religious or cultural dietary restrictions, to holding night classes during the week for parents to learn and improve their English. Many immigrant families felt that Salina was one of the few places in the city that was not prejudiced against them; this sense of security led the school to become the meeting ground for several important community organizations. 

Salina suffered setbacks in 1970 and 1971 when, under stress from declining enrollment, the Dearborn Board of Education moved to close down the school and the parents' night classes. Residents of the Southend fought actively against the Board of Education and succeeded in keeping the school open and continuing the night classes. Parent advocacy also led to the initiation of a bilingual/bicultural program at Salina for Arabic speaking students in 1976, the first of its kind in the U.S. 

Today, Salina Intermediate continues to play an important role in the Southend community, teaching its children and providing a safe place and useful resource for residents old and new.  

Credits and Sources:

Abraham, Nabeel and Sameer. Arabs in the World: Studies on Arab-American Communities. Detroit: Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies, 1983. 

Aswad, Barbara. "The Southeast Dearborn Arab Community Struggles for Survival Against Urban Renewal." In Arabic Speaking Communities in American Cities, edited by Barbara Aswad. New York City: Association of Arab American University Graduates and the Center for Migration Studies of New York, 1974.

Dekay, Robert. "Salina School…History." An unpublished report on the history of the Salina school. Available upon request at the archives of the Dearborn Historical Museum, Dearborn, MI.