In the 1940s officials from the
federal government of the United States asked the Ypsilanti City School District to annex the Willow Run area, which included the Spencer School District. A referendum was held for voters in the Spencer School District, and Spencer voters rejected the measure on a 3-1 basis despite messages of support for the merger from the Spencer school district
parent-teacher organization (PTA) and other area leaders. The Spencer district changed its name to the Willow Run district. As of the 2006–2007 school year, the Ypsilanti district used the four-tier system composed of Pre-K/K, 1–5, 6–8, and 9-12 Grade Levels that it has used since the 1993–1994 school year. Prior to that, the district used a system composed of Pre-K/K, 1–6, 7–9, and 10-12 Grade Levels since the transition of Perry to a Pre-K/K building. On June 8, 2009, the YPS school board unanimously passed a resolution to "discuss options for the consideration and sharing of services" with the
Lincoln School District, which had passed a similar resolution. Board members also left open the option of incorporating the
Willow Run School District into the talks at a future date. On November 6, 2012, voters in both the Ypsilanti and Willow Run School Districts voted to consolidate the two districts. The two districts became one unified district, Ypsilanti Community Schools, on July 1, 2013. A unified school board, appointed by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District Board of Education, was formed to oversee the transition. The final day of classes for YPS was Friday June 7, 2013. ==Schools==