FORKS — A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly expanded Forks High School will take place at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in front of the school at 261 S. Spartan Ave., the Quillayute Valley School District announced.
The dedication marks the end of a three-year effort to upgrade the aging school after voters approved an $11 million school bond to replace the buildings in February 2009.
Tours of the new facility will be available from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
“It’s a really big thing to celebrate,” said Forks City Attorney and Planning Director Rod Fleck, a parent of a high school student. “This community’s dedication to education is amazing.”
The addition has new classrooms, a state-of-the-art computer lab and another lab for robotics and composites classes.
“It has a green room that will be used for communications course offerings and an Apple-bases technology lab with the green room,” Fleck said. “It’s also got a brand new library with a computer lab in it.”
Instead of a simple whiteboard, the new school has interactive “learning wall” projector screens that students can write on and print notes from.
Students have been attending classes in the new building while construction was wrapping up around them.
For the first time in decades, all of the high school classes will be under one roof. Parts of the old high school were incorporated into the new school.
Attempts were made to save the historic school facade in front of the entrance proclaiming “Quillayute High School.”
But the condition of the 86-year-old brick-and-mortar facade was too poor to save without expensive renovations.
The front doors of the new school lead to the original Quillayute High School lintel and 1925 cornerstone.
Heritage Hall, immediately inside the front doors, also has materials from the old school — a set of dark old beams framing a high ceiling.
In the front office, salvaged wood frames the reception desk. It was resurfaced and worked into trim for counter spaces.
The school also features a large courtyard, completely walled in by school buildings, with curving walkways and benches and tables for students to lounge on outdoors during good weather.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice contributed to this story.
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rob.ollikainen@
peninsuladailynews.com.
