PORT TOWNSEND — Members of the community can get an inside look Saturday at the new Salish Coast Elementary School during a building dedication and celebration.
The dedication and unguided tours will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the school at 1367 Grant St.
The opening of the school was delayed until Sept. 11 — while other schools opened Sept. 4 — because of a strike by construction workers, which set the project back by several weeks.
Construction on the 68,000 square foot building began in June 2017 and cost $28.1 million, funded primarily by a $40.9 million bond that voters approved in 2016.
It replaced the 61-year-old Grant Street Elementary School that was demolished last summer. The school is home to a preschool and Head Start, grades K-5 and the OPEPO multi-age program.
Port Townsend Mayor Deborah Stinson, Jefferson County Commissioner Kate Dean and state Rep. Mike Chapman are scheduled to take part in the ceremony that celebrates the completion of the school.
Representatives from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe will provide a blessing and Port Townsend School Board member Jennifer James-Wilson will give closing remarks.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held and a bronze dedication plaque will be revealed. Guided and unguided tours will be available after the ceremony until 3 p.m.
Superintendent John Polm said the school is completed overall, with a few relatively minor projects yet to be addressed.
“The seeding of the soccer field will happen in March,” Polm said. “Beyond that, there are only a few things that need to be fixed. We’ve had some issues with new kitchen equipment. But, overall the facility is ready to go and any changes we make moving forward will be made based on observations of the building.
“For example, there are some areas where teachers want us to put up some tack-able wall space, there is a request for more storage spaces, practical items like that.”
Polm said some other priorities are to softening the concrete and wood surfaces in the common area.
“We left the ceilings natural wood, and combined with the cement floor, it created more of an echo than anticipated,” he said.
“We had an acoustical treatment company look at this and they’ll be giving us recommendations on the best way to cut down on reverberations and noise levels. The sound comes right upstairs into the halls and down towards the office.”
He said another project that needs attention is the addition of a wheelchair access ramp under the library wing so there is protection during inclement weather.
Since its opening in September, much progress had been made on aspects of the school.
Both classroom wings are now connected by three walkways with a courtyard garden.
The main entrance ramp and stairs lead to a secured vestibule that opens into the office area.
The rain garden has been planted, landscaping has been completed, and the kitchen garden has been prepared and fenced.
Lunches are being made in the large state of-the-art kitchen that will act as a central meal preparation service. Most of the food for the Port Townsend High School and Blue Heron Middle School will be made onsite and then taken to other schools and finished in their kitchens.
Principal Lisa Condran pointed out the “mud room” area, an outside concrete terrace for cleaning off footwear after a tromp around outside.
“There are a lot of outdoor opportunities for learning and it can get a little messy,” Condran said. “There’s a water spigot and there are sets of boots for students to use.”
She also is fond of the large library area, with its shelves stocked with books, that also offers spaces for group reading and individual research — a quiet zone.
Another highlight is the gym that can be seen from a second story bank of hallway windows that provide a bird’s eye view of play.
Among the new construction are historic touches.
“Five vintage schoolhouse light fixtures were removed from the old Lincoln School which served as the district’s high school and central office and was shuttered about eight years ago,” Polm said.
“They have been refurbished and hang in the stairway.”
Condran said the environment is an important part of the school and it is built into the campus inside and out, with large windows framing the vistas providing inspiration for students.
“You can see the sunrise from the art room,” she said.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.
Salish Coast Elementary first-grade students eagerly respond to a story read by librarian/STEM teacher Denise Aeden. (Jeannie McMacken/Peninsula Daily News)
Students take part in exercise time in the Salish Coast gym, which can be seen from a set of windows in a hallway above the action. The new school has plenty of outdoor space for physical activity, too, as well as a mud room to clean off when it’s time to go back to class. (Jeannie McMacken/Peninsula Daily News)
