New Genesee Hill school to open midyear 2015-16; community meeting set

| Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

If you’ve been looking to catch up with where the plans to build a new elementary school on the former Genesee Hill Elementary campus stands, here’s your next chance. The district has announced a community meeting for 6:30 pm Wednesday, May 8th, at Schmitz Park Elementary (5000 SW Spokane). District spokesperson Tom Redman says, “The meeting will include discussion of the progress of the project’s schematic design and an update of the work of the School Design Advisory Team. The SDAT team will meet before the community meeting at 4:30 p.m., also at Schmitz Park.” He also notes – if you hadn’t seen this on the timeline – the new school will NOT be opening for the start of the 2015-2016 school year, but instead is expected to be open after that year’s winter break – January 2016.

ummm... April 26, 2013 (10:14 am)

-who will go to this school?
-where will these kids be from september – january?

I can’t even imagine how this could possibly work.

WSB April 26, 2013 (10:17 am)

Right now, while there has been some sensitivity over calling it something like “the new Schmitz Park at Genesee Hill,” basically, that’s who will be moving in, so they will be in the existing SP until winter break. The future of the current SP has yet to be determined. – TR

E April 26, 2013 (10:26 am)

Any word on boundary line changes? Will it be just existing Schmitz boundaries or will people near existing boundaries be potentially affected? For example, starting the year at Alki and then finding we’re moved to the new school?

WSB April 26, 2013 (10:36 am)

The district is supposed to launch into the whole boundary issue this fall, last update we got. Definitely wouldn’t change midyear, though. They have a lot to decide – even here in West Seattle alone, since other schools are in play – Arbor Heights with expanded capacity in the new building (theoretically ready fall 2016), where will K-5 STEM wind up, who will occupy Fairmount Park Elementary (reopening with expanded capacity), who will occupy Hughes when Westside moves to its own campus, what will be done with the old SP …

E April 26, 2013 (11:16 am)

Olala. So much up in the air. How can anyone possibly plan for all these possible plans?

AH Parent April 26, 2013 (12:50 pm)

It was just announced that Arbor Heights Elementary School will have an ESTEM (Environmental, Science, Techonolgy, Engineering and Math)curriculum. It makes me wonder if the District is planning to put STEM in Schmitz and there will be a north and Southend STEM curriculum schools. However, since STEM is now a West Seattle Elementary school geo-zone and so it would be most logical to place STEM at Fairmount Park. Some more transparency from SPS would be nice.

Last to know April 26, 2013 (2:25 pm)

@AH Parent, sounds interesting. Any idea when we’ll hear and know more? Haven’t seen any announcement about AH…

WSB April 26, 2013 (2:28 pm)

I am following up on this with the district right this very second – first I’d heard of it, too. – Tracy

Vincent Vega April 26, 2013 (5:16 pm)

I can hardly wait for this new elementary school.

It is a nice big campus and a brand new school will be a great addition to the Genesee Hill area.

Absolutely love it. And I don’t even have any kids. But, as a local homeowner, I voted for the levy(s).

Quality of life thing.

Nick April 27, 2013 (3:47 am)

Leave Schmitz Park Elementary right next to Schmitz Park where it belongs. Ridiculous to carry the name over to the Genesee site. It’s not right. It’s a new school, don’t steal the real Schmitz Park’s name.

Last to know April 28, 2013 (7:55 pm)

@WSB any luck yet with the follow-up on AH from the district or otherwise?

WSB April 28, 2013 (9:36 pm)

They were still trying to track down on Friday afternoon who could officially tell me more. So I am hopeful that tomorrow I will learn who the contact is …

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