BACK TO SCHOOL: Milestone for Louisa Boren STEM K-8

September 2, 2017 9:11 pm
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 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Over the next few days, we’ll be publishing a variety of back-to-school updates, since most schools will start classes next week (if they haven’t started already – here’s the list we compiled).

Tonight – we’re noting that this year brings a milestone for Louisa Boren STEM K-8: Starting with 2017-2018, it’s finally a full-fledged K-8, adding the final grade level of middle school. This Seattle Public Schools “option school” opened in fall 2012 as STEM K-5, then three years later not only formally started the roll-up to add middle school, but also added Louisa Boren to its name, after the namesake of the building at 5950 Delridge Way SW, known as Louisa Boren Junior High School when it opened in 1963. The expansion announcement we published in 2015 noted, in part:

… It’s fitting that STEM K-8 is located in the Louisa Boren building because Louisa herself loved science, particularly chemistry, botany and astronomy. “Liza” had a love of learning and a natural curiosity about the world.

Louisa Boren’s legacy continues today. Not only in the city of Seattle and the brave pioneering spirit she engendered, but also in her hard work supporting the women’s suffrage movement and her advocacy for Chinese workers settling in the area. …

Speaking of the building, one issue remains unresolved as the new school year begins Wednesday: The district raised the spectre before the end of last year that the school might be moved so that SPS could return the Boren building to its previous use as an “interim site.” That was the subject of a raucous meeting three months ago; we asked school district spokesperson Tom Redman about a month ago where that stood, and he replied, “We told the June community meeting attendees we would report back with an update in either August or September.” Since August has come and gone without an update, looks like that means we’ll hear something this month.

P.S. The SPS change to a two-tier schedule means a big change for STEM K-8 this year; they were one of the few left on the now-abolished third tier, so the 8:55 am start time this year is significantly earlier than last year. School will be out 3:25 pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; district-wide, Wednesdays are early-release days, and STEM K-8 will be out at 2:10 pm those days (except for the first day of school).

P.P.S. Anything major/new at YOUR school this year? We’d love to hear about it – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!

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