Followup: Middle College HS, K-5 STEM will not share Boren

West Seattle’s smallest public high school, Middle College HS, will not be sharing the Boren Building campus in Delridge with the new K-5 STEM elementary school after all – another location for MCHS has been found instead. That’s according to an announcement by West Seattle’s school-board rep Marty McLaren, confirmed by Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Teresa Wippel, though both say the new location cannot be publicly disclosed yet.

We first reported in June that MCHS was being forced to leave its longtime home at South Seattle Community College; two days later, SPS announced the high school would move into portables on the Boren campus, a plan that no one seemed happy with. McLaren promised to work on the issue, and announced via her e-mail list today:

I want to let you know that I learned on Friday that a new location has been found for Middle College High School – it will be a site other than the Boren building. However, because the agreement has not yet been finalized, the district is not ready to make a formal announcement to the STEM and Middle College families. The hope is to have completion and an announcement by late next week. I’m very encouraged at this news.

SPS’s Wippel also characterizes the status as “in the middle of contact negotiations.” The district’s first day of school is September 5th, four weeks from Wednesday.

curious August 6, 2012 (9:20 pm)

no comments? really? there was such an uproar when the 2 programs were going to be co-located. no-one cares any-more?

evergreen August 6, 2012 (10:51 pm)

Many in the STEM crowd are happy with this decision and already discussed it among ourselves earlier today. Additionally, we all advocated for a building that works for the MCHS community. They don’t want to be housed in fenced-in portables next to a playground full of noisy rugrats. The MCHS students have our full admiration, and they need a more professional and permanent setting that supports higher level learning. The community college was ideal, too bad it fell through.

oliver August 7, 2012 (7:37 am)

We certainly care, but I’m not holding my breath until we have official word.

bsmomma August 7, 2012 (8:24 am)

I’m with Oliver! I want to be super excited but I’m so jaded by SPS, I’ll believe it when the dotted line is signed.

WSMama3 August 7, 2012 (8:34 am)

Why would no comment mean “no-one cares any-more?”?
Obviously based on all the comments on the first stories the STEM community is happy about this outcome and hopes the MCH kids got a good place to land.

Brontosaurus August 7, 2012 (9:51 am)

STEM parents care about this very much. That’s why we put so much effort into fighting the decision. The co-location was wrong for both school communities. Now there’s more a collective sigh of relief, and we don’t have the energy to write more extensive comments on the WSB … we’re focusing on how to help our principal and teachers prepare for the first day of school!