Fairmount Park Elementary: 8-room addition, before reopening

We know more today about what’s planned for Fairmount Park Elementary before Seattle Public Schools reopens the closed-since-2007 campus. Last week, it was explained at the school board’s work session about the BEX IV levy (WSB coverage here) that the district planned “an addition” at Fairmount Park, which in turn, administrators said, would eliminate the need to reopen the former Hughes Elementary, currently leased to independent Westside School (WSB sponsor). But we didn’t know the details until this week’s school-board meeting agenda. District documents show it is planned as an eight-classroom addition, and the board will be asked tomorrow night to approve almost a million dollars for its design. It is proposed as an addition to a contract Miller Hayashi Architects already had for design/engineering work to get the school in shape for reopening in the fall of 2014. The district has not said yet what kind of program it plans for the reopened school – regular neighborhood school or something else (such as permanent home of the K-5 STEM school just opened at Boren on Delridge).

wondering... September 18, 2012 (8:59 pm)

So how big is Fairmont park without the addition of 8 classrooms? That is an additional 200 kids(at least). That’s a lot! How many students currently are in STEM?

WSB September 18, 2012 (9:01 pm)

The district won’t have final enrollment figures till the October 1st count, but it was put at around 250 on the first day of school. I believe that before closing, its enrollment was in the 200-300 vicinity.

wondering... September 18, 2012 (9:18 pm)

Thank you Tracy! It’s hard to imagine that many more kids enrolling in STEM in one year. Although I don’t know what the wait lists look like, I’m sure there’s not 200 kids on it. My bet is that at the increased size, FP reopens as a neighborhood school. And that means… another round of boundary changes. Such a frustrating process.

evergreen September 18, 2012 (11:06 pm)

About 50 kids on the waitlist, but I am unsure if enough curriculum supplies were ordered for more than 250.

I hope that Fairmont Park is the eventual home for K-5 STEM. The demand is there, we just need a home.

Debbie September 19, 2012 (6:48 am)

I don’t know, we live down the street from Fairmount and I would rather stay at Boren. There is no parking at FP, and I can’t imagine it being an option school. It should open as neighborhood school which would reduce the busing to Gatewood for kids in that area.

fiverson September 19, 2012 (7:54 am)

This year K5STEM admitted 3 kindergarten classes and a combined K/1. That does not include the transitional kindergarten class relocated there from Roxhill this year as part of the SPS special ed program. There was still a waiting list for general ed K at STEM this year. Fairmount Park Elementary had space for 304 students listed in the previously planned remodel. The new classrooms will give Fairmount Park room for 500 just enough to accommodate 3 homerooms per grade for K-5. Fairmount Park is central to West Seattle and easy to reach for those coming from outside West Seattle. K5STEM is drawing students from campuses in the north and south elementary clusters of West Seattle and beyond. I think it should be placed at Fairmount Park as was planned and allowed to continue enrolling 3 kindergarten classes each year and admit upper grade transfer students to quickly fill to 500.

ChrisSouth September 19, 2012 (8:02 am)

We need to remember not just the current size of STEM, but that there are 3.5 kindergarten rooms there, and only a couple each of classes for older kids.

So, STEM is set to grow by a lot, even if the kids who are there stay and it only accepts new kindergartners.

c September 19, 2012 (8:09 am)

Maybe that is where they will put the middle school. :) One can always dream.

Jawat September 19, 2012 (8:53 am)

STEM has about 90 Kindergartners; if that is the approximate number planned for every grade, that is over 500 kids. I am sure there will be more families applying/choosing to attend STEM at open enrollment in the spring. I wish they would decide for STEM to move to Fairmount Park; if STEM doesn’t go to that school, what are the other options for a permanent school location?

kayo September 20, 2012 (7:12 am)

I hope stem gets into Fairmount Park along with a small geozone for the kids who live in the neighborhood (ala Pathfinder). If you give priority enrollment to those kids, offer the better math curriculum, and the program grows and gets stronger, I have no doubt more parents will be happy to send their kids to stem. This will help alleviate the overcrowding in the Junction area along with a larger SP building. This makes the most sense to me along with building a bigger Schmitz Park. I still think it is ridiculous that Arbor Heights has to wait so long for a new building though. The condition of that building is unacceptable. It must be so frustrating to see other programs get money and new/remodeled buildings, while those kids have to wait.

Really?! September 20, 2012 (6:21 pm)

STEM schmem! It’d be nice if the district would address real safety and building issues such as those at Arbor Heights! Its mildly insulting to see so much work and money go into new schools and programs when existing school buildings are limiting the students of a healthy and bright experience that already go there. My two cents…..