Schmitz Park Elementary: New school opening this fall; kindergarten tour tomorrow

| Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(WSB photo of under-construction school, earlier this month)
The construction of both new West Seattle elementary campuses – for Schmitz Park at Genesee Hill (above) and Arbor Heights – is on schedule for their planned openings this fall, Seattle Public Schools tells us. And if you will have a kindergartener going into Schmitz Park this fall, principal Gerrit Kischner invites you to their upcoming tours – 9 am tomorrow (Tuesday, January 26th) and Wednesday, February 10th:

We are still hosting tours this year because we want families to start getting excited about our program. Next year, it will be the same great teachers and the same great community in a brand new, beautiful space! We will showcase our five Kindergarten classrooms, give parents an opportunity to observe upper-grade classrooms as well, and share pictures and ideas for how our program will maximize the advantages of our new space. Whether families choose to tour or not, please remember that Kindergarten registration is now open for attendance-area schools, and the sooner families register their youngsters, the better we will be equipped to plan for their coming!

Kischner adds that the new school’s name hasn’t been finalized yet but so far they’re calling it “Schmitz Park at Genesee Hill.” But be sure you go to the CURRENT campus for the upcoming tours – 50th SW/SW Spokane.

Azimuth January 25, 2016 (12:57 pm)

I’m glad to see a brand-spankin’ new school (am I allowed to say “spankin'” when referring to kids?) but I walked by it the other day and that thing is BIG!

Lauren January 26, 2016 (10:09 am)

I think Schmitz Park Elementary has the most students of any elementary school in the city, so the building being big makes sense.

MercyMoi January 25, 2016 (2:55 pm)

I’m curious about families who wish to tour but their students would be entering grades higher than K. Is there a separate tour? The website didn’t mention this scenario.

Trickycoolj January 25, 2016 (3:05 pm)

Wow that’s a great looking school! Lucky kiddos! My elementary school opened the year before I moved to the neighborhood in 2nd. It’s so awesome to go to such a shiny new school as a kid. How lucky!

Mike January 25, 2016 (3:34 pm)

Interested to know when parents of higher grades will be able to tour and find out more about where our kids will be going next year. Anyone know what the plan is for the existing Schmitz Park school location? As far as I know, the district is bound by agreement with the Schmitz family to use it as a school (aka… can’t sell it and try to profit from it). Anyone know?

Lauren January 26, 2016 (10:11 am)

I don’t know if this is still the plan but a year or so ago I was told the plan was to move special education preschool classes in West Seattle from the individual schools they are currently hosted in to this one school location.

john January 26, 2016 (10:54 am)

Wow, that’s an unremarkable looking school. If that school design were subjected to developer scorn, we would here the same complaints- monstrous, boxy, brutalistic, fortress like, uninteresting, ugly, lack of historical reference, no murals, sunlight blocking, looming, bad color choices, cheap looking, no trees, no welcoming entrance, lack of parking and just plain destroying the neighborhood with construction activity, noise, brutish loud inconsiderate workers, trash and them parking in front of homes they don’t live at.

WSEA January 27, 2016 (8:01 am)

Why is there a lack of windows? was the developer from Arizona? Or maybe this was the lowest cost option. I would put one side of the entire wall as a window and add shades.

WSB January 27, 2016 (8:04 am)

This is just one side. If you’re interested in the full design, the link in the story goes here: http://bex.seattleschools.org/bex-iv/genesee-hill-site/

Sorry, comment time is over.