So, on Ddonn's blog she laments the possible closure of her high school and I wondered WHY the district would pick Foss to close. Stadium* is oldest- MY dad went there, Lincoln is equally old with new parts but Foss was renovated while we still lived there. My suspicion was that the numbers must be down and the future appears not to have any big influx up its sleeve, but still why Foss?
Turns out it is now the smallest high school in town, student wise.
Foss High School
Enrollment (October 2009)
Grade 9 362
Grade 10 271
Grade 11 256
Grade 12 237
Total 1,126
Ethnicity
African American 347 30.8%
Asian 240 21.3%
American Indian 16 1.4%
Hispanic 113 10.0%
Pacific Islander 17 1.5%
White 393 34.9%
In 2001, Henry Foss High School earned a Washington State Achiever School grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This honor, coupled with money made available through the 2001 bond, set the school on the course of an extensive renovation program aimed at providing 21st century facilities for Foss students, staff and community members.
The original Foss building opened in 1973, and since then it has grown outdated. Not only did the brick mass of the structure fail to convey the vital identity of the students and staff who now inhabit it, but the open-plan concept on which the design was based did not support present-day dynamic teaching methods.
The scope of work included: two new classroom additions to accommodate students currently housed in portables; extensive upgrades to science labs; an expansion of the existing gymnasium and upgrade of various physical education and athletic support spaces; the addition of a new auxiliary gym and new weight room; hazardous materials abatement; and a complete replacement of the entire building's mechanical, plumbing and lighting systems.
The design solution dramatically changed the essential character of the facility, and created a reinvigorated sense of place for the school community. Renovations were completed in September 2005.
Capacity: | 1872 |
|---|---|
| Cost: | $31,683,169 |
| Scope: | Two new classroom additions along with numerous upgrades around the rest of the school |
Wilson High School
Enrollment (October 2009)
Grade 9 495
Grade 10 387
Grade 11 263
Grade 12 210
Total 1,355
Ethnicity
African-American 257 19.0%
Asian 79 5.8%
American Indian 24 1.8%
Hispanic 80 5.9%
Pacific Islander 6 0.4%
White 909 67.1%
Wilson High School opened in 1958 as a campus-style school that included 12 buildings spread out over 12 acres of land. But, with funds from the 2001 bond, the district completed stage one of its renovation.
Phase one was completed in August 2006, with one three-story building replacing five previously existing structures and eight portables on the school grounds. The project added 42 classrooms in total, including: nine science classrooms, six business and marketing classrooms, and two remodeled and expanded art rooms.
A therapeutic learning center was added to the school along with a new state-of-the-art library and media center to allow students to explore learning with the help of new technologies. Also, the career center, guidance center and administrative offices were updated and located at the new front of the school.
Capacity: | 1900 |
|---|---|
| Cost: | $28,680,101 |
| Scope: | Added new classroom wing |
Lincoln High School - the high school we opted out of (2 of my siblings are alumni)
Enrollment (October 2009)
Grade 9 581
Grade 10 429
Grade 11 316
Grade 12 205
Total 1,531
Ethnicity
African American 398 26.0%
Asian 242 15.8%
American Indian 55 3.6%
Hispanic 356 23.3%
Pacific Islander 45 2.9%
White 435 28.4
Lincoln High School is the second oldest high school in the city of Tacoma, having opened its doors in 1914 at a cost of just $436,607. It was renovated several times during the 20th century, adding a second floor and the Lincoln Bowl, among other major additions over its first 92 years in existence.
Beginning in May 2006, construction started at Lincoln that would bring the school into the new millennium while maintaining the school’s history and traditions. The main building was completely modernized, transforming the layout into six zones — one in each wing on each floor — that are used to divide the school up in three separate academies. Each academy functions independently within the framework of the larger building to give students a choice of three different educational experiences.
The library wing was replaced by a new, three-story science wing. The library was then reconstructed in a new, four-story classroom wing. Structural upgrades to the industrial arts building were made, and the building that houses the gym and pool also received improvements.
The renovated and improved Lincoln High School opened up for students and staff in September 2007.
Capacity: | 1700 |
|---|---|
| Cost: | $75,251,312 |
| Scope: | Main building completely modernized, construction of new three-story science wing and structural upgrades to industrial arts building. |
Mount Tahoma High School
Enrollment (October 2009)
Grade 9 515
Grade 10 431
Grade 11 428
Grade 12 269
Total 1,643
Ethnicity
African-American 389 23.7%
Asian 251 15.3%
American Indian 37 2.3%
Hispanic 266 16.2%
Pacific Islander 33 2.0%
White 667 40.6%
The district expects Mount Tahoma High School’s new building on 74th Street to be around for a long time. With that in mind, the designers of the sprawling, state-of-the-art facility put in extra effort to make sure that its new façade would be timeless in nature — for the next 50 to 100 years.
Mount Tahoma was designed to increase student achievement and staff effectiveness by creating a personalized learning environment that helps to strengthen the relationship between students and staff. To do that, the school is organized into four independent learning academies, which house 400 to 450 students each.
The new building was designed with the history of the original building, which opened in 1961, in mind. The design included an effective use of daylight, natural ventilation and quality acoustics to enhance the indoor learning environment.
In addition to the new buildings, the construction project added new high-quality athletic facilities. The crowning jewel among those was the new football stadium, which seats more than 5,000 spectators, and has become a go-to site to host high school athletic events in and around the Pierce County area.
The three-year project was completed in June 2004.
Capacity: | 1,800 |
|---|---|
| Cost: | $75,037,954 |
| Scope: | Constructed new school |
Stadium High School*
Enrollment (October 2009)
Grade 9 551
Grade 10 446
Grade 11 458
Grade 12 366
Total 1,821
Ethnicity
African-American 260 14.3%
Asian 180 9.9%
American Indian 25 1.4%
Hispanic 105 5.8%
Pacific Islander 7 0.4%
White 1,244 68.3%
Stadium High School has been part of the Tacoma community for more than 100 years. With its elegant exterior and castle-like structure, it is a beloved historical site. On the inside, however, things were falling apart. To improve student learning, Stadium was closed for two years and rebuilt on the inside.
The design concept was in place to provide seismic upgrades, renovation and modernization of the existing building to bring teaching at Stadium into the 21st century. A new annex was also added to provide students, staff and the surrounding community with a performing arts center and gym.
The biggest challenge in the remodel was to update the functionality of the school on the inside while still preserving the historic character and appearance on the outside. What resulted was an amazing collage of the school’s classic exterior and an interior with state-of-the-art facilities.
The school reopened in September 2006.
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So, there we are.
Smallest enrollment, second largest building in the district by capacity.
Not to mention that the parking lot is used by Cheney Stadium which it borders (southwest of the school) or that an aging Fred Meyers is across the street to the north while the Tacoma Nature Center and Snake Lake are across the street to the east.
