Greenwood Elementary Remodel Plans

By Tom Herriman

Marcos Montoya goes up to get his diploma at 5th Grade graduation. Entrance to 1926 wing scheduled for demolition. Model of Greenwood Elementary with planned new wings. Construction will start in the fall of 2001.

The school will move to temporary quarters at Lincoln High School for two years.

Principal Joanne Hill said that next year's relocation will not interrupt the school's drive to move all students into compliance with school district academic standards. "That's the unifying element for what we do here," Hill says. "We're really focussed on academic achievement. By 5th grade, we want our students to be independent learners in order to make their successful transition to middle school."

More than 65 volunteers back up teachers in the classroom and elsewhere in the school. Volunteers are drawn from parents and others in the community, from the University of Washington and other colleges, and from a large group of Partnership With America members.

Greenwood participates in the National Urban Literacy Project and the National Science Foundation's Inquiry Based Science Program.

The school offers a two-year Japanese language and culture program for all students, and a before-school Spanish program.

"We're constantly looking to market our school and recruit new families," Hill said.

Much of the distinctive architecture of the original Greenwood Elementary building will be preserved and restored, according to architect Lee Fenton.

The school had been slated for demolition, but strong objections from the community persuaded the school district to retain the original 1906 central building. "The school is central to the image of Greenwood," Fenton said. "The distinctive gable above the main entrance can be seen from all over the neighborhood, giving a visual focus and image for the whole community." Plans include restoring the terra cotta gingerbread trim that used to adorn the gable.

The 1926 addition to the original school, which now houses the lunchroom/auditorium, will be demolished and new wings to the original building will be constructed, increasing the total floor space in the school to 46,000 square feet from the current 26,000. All the portable classrooms will be eliminated. The playground, now covered with asphalt, will be rebuilt and covered with a loose, porous composite material that will provide a soft but firm base for all forms of school athletics and games. The entrance to the teacher parking area will be reconfigured so that children do not have to cross the driveway on their way to the playground.

Architects are hoping to side the new buildings with brick to match the main building, but budget planners have yet to approve the cost. Color-matched concrete block is a cheaper alternative.

Every classroom will be wired for the Internet and the school will have more than 200 computers available to students. The rebuilt school will have a capacity of 385 students.

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