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Preserving Historic Schools

Preserving Seattle's Historic Schools
By Heather MacIntosh, Preservation Advocate

Franklin High School

Historically, schools have helped create neighborhoods. Many of Seattle's grandest historic schools were built in the 1920s, during a period of national school reform that called for greater light and ventilation in classrooms, and recreational outdoor spaces for better physical fitness. The result is a legacy of exceptional buildings and open spaces that act as community centers. In the face of wide-scale changes in demand and facilities requirements, the Seattle School District is forced to contend with its collection of exceptional properties, many of which are in need of repair and rehabilitation. The future of Seattle's historic schools is uncertain.

Best Laid Plans

The Seattle Public School District (SPSD) owns and maintains over 100 school facilities, 45 of which were built prior to 1940. Since the late 1980s, the SPSD has puzzled over long term plans for its extensive portfolio of historic schools. Historic Seattle completed a historic building survey for the SPSD in 1989 that provided a comparative analysis of extant early schools within the system. The survey provided context for decision making about the historical significance of individual buildings. This survey was folded into a 20-year facilities master plan (FMP) that aimed to correct educational deficiencies, promote safe buildings, and meet projected growth of the student population. Since this study, the population of Seattle has gone up, while the student population has leveled. Fewer households within the city include school age children - the latest census information cites that only a quarter of Seattle's households are married couples with children. The question of preserving historic schools has taken a slightly different turn.

Educational Architecture

Making decisions about historic schools is far from simple. School buildings are large and occupy central neighborhood sites. School buildings also become repositories for community memories. They are often "white elephants" while at the same time prominent architectural statements. Many do not "pencil out" with continued use as school buildings. Although this is an issue for many older buildings in need of rehabilitation, the size and siting of older schools compounds the complexity of the problem, and has generated debate and collaboration among various groups and governmental agencies. The City of Seattle Landmarks Commission and the City's Preservation Office have engaged in a cooperative partnership with the school district. This relationship has aided the school district in understanding the potential impact of various solutions including rehabilitation as schools, adaptive re-use, or demolition.

A Case for Continued Use

Wallingford Center

Though sometimes costly, rehabilitation of historic schools for continued educational use has many benefits. The building acts as a bridge between generations, and can be an educational tool that gets students thinking about the unique character of their community. Many historic schools were designed with smaller class sizes as an ideal. Clearly, historic schools act as anchors for communities - privatizing the green spaces around schools, or building on school sites, removes this center. What is the inherent value of preserving historic schools, relative to other pressing community needs? The answer needs to come from the community, not just parents or the school board. Preserving historic schools takes considerable planning, creativity, and in many cases, initial subsidization. The best solutions will balance the needs and desires of individual neighborhoods with preservation and the school district's bottom line.