Federal Way Area School History By Dick Caster Prepared for the Historical Society of Federal Way Additional material relating to school history may be found at www.federalwayhistory.org. May 28, 2008 Copyright © 2008 by the Historical Society of Federal Way All Rights Reserved School History of the Federal Way Area May 28, 2008 Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................... 6 Early School District Boundaries ........................................................ 7 Thurston County School District Number 5 ........................................ 7 Historic Background for Early Schools ............................................... 7 Washington Territory Schools ........................................................................................ 7 Additional Uses Found for School Houses..................................................................... 9 Early Federal Way Area School Background............................................................... 10 North Edgewood School District 42/43 .............................................. 10 Formation of School District 42/43 .............................................................................. 10 Schools in District 42/43............................................................................................... 12 Anne (Anna) Campbell Calavan................................................................................... 12 North Edgewood School............................................................................................... 13 Harding School ............................................................................................................. 17 Opening and Construction ................................................................................. 17 Architecture ........................................................................................................... 17 Teachers, Students, Schedules .......................................................................... 19 Closure of Harding School ................................................................................ 20 Use of Harding School After School Closure ............................................... 20 Attempt to Make Harding School a Historical Landmark ......................... 21 Adelaide School District 55 ............................................................... 23 Early Beach Development ............................................................................................ 23 French’s Lake School ................................................................................................... 23 Formation of Adelaide School District......................................................................... 24 Adelaide Beach School................................................................................................. 24 Buenna School .............................................................................................................. 27 Buenna School Built and Opened .................................................................... 27 Students .................................................................................................................. 28 Teachers and Classes ........................................................................................... 29 High School ........................................................................................................... 31 Final Years of Buenna School .......................................................................... 31 St. George’s Indian School ................................................................ 33 Father Hylebos and Indian Education........................................................................... 33 St. George’s Indian School Construction...................................................................... 34 Opening of St. George’s Indian School ........................................................................ 35 Costs of Operating St. George’s School ....................................................................... 36 Controversy over St. George’s...................................................................................... 37 Additional Construction at St. George’s....................................................................... 37 Closing of St. George’s Indian School ......................................................................... 38 2 School History of the Federal Way Area May 28, 2008 Naming of Hylebos Creek ............................................................................................ 39 Star Lake School District 64 ............................................................. 39 Formation and Boundaries............................................................................................ 39 Schools.......................................................................................................................... 40 Early Directors.............................................................................................................. 42 Early Teachers .............................................................................................................. 42 End of Star Lake School District 64 ............................................................................. 43 Steel Lake School District 92 ............................................................ 43 Spelling of Steel............................................................................................................ 43 First Organized.............................................................................................................. 43 1891 – 1892 Steel Lake Temporary Cabin School ....................................................... 44 Feud Between Webb and Steel ..................................................................................... 44 Permanent Steel Lake School House ............................................................................ 45 Early District Officers................................................................................................... 46 First Steel Lake Teachers.............................................................................................. 47 Disposal of the Steel Lake Schools............................................................................... 49 Formation of Redondo School District 169 ........................................ 50 Move to Consolidate Rural School Districts ....................................... 50 Formation of School District 210 ...................................................... 51 State Law to Reorganize School Districts .......................................... 53 First Federal Way District 210 School ............................................... 53 Federal Way High School Building.............................................................................. 53 Federal Way Elementary School Opened..................................................................... 54 Expansion of Federal Way Elementary School ............................................................ 54 Federal Way High School............................................................................................. 58 Opening of Federal Way High School ............................................................ 58 Students, Activities and Teachers .................................................................... 58 H. J. Winter ............................................................................................................ 61 Kenneth C. Jones .................................................................................................. 62 Job Description for 1966 Superintendent ....................................................... 63 Nancy Garber Carlson Reminisces About High School ............................ 64 Federal Way High School Graduates .............................................................. 66 Parent Teachers Association Before 1950 .......................................... 67 Formation of PTA......................................................................................................... 67 Membership .................................................................................................................. 68 Lunch Room Project ..................................................................................................... 69 PTA General Projects ................................................................................................... 71 PTA Finances................................................................................................................ 72 School Board Activities in the 1930s .................................................. 75 Student Population in Federal Way Public Schools ............................ 76 Teachers Salaries in 1940s ................................................................ 79 3 School History of the Federal Way Area May 28, 2008 New Schools after 1950 ..................................................................... 82 General Comments........................................................................................................ 82 School District Growth ................................................................................................. 82 Lakeland Elementary School ............................................................ 84 Steel Lake