TACOMA, Wash. — Families are familiar with the location but were greeted Thursday by a very different building than the previous Fawcett Elementary School on East 60th Street in Tacoma.
The school, which has existed since 1950, was demolished and is now rebuilt.
Large windows allow natural light to shine throughout the building. Teachers designed their classrooms with new furniture and materials.
There are art displays around the school. That includes a mural, hanging fine art and history lessons on the walls.
There’s a new library on the upper level of the school.
A new gymnasium will be used for physical education and other activities. Behind the building, engineers designed a large outdoor open play area. There’s a field with turf and a playground.
"No matter who you talk to the message is people feel like they are valued,” Principal Erin Curtiss said. “That they mean something and that their community is being recognized, because they walk into a space every day that makes them proud to be there. It's a lot easier to be confident and do well when you know people feel this way about you - to offer you this brand-new school."
In 2020, voters approved a $535 million Tacoma Schools construction bond. It allows the renovation and re-building of eight schools in the district. Fawcett is the fourth school to reap the benefits of the new funds.
It was a big investment, so the district said every detail had to be planned out. That includes security.
When you approach the front door there are multiple levels of access needed before you can get into the school. Like other Tacoma schools, there is a vestibule and security cameras.
"There are three different exits out of there. None of them can actually be accessed to get into the parts of the school where our students are,” Curtiss said. “That was an extra added consideration when we were talking about having the most up-to-date security standards at our school."
The school was built with spaces to promote different kinds of learning. There is a STEAM lab. It is a classroom specifically designed for students with interests in science, technology, engineering, art and math.
In 2024 Bryant Montessori is slated to open a new school, followed by Oakland High School in 2025.