On Saturday, a 14-year promise was finally fulfilled
School district and community dedicate Harbor Ridge MS
Lori Losee of the Gateway
That’s the new motto for both students and staffers at the new Harbor Ridge Middle School.
Saturday afternoon, about 200 people gathered to celebrate an event almost 14 years in the making — the dedication of the new $11 million Harbor Ridge Middle School.
‘This is a fulfillment of a promise made to our community,” said Jay Reifel, Harbor Ridge Middle School principal. “And today we are able to celebrate that.
“This is sacred ground. We have the best view (from the second-story library) in any school in North America.”
Peninsula School District Superintendent Jim Coolican said that when he was first hired in 1999, the school board had one request — to rebuild Harbor Ridge.
School board member Betty Ringlee, who was on the board when Coolican was hired, described her long history with trying to get the aging facility rebuilt.
Harbor Ridge Middle School originally was scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt after voters approved a 1990 bond measure.
But after several district levy failures, plans for the school were held off.
During construction last year, Harbor Ridge participated in a double shift with Goodman Middle School.
The land for the school was given by the Goodman family as a gift in the name of Lucy Goodman, a longtime teacher in the school district.
Ringlee said the rebuild was first planned when her son was a first-grader at Purdy Elementary. Now her son, Chris, is a sophomore in college — and finally the plan has come to fruition.
“My greatest reward is to be able to stay on this site,” she said. Coolican also presented the Charles Homer Howe plaque, which will be displayed in the school.
Howe was the first superintendent of the Peninsula School District, serving from 1941 to 1960.
Howe’s surviving children were on hand to receive the plaque on their father’s behalf.
A time capsule was also introduced. It will be opened in 2053. The capsule contains money, a HRMS sweatshirt, stories, pictures, a class list and a student schedule. It will be housed in the old Gig Harbor Union High School safe.
Gig Harbor Union High School opened its doors on the site in 1921. In 1947, the building became an elelemtary school, Harbor Intermediate. Then, in 1959, after major renovations and more additions, the building became home to Goodman Middle School.
Other substantial renovations and modernizations followed in 1968 and 1974, when some original portions of the structure were altered. The building became home to Harbor Ridge Middle School in 1991, when a new school was erected for Goodman.
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
Lori Losee of the Gateway
That’s the new motto for both students and staffers at the new Harbor Ridge Middle School.
Saturday afternoon, about 200 people gathered to celebrate an event almost 14 years in the making — the dedication of the new $11 million Harbor Ridge Middle School.
‘This is a fulfillment of a promise made to our community,” said Jay Reifel, Harbor Ridge Middle School principal. “And today we are able to celebrate that.
“This is sacred ground. We have the best view (from the second-story library) in any school in North America.”
Peninsula School District Superintendent Jim Coolican said that when he was first hired in 1999, the school board had one request — to rebuild Harbor Ridge.
School board member Betty Ringlee, who was on the board when Coolican was hired, described her long history with trying to get the aging facility rebuilt.
Harbor Ridge Middle School originally was scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt after voters approved a 1990 bond measure.
But after several district levy failures, plans for the school were held off.
During construction last year, Harbor Ridge participated in a double shift with Goodman Middle School.
The land for the school was given by the Goodman family as a gift in the name of Lucy Goodman, a longtime teacher in the school district.
Ringlee said the rebuild was first planned when her son was a first-grader at Purdy Elementary. Now her son, Chris, is a sophomore in college — and finally the plan has come to fruition.
“My greatest reward is to be able to stay on this site,” she said. Coolican also presented the Charles Homer Howe plaque, which will be displayed in the school.
Howe was the first superintendent of the Peninsula School District, serving from 1941 to 1960.
Howe’s surviving children were on hand to receive the plaque on their father’s behalf.
A time capsule was also introduced. It will be opened in 2053. The capsule contains money, a HRMS sweatshirt, stories, pictures, a class list and a student schedule. It will be housed in the old Gig Harbor Union High School safe.
Gig Harbor Union High School opened its doors on the site in 1921. In 1947, the building became an elelemtary school, Harbor Intermediate. Then, in 1959, after major renovations and more additions, the building became home to Goodman Middle School.
Other substantial renovations and modernizations followed in 1968 and 1974, when some original portions of the structure were altered. The building became home to Harbor Ridge Middle School in 1991, when a new school was erected for Goodman.
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
