Thanks to community efforts over the past spring and summer students at Pathfinder K-8 School are returning to improved facilities this week.

Pathfinder is an alternative school with a focus on Native American cultures and teaching methods that emphasize learning by doing.

Since Pathfinder began expanding from an elementary school to include grades 6, 7 and 8, facilities have been stretched thin and forced to teach the older grades in portables.

Jennifer Giomi, president of the Parent, Teacher and Student Association at Pathfinder says that the school has great teachers and a good curriculum, but poor facilities.

Giomi says that if the school increased the size of their student body to 400 students then they would receive additional funding. But without improved facilities, and with the newly improved Madison Middle School nearby, Pathfinder has struggled to do so.

During the last school year Pathfinder decided to take action and make improvements without relying on the district for funding.

"We thought 'we can't just wait for things to happen, so let's just see what we can do ourselves,'" Giomi said.

To decide which facility updates to tackle first, Pathfinder surveyed their staff and the community to find out what work would have the most support. They concluded that painting the junior high portables would be both feasible and have a significant impact on the school.

The Seattle School District supported the project through a partnership program, sending 120 Seattle Works volunteers to paint and clean up the school grounds.

On four different occasions from May to July, volunteers from Seattle Works and the Pathfinder community came out and assisted in painting six portables. Each work party had 25 to 120 different volunteers helping out.

The majority of painting supplies were donated by Authentic Homes, Aspen Paints, True Value and Alki Lumber. Other local businesses including West Seattle Thriftway and Cascade Deli Provision provided food during the work parties. The Parent, Teacher and Student Association only had to spend $500 of their funds throughout the project.

Kathy Banak at Authentic Home had friends whose children attend Pathfinder, and with the school's close proximity to her store, she saw it as an opportunity to give back to the community. She estimates that they donated approximately $1000 in paint and supplies.

"I wanted to make these buildings look beautiful so that the kids would get excited," Banak said.

Parents are also enthusiastic about the updates at Pathfinder. Akemi Hart, who has a daughter in the second grade at Pathfinder, said that the improvements will show current and potential students how much the community cares about their educational experience.

"It's going to give a positive outlook for prospective parents," Hart said. "Knowing that even though we don't have the newest building this is still the best community to be involved with."

Pathfinder has a history of improving its own facilities. In the past a sixth grade student helped fix heaters in the portables with the award money she received after winning the Mayor's award.

While the majority of the painting is complete, the school still needs additional maintenance work, including grounds maintenance.

"Our community is still willing to help put up all the efforts necessary to what needs to be done," Hart said.

Rose Egge may be contacted at 932.0300 or rosee@robinsonnews.com