Explorer West Middle School head, Evan Hundley, has experienced a pride-filled start of the new school year with a promise of good things to follow.

September 18 he helped dedicate the former High Point Playfield, renamed for his father, Walt Huntley (Playfield.) Walt served as City Director of the office of Budget and Management (1974-1977) and was Seattle’s first African-American Parks Superintendent (1977-1988).

Evan Hundley also beams as Explorer West, 10015 28th Ave. SW in White Center, now occupies the entire building and lot it had shared with Westside School’s kindergarten through fifth grade since 1995, when Explorer West was founded.

Westside School occupied 65-percent of the building and lot, leaving the growing middle school just two classrooms, one office, and a shared gym. Westside School held an Open House Sept. 19 at its new location, the E.C. Hughes building, 7740 34th Avenue SW.

Explorer West, now with 93 students, purchased two portables from Seattle Prep in 2000, each with two, 400 square-foot rooms. The students would shuttle from room to room in the portables, and back and forth to the main building, often in the rain. That meant two classrooms in the main building, and four classrooms in the portables.

“We were still two classrooms short,” said Hundley, who students affectionately call ‘Mr. H.’ “Our goal was to construct a new two-classroom building and we had a capital campaign to raise $800,000. But because Westside decided to move, that saved us from raising that amount of money. Leasing their space is a hit on our operating budget, but less than building a new structure.”

The Highline School District owns the building. Explorer West partially leases from them, and now has a sublease arrangement with Westside School.

“Westside had gym 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.,” Hundley recalled. “We can now use it all day, and even put tents in there when it’s wet.”

He pointed to one of the two indoor rooms they had occupied that had to double as a music room and art room. Instruments were stored under tables, in the library, in the office, wherever space could be found. Now there are lockers for music and art equipment, and the portables also serve as storage space.

“In the old configuration the music and art room was right next to Westside’s classrooms,” he said. “It bothered me that we made loud music next door, but hey didn’t complain.”

“Our hallway is now 75 yards from the front door to the rear, and it takes almost 24 trips to make a mile,” said Hundley with a bounce in his step as he began to pace out the carpeted journey with his lengthy stride.

“I was (teaching) in every classroom before, and now we have everything we need in this one room for classes which makes all the difference,” said David Kelly, the popular drama teacher many in West Seattle recognize during his students’ stage productions. A small stage and tiered seating creates a small but authentic theater space in his new classroom.

“When we opened in 1995 we had just two rooms in this building, then portables, and now with the entire building it’s beyond a luxury, it’s heaven,” said an equally prideful Rick Marting, school founder and English teacher who, if pushed, will tell you about his professional music career, including performing as a drummer, from age 19 to 30.

“We can spread out,” Marting said. “The kids love having the entire building, too. We’re just very happy. We miss the little kids at Westside in some ways. On the other hand, it’s really great to have this place be ours.”

“It’s really cool when you are in class and you can look outside,” said 8th grader Amelia Best, her third year at Explorer West. “The portables had no windows. And now you can bring your backpack into class instead of leaving it out in the rain.”

Like all students at the school, Best is required to take Latin, which she likes.

“A lot of Latin words are similar to English words,” she pointed out. “We recently learned to conjugate ‘laborare’ which means ‘to work,’” she said as she began racing down the hall to her next class.

“There’s so much more room now, and we can hang all these things on the walls,” added 8th grader Mandalay Win, referring to student-made artwork adorning both sides of those 75 yards.

“I really like the new space because with the portables people used to get clogged up,” said Sam Waller, also in 8th grade. “Now with more space in the hallways you can get to your next class quickly.”

A friend of Waller chimed in, “And now you don’t trip on the little kids.”