Westside School founded in 1981, celebrated the move into its permanent home with a ribbon cutting, tours, food trucks and more on Saturday Aug. 29 at 11am. The even had been planned to be held outdoors but the weather forced a move into the schools new auditorium. The school is located at 10404 34TH Ave. SW.

The school has been in several places in the community, sharing space with Explorer West for a few years, before moving to E.C. Hughes for the last five years. Now after 13 and a half months of construction and many months in planning before that, and $15.5 million, they are ready to welcome students.

Construction at the new location began in early in 2013. The building is a complete renovation of the former Hillcrest Presbyterian Church and features 53,000 square feet dedicated to teaching and learning: 27 classrooms; light-filled, child centered work spaces; a new library; separate, team-oriented middle school classrooms; a 450 seat auditorium; green space, and warm and inviting gathering spaces where students, teachers, parents and visitors can connect, share and meet.

Westside School was founded in 1981 by a group of educators and parents who wanted a positive and self-esteem building school experience for their children. Today, Westside School is the only accredited NWAIS (Northwest Association of Independent Schools) pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school located in West Seattle, with 340 students enrolled in for the 2015 - 2016 school year. Over the past few years, the school has grown into one of the largest pre-kindergarten through eighth grade independent schools in the region. Westside School’s mission is to prepare students for the world by challenging them to achieve academic success and by connecting their human spirit to imagination and learning.