Genesee Hill Elementary at 5013 SW Dakota St held its ribbon cutting on Sept. 6 and welcomed the former students from Schmitz Park Elementary into the fold. The new school will be approximately 91,000 square feet and accommodate up to 650 students. As school begins they are slightly over that number.

In attendance were hundreds of parents and students plus dignitaries including:
Sharon Nelson State Senator 34th District
Zach Hudgins, State Representative, 11th District
Sebrena Burr, President, Seattle PTSA
Melissa Pailthorp, President of Schools First, Seattle
Leslie Harris, Member at Large, Seattle School Board
Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent, Seattle Public Schools
Gerrit Kischner, Genesee Hill Principal
Betty Patu, President of the Seattle School Board

A special "last flag" to fly over the former Schmitz Park was presented to Vicki Schmitz by Oliver and Maya Smith.

Shared learning space will be found between classrooms and other space will be used for special education, art, science, music, and childcare. Designed by BLRB Architects the 91,000 square foot school cost approximately $40 million, paid for out of the BEX IV levy.

Senior Project Manager Eric Becker described the construction of the school noting that the sloping nature of the site meant creating a slope stabilization wall using pilings that are close to 30 feet deep. There was a significant amount of foundation work.

The school is large and was built to fit in both the student population from the former Genesee Hill and the now repurposed Schmitz Park which will begin offering child care this fall.

The child care space, now built out as kindergarten has its own entry foyer area near the front of the school.

Custom murals, showing trees reflect the elevation of the area outside and all incorporate the school mascot, the Fox. Also throughout the school is a honeycomb pattern, carried out in wall tiles, furniture and lighting.

The full size gym will be available for public use, after hours, entering from either end of the building (a feature similar to other Seattle Public Schools).

Becker said, "There were significant and exceptional trees on the site which were all preserved except for two. They would have been in the middle of the gymnasium."

Genesee Hill is a three story classroom building but all the mechanical equipment is below grade. The classroom building is built stepped sightly down from the Admin building and the library wing. There are over two million pounds of concrete in the school.

The design incorporates a bioswale that takes all the drainage. It is populated with native plants and has settling ponds at the end.

The construction was completed in 18 months.

Making the transition from Schmitz Park was accomplished through a series of get acquainted visits and gatherings for parents and students said Liz Dunn, Vice Principal. "All summer long we had playdates with cohorts. And we had potlucks. So they could get the feel of the playground and we've had mini-tours by cohort." You know what they love? The bathrooms!"

Dunn continued, "They love the commons area, and the fourth graders said, 'This is just for us!' "

"We're thrilled. Not just with the space, the fact that we have room, and all this beautiful light and this gorgeous building, but it's designed with how kids learn. The connectivity between one class and another, so it's not an isolated fifth grade class. It's a whole cohorted fifth grade. We can send kids to the commons and let them take care of their own independent learning. That was the whole reason behind the design of the commons. We're so far from the day when the teacher stood at the front of the room and just delivered information and children looked at them. That's one of the reasons we specifically have double desks so there's less of 'This is my space and where I do my learning' it's more 'This is us and we're learning together.' "

Tours of the school were offered following the ribbon cutting.

Genesee Hill start and end times:
2016-17 Schedule
Start: 7:55 a.m.
End: 2:05 p.m.