At most schools in the Steilacoom Historical School District, it will be a full house this fall.
And new Superintendent William Fritz sees more growth ahead as the economy slowly picks up steam. That could boost housing construction in his district, bringing growth in student enrollment.
The school district south of Tacoma includes the communities of Steilacoom and DuPont, as well as Anderson and McNeil islands. It enrolled more than 5,000 students last year, according to state figures.
The district operates five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. An estimated 1,900 of its students this year will attend online through the district’s WAVA (Washington Virtual Academies) program.
But with the exception of elementary schools on the islands, Steilacoom’s brick and mortar schools are full, Fritz said.
“When you talk to people who live here, nine times out of 10 they say, ‘I moved here because of the schools,’ ” said Fritz, who started work July 1.
The communities that make up the school district are “a wonderful place to raise kids,” he added.
The small suburban district has decent state test scores, when compared with some larger, more urban neighboring districts. But it’s about on par with statewide averages. And like districts around the state, its math scores lag those earned in reading.
“Our No. 1 job is student achievement,” Fritz said. “We believe we can always improve.”
The district’s newest school, Pioneer Middle School, opened three years ago. Chloe Clark Elementary, which opened in 2001, has added wings but is still full.
The last time voters approved a bond measure was in 2005, Fritz said. He said there is no timetable for when the district might ask voters for more capital funds.
The WAVA program, which offers online education to students in kindergarten through eighth grade, is expected to generate $9.6 million in revenue for the district this year. WAVA enrolls students from both Steilacoom and around the state.
Fritz sees it not as a money maker, but as an important option.
“We believe there are a variety of educational choices that should be available to families – traditional classroom settings, online, private school and home school,” he said. “We offer two.”
Fritz, 41, came to Steilacoom from the Shoreline district north of Seattle, where he most recently served as human resources director. He has also worked as a high school assistant principal and middle school principal. He started his education career as a math teacher in Everett in 1992.
Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635
debbie.cafazzo@thenewstribune.com
STEILACOOM vs. STATE
Here’s how Steilacoom 10th-grade students fared in meeting state standards in reading and math in the 2008-09 school year, and the percentage of them who qualified for free/reduced lunch, a gauge of student poverty.
SteilacoomState
Reading
83.1% / 81.2%
Math
43.6% / 45.4%
Poverty
16.5% / 40.4%
Source: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
