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Pasco School District (Washington)

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Coordinates: 46°13′42″N 119°06′11″W / 46.22833°N 119.10306°W / 46.22833; -119.10306
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"Pasco School District" redirects here. For the school district in Florida, see Pasco County Schools.

Pasco School District No. 1
Address
1215 W. Lewis Street
Pasco, Washington
United States
Coordinates46°13′42″N 119°06′11″W / 46.22833°N 119.10306°W / 46.22833; -119.10306
District information
TypePublic
GradesK–12
EstablishedJanuary 10, 1885 (January 10, 1885)
SuperintendentMichelle Whitney
Schools25
Budget$313.5 million (2023–24)[1]
NCES District ID5306570[2]
Students and staff
Students18,515
Teachers1,056
Staff982
Other information
Websitepsd1.org

Pasco School District No. 1 (PSD) is a public school district in Pasco, Washington, United States, part of the Tri-Cities area. It serves over 18,500 K–12 students in the city of Pasco and surrounding parts of unincorporated Franklin County.[2][3] As of 2024, the district operates 17 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools.[4]

Programs offered by PSD include the largest dual language program in Washington, serving over 2,190 students who are educated in both English and Spanish.[5] The district launched a digital learning academy in 2023 that consolidates four online schools that offer remote learning to 600 students.[6] The school district's superintendent has been Michelle Whitney since 2016.[7]

History

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The Pasco School District No. 1 was formed on January 10, 1885, with one teacher and no permanent building. The first school in Pasco was constructed later in the year and was followed by a second schoolhouse in 1888. The school district was accredited by the Washington State Board of Education on June 7, 1910, and had 475 students at the time.[8] The school district financed the creation of Columbia Basin College, a junior college to serve the Tri-Cities region, in 1955 with state approval.[9] It continued to operate the college until 1967, when the state government reorganized community colleges into independent districts.[8]

The school district underwent major growth in the early 21st century, particularly from immigration in the Hispanic American community. In 2007, superintendent Saundra Hill estimated that 65 percent of students lived in households that primarily spoke languages other than English.[10] Pasco opened its second high school, Chiawana, at a 80-acre (32 ha) campus in August 2009 to address overcrowding at Pasco High School; within eight years, the newer high school had over 2,600 students and required the use of portable classrooms to accommodate its student body.[11] A growth impact fee was approved by the Pasco city government in 2012 to fund capital projects, including the construction of five additional elementary schools, due to the city's population growth in the 2000s.[12][13]

The school district opened its first STEM elementary school, named for Rosalind Franklin, in 2014; these schools have a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).[14] An existing elementary school, Captain Gray, was converted into the district's third STEM school in 2015.[15] One of the newest elementary schools in the district, Three Rivers, opened in 2019 with the first inclusive playground in Washington state; the playground features a greater variety of accessible equipment than a traditional school playground.[16] The Pasco School District moved its sixth-grade classes from elementary schools to middle schools from 2015 to 2020 due to overcrowding that was later eased by the construction of Ray Reynolds Middle School.[17]

Chiawana High School had grown to 2,700 students by 2019, becoming the largest high school in Washington state.[18] Funding to construct a third high school, to be in West Pasco, was approved by voters as part of a $195.5 million bond measure in early 2023. It is scheduled to open for the 2025–26 school year as Harvest View High School; the project is anticipated to cost $185 million to construct.[19] A career and college center, named Orion High School, is planned to also open during the 2025–26 school year.[20] In January 2024, the school district purchased 41 acres (17 ha) near the future Harvest View High School for a new elementary or middle school.[4]

List of schools

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Elementary schools

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As of 2024, the Pasco School District has 17 elementary schools for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade:[21]

Middle schools

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Isaac Stevens Middle School

As of 2024, the Pasco School District has four middle schools for students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades:[22]

High schools

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As of 2024, the Pasco School District has two traditional high schools and two alternative high schools:[23]

Stadium

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Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium is a 6,000-seat stadium owned by the Pasco School District that serves as the home stadium for the athletic programs at Chiawana and Pasco high schools. It opened on September 13, 1957.[24] Harvest View High School will also use the stadium for varsity American football beginning in 2025.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Pasco School District Fiscal Year 2023–2024 Budget" (PDF). Pasco School District. August 31, 2023. p. 4. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Pasco School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  3. ^ School Districts (Map). Franklin County. April 25, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Rosane, Eric (January 9, 2024). "Pasco schools buy up another $4M in farmland near new high school. What we know". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Rosane, Eric (October 17, 2022). "Opening up jobs to students by teaching other languages. Pasco program is 'best' in WA". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Rosane, Eric (August 29, 2023). "It's the end of COVID money. Some worry how Tri-Cities schools will spend final dollars". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Beaver, Ty (February 23, 2016). "Pasco board confirms Whitney as future superintendent". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Pasco schools come from a humble start...to 'exemplary' district in its first 100 years". Tri-City Herald. March 17, 1985. pp. C10–C11. Retrieved February 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Gibson, Elizabeth (September 14, 2005). "Columbia Basin College opens in Pasco on September 19, 1955". HistoryLink. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Dininny, Shannon (July 29, 2007). "Franklin County at epicenter of state's Hispanic explosion". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Kraemer, Kristin M.; Probert, Cameron (March 7, 2017). "Chiawana High to add 8 portable buildings to keep up with growth". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Pihl, Kristi (February 14, 2012). "Pasco growth forces council to look at school impact fees". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  13. ^ Culverwell, Wendy (June 7, 2018). "Here's why those homes west of Pasco won't pay $2M in school fees". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  14. ^ Cary, Annette (August 29, 2014). "Students at Pasco's first STEM elementary learn about geology, computer science and more". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  15. ^ Beaver, Ty (December 10, 2014). "Future of Captain Gray Early Learning Center focus of latest Pasco boundary meetings". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Van De Venter, Karlee (March 24, 2023). "Pasco elementary school recognized among top 10 most inclusive playgrounds in the country". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  17. ^ Probert, Cameron (May 25, 2019). "As Pasco opens new schools, it will also be shuffling where students will go". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  18. ^ Probert, Cameron (June 22, 2019). "Pasco's high schools are bulging at the seams. Here's the plan to ease overcrowding". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Rosane, Eric (August 20, 2023). "Pasco's newest high school will be a game changer". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  20. ^ Rosane, Eric (October 25, 2023). "What Pasco chose to name the Tri-Cities' newest high school and career academy". Tri-City Herald. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  21. ^ "Elementary Schools". Pasco School District. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  22. ^ "Middle Schools". Pasco School District. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  23. ^ "High Schools". Pasco School District. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  24. ^ Gibson, Elizabeth (November 20, 2005). "Pasco's Edgar Brown Stadium hosts its first game on September 13, 1957". HistoryLink. Retrieved February 27, 2024.

Further reading

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