A neighborhood school is more than a group of classrooms | Opinion

In 1983, when the Olympia Heritage Commission was formed, it decided to conduct an inventory of historic properties in the city. Volunteer commissioners walked the city’s neighborhoods (including Judge Chris Wickham).

At that time, the East Side was eclectic: there were old houses in need of repair, long-term residents with stories to tell, and modest homes (like Wickham’s own). Madison School at that time was on Central Street.

Some time in the 1980s, the Salvation Army opened its overnight shelter for families. In 1982, Bread and Roses opened its shelter on Eighth Avenue. Over time, Madison became a school for many homeless children. Recognizing the need, the state Department of Social and Health Services assigned a social worker, John Van Rooy, to work with children and families in need. His office was at Madison.

In 1991, Madison received a new principal (Karen Gray). Because of the recognition of need in the Madison community, she requested to be and was appointed Homeless Coordinator for the Olympia School District. At that time, Madison had the highest percentage of free and reduced-price lunches in the Olympia district. Madison also had the highest turnover of children from year to year in the district because of the financial need of their parents.

Over the next 15 years, changes began to occur. Staff made sure to let all parents and children know that they were welcome, addressing them by name. The school’s washer and dryer became important so that children attending Madison could have clean clothes regardless of their home situation.

Staff volunteered to attend three Saturdays of training on a new reading approach to help Madison students. The result of the training: Madison’s reading scores went from among the lowest in the district to among the highest. That success and others had an impact on the children and their families; they began to feel pride in themselves and in their neighborhood school.

Today, the neighborhood pride in the school is obvious at every event: the halls and the gym are overflowing with parents and family members. Neighborhood children use the school grounds for playing with friends. Families move to the neighborhood in part because of the school. This neighborhood has become a magnet for young families who are repairing and restoring houses and creating networks for parents and children. The neighborhood has been transformed in the last 50 years, and Madison played a central role in that revival.

Neighborhood schools are important for the children who attend and the neighborhood in which they are placed. If the Olympia School District closes Madison to save money as it has proposed, it will permanently damage this part of Olympia that has had such a spectacular rebirth.

Chris Wickham is a retired Thurston County Superior Court Judge. Karen Gray is a former principal at Madison Elementary School in Olympia.

This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 5:00 AM.