In November of 2015, the Anacortes School District passed an $89.7M bond to design and construct a new comprehensive high school. The existing theater and athletic wing were fully renovated while the remainder of the high school was demolished and replaced with an amazing new facility. All of this was accomplished without disruption to the student’s on-site education.
In 2018, a two-story addition was completed which included classrooms and science labs, the commons, school administration offices, the kitchen, and a library. Entering on the upper level, visitors are immediately welcomed into a light-filled lobby over looking the commons. Large glass doors can be raised for outdoor seating, and electric shades lowered to darken the commons when videos or presentations call for darkness. Seating areas for small group conferencing, tables for group work, and areas for independent study are located just outside the classrooms. The four flexible space study areas have mounted video monitors and tackable wall surfaces. This space allows teachers to extend the classroom to personalize learning for individuals and small groups - all within the teacher’s view.
Completion of the West Building in 2019 modernized Brodniak Hall, the Williams Gymnasium and the auxiliary gymnasiums. Additions included an inventor’s lab, manufacturing lab, music classrooms, digital media classroom, weight room and exercise lab. The CTE classrooms were intentionally designed to be front and center as a reminder to the community of the district’s commitment to hands-on learning, skills development, and the importance of alternative career pathways.
A large plaza connects all the elements of the high school complex, and the school bell that once rang in the belfry of the old Columbian School has been returned to sit outside the high school as a symbol of school spirit for Anacortes High School. An outdoor amphitheater allows classes such as drama to perform monologues or scenes outside and connects with a welcoming elevated walkway that bridges between the two buildings. The entire project emerged out of a conscious effort to reflect its unique ‘spirit of place,’ which appropriately celebrates and embraces the culture of its surrounding island community. Carefully selected materials and colors reflect the beaches, rocks, water, and marine industry that says, “We are Anacortes.”
