This history of Olympic View School is taken from the second edition of Building for Learning: Seattle Public School Histories, which includes histories of every school building used by the district since its formation around 1862. The original essay was written for the 2002 first edition by Nile Thompson and Carolyn J. Marr, and updated for the 2024 edition by HistoryLink contributor Tom G. Heuser.
Magnificent View
In 1903, it was not easy for young children to get to Oak Lake School from the eastern part of Oak Lake School District No. 51, so a one-room East Oak Lake School (or East School) was opened for grades 1-4 at E 95th and 5th Avenue NE. When another two-room schoolhouse was built on the same site in 1909, the new building housed grades 4-8 while the old building, which was moved to the north of the new one, held grades 1-3.
In 1911, the residents between Meridian and 15th Avenue NW, from 85th to 125th, decided to form their own school district, No. 177, which they named Olympic View. The East Oak Lake School was renamed Olympic View as well, because of the magnificent view of the Olympic Mountains to the west across Puget Sound. Thomas Catching became principal that year and would hold that position until 1954. More classrooms were needed as the school population grew, so in 1921 a new building was constructed. Four more rooms were added to the west side of the 1921 building in 1926. For years the 1903 building held the 1st grade class, while the 1909 building housed the 2nd grade classroom/ auditorium on the main floor, and a lunchroom and woodshop in the basement. Kids “graduated” into the brick 1921 building by skipping across the connecting walkway and into 3rd grade.
In 1938, three more classrooms, a lunchroom, and large gymnasium-auditorium were added with WPA funds, culminating in a modern 15-room building. At that time, the 1903 and 1909 buildings were demolished.
In 1943, residents of the district living south of (N)E 115th Street voted to become part of the City of Seattle. The enrollment at Olympic View that year was 565 pupils. Beginning in 1948-1949, the grade configuration was reduced from K-8 to K-6. Still, enrollment peaked at 760 in 1953-1954. By 1965-1966, it had dropped down to 455.
By the late 1980s, the building was deemed to be of poorer quality than most in the district and considered a safety risk. Students attended classes in the old building while a new facility was constructed on the east playground. The following fall the new building opened. It was a 20-room brick veneer structure designed by Eric Meng Associates. With the new building, Olympic View expanded from K-3 to K-5, with a capacity of 550 students. A daycare facility funded by the CIP I Capital Program was attached to the eastern end of the building. A prominent sundial was placed on the south wall in 1999. The sundial was designed by Woodruff “Woody” Sullivan, a retired University of Washington astronomy professor and is comprised of ceramic numerals created by students.
In the early 2000s, investments were made in Olympic View’s reading program. The school received a $10,000 grant in 2000 and 550 books through the Kindergarten-2nd Grade Classroom Libraries project in 2007. During this time, the school was noted for its approach to introducing technology and computer skills. A dedicated and trained technology support instructor taught students computer skills rather than placing the responsibility on teachers.
In 2013, ground source heat pumps were installed at Olympic View as part of a pilot program to see if heat pumps were a viable option to replace traditional boilers on smaller sites. Due to the success of heat pumps, they have become the new energy efficient standard for the district and as projects come up, they are installed at appropriate sites.
As of 2022, Olympic View continued to engage its students with a diverse set of programming including Math in Focus, Instrumental Music for 5th graders, Chess Club, Physical Education, and bilingual instructors fluent in Amharic, Spanish, Somali, and Tigrigna. The school introduces students to the basic principles in four areas of art, including visual arts, dance, theatre, and vocal singing.
History
East Oak Lake School
Location: (N)E 95th and 5th
Avenue NE
Building: 1-room wood
Architect: n.a.
Site: 2.5 acres
1903: Opened in Oak Lake School District
1909: 2-room building added (n.a.)
1911: Part of new school district in 1911; renamed Olympic View
1938: Both buildings demolished
Olympic View School
Location: 504 NE 95th Street
Building: 8-room brick
Architect: n.a.
Site: 4.1 acres
1921: Opened
1926: Addition (n.a.)
1938: Addition (n.a.)
1943: Annexed into Seattle School District on June 30
1989: Closed in June; demolished in summer
Olympic View Elementary School
Location: 504 NE 95th Street
Building: 20-room, 2-story brick veneer
Architect: Eric Meng Associates
Site: 4.62 acres
1989: Opened September 6
Olympic View Elementary in 2023
Enrollment: 356
Address: 504 NE 95th Street
Nickname: Eagles
Configuration: K-5
Colors: Blue and white
