In Autumn 1908, the Pontiac schoolhouse opens and begins classes. The school is located on the west side of the Pontiac Road (later renamed Sand Point Way) at about present-day 67th Avenue NE. It is the second school in the approximately four square mile King County School District No. 148.
The district boundaries were Lake Washington (east and south), 40th Ave NE (west) and NE 85th St (north). The other District No. 148 school is located at the south end of the District at Yesler Way on Union Bay. A June 1908 census of children ages 5 to 20 counted 107 children in District No. 148.
The Pupils and Their Books
In March 1908, Mirion and Atha Foster transferred one of the 10 acres they owned to the School District. The district built Pontiac schoolhouse large enough for about 75 students, and apparently the building opened in time for the fall 1908 term. The teacher of the 8-grade school was probably Susie A. Kittredge. (The two other teachers in the district, E. W. Kelly [or Kelley] and Mazie Moore, taught at the Yesler school.) The number of students enrolled at both schools for the 1908-1909 school year totaled 65 (35 boys and 30 girls). The totals by grade were: 1st grade-14; 2nd grade-9; 3rd grade-13; 4th grade-5; 5th grade-16; 6th grade-3; 7th grade-2; 8th grade-3. The two schools possessed 150 reference and library books and 150 textbooks.
The Pontiac school operated for four years till the end of the 1910-1911 school year. On December 30, 1910, the City of Seattle annexed the portion of School District No. 148 south of NE 65th Street that was incorporated into the Seattle School District. Inasmuch as the remaining portion of the School District No. 148 lying outside of the city limits of Seattle was so small, it was also annexed to the Seattle School District for the 1911-1912 school year. The Pontiac School was closed.
