A look back and a look ahead at Shadle

When Shadle Park High School was built in 1957, students and staff buried a time capsule on the school grounds.

But when it came time to dig it up last week in preparation for a new era at the northwest Spokane school, everyone had forgotten where it was.

“They called me to find out where they buried it,” said Ray Mohney, a former assistant principal at the school in North Spokane. Mohney, 81, started teaching at the school when it first opened.

On Friday he joined hundreds of staff, students, parents and community members for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the long-awaited remodel of Shadle Park.

After students gathered in the auditorium for an end-of-the-year celebration – including the unveiling of contents in the time capsule, video clips from the past year and the announcement of new cheerleaders – they followed the Highlander bagpipe band outside for a ceremony to mark the beginning of a three-year renovation.

Using the last of funds from a voter-approved bond, the Spokane Public Schools will spend more than $70 million to modernize the school. Construction will begin with the demolition of the school’s two swimming pools when school lets out June 15.

“I have a lot of memories in those pools,” said Bob Isitt, who has been at Shadle for 25 years. Isitt will begin moving out of his second-floor classroom into a portable on the school grounds this summer. Next year he’ll move again before finally moving into the remodeled building.

Shadle’s 1,700 students will be moved around during the construction phases. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2009.

“I’m glad I don’t have to go through the construction,” said senior Erin Lawhead, who is headed to Western Washington University in the fall.

Freshman students Brittany Anderson and Kaitlin Clark, both 15, said they are excited to watch the transformation.

After Friday’s ceremony, the two teens went to the cafeteria to get a peek at architectural renderings of the new school. The building was designed by NAC Architecture and will be built by Garco Construction.

“It’s going to look a lot more modern, that’s for sure,” said Clark. “I think the new school will bring more energy, because everybody is excited about it.”