Farewell to Olympic View

One of the oldest buildings in the Bremerton School District is nearing its end and community members will have a final chance to say good-bye this afternoon to Olympic View Elementary School.

When the school closed it doors in June 2004, many were none too eager to see it go. However, the site will have new life after its bittersweet sendoff, as an addition to Mountain View Middle School is planned to take its place with construction beginning immediately following its demolition, tentatively scheduled for April 1. The construction project is part of the district’s capital improvements made possible by a May 2005 bond measure vote. An addition is also being added to Bremerton High School.

The design of the addition will be made such that it will be usable as an elementary school in the future if it becomes necessary, said Walt Draper, finance manager for the district. The secondary school additions will allow eighth-graders to attend Mountain View and ninth-graders to go to the BHS campus while the junior high will become a technology center for the district.

District officials hoped to be able to get former administrators and others connected to Olympic View to attend the ceremony which will take place from 2:30 until 4 p.m. Dignitaries from the district and a representative from BLRB Architects will be on hand to discuss the plans for the new construction.

“It’s really going to be pretty informal,” Draper said. “We’re going to be going through the history of the school and the architect designing the replacement will be there to answer questions.

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