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Orin C. Smith Elementary School

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Orin C. Smith Elementary School
Address
1240 Bishop Road

Chehalis
,
Washington
98532

United States
Information
TypePublic elementary school
School districtChehalis School District
Websitechehalisschools.org/ose/

Orin C. Smith Elementary School, commonly called "Orin Smith Elementary," is a public school in the Chehalis School District serving third, fourth and fifth grades. It opened for students in 2019, and was named for Orin Smith, former CEO of Starbucks, who made significant financial contributions to Chehalis schools.[1][2]

About

According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 659 students were enrolled at Orin C. Smith Elementary for the 2023-24 school year and 47 teachers in the school averaged 14.6 years of teaching experience. Of 2023-24 students, 55.8% met the state's science standards and 49.1% met ELA standards. From students tested in the spring of 2023, 47.5% met state math standards. Of 2022-23 students, 76% attended 90% or more school days throughout the year, and the district spent $15,479 per student.[3]

The school is home of the Cougars, represented by the colors crimson and gray, like the district's high school, W.F. West.[4] It is located at 1240 Bishop Road, Chehalis, WA, 98532.[5]

Background

Previously, elementary students in the public school system in Chehalis, Washington attended Cascade Elementary School for kindergarten and first grade, R.E. Bennett Elementary School for second and third grades, and Olympic Elementary School for fourth and fifth grades.[1] The first of those two were built in the 1920s[6] and, with structural issues in and outside of both aging buildings,[7] the school district first proposed a bond measure to fund replacing Cascade and modernizing R.E. Bennett in 2011.[8] The measure needed a supermajority to pass, but only tallied 52.41% of the total 3,656 votes cast.[9]

In 2014, Chehalis resident Gail Shaw betrothed the district with 43 acres of land near the Chehalis Middle School valued at $1.9 million. In an announcement from the district several months after Shaw's death in June 2015, his youngest daughter, Catherine said: "Our dad's vision was that this property would be the perfect location for the new school that is needed to replace Cascade school."[10]

By February 2015, Chehalis voters approved a $35.9 million bond for the schools with 62.42% of 3,600 votes cast.[11] The following year, the school board voted to name the two new elementary schools, which would replace R.E. Bennett, Cascade and Olympic, in honor of James W. Lintott and Orin C. Smith. The campus was named for the Shaw family. The school district's requires that individuals or organizations for whom facilities are named must have made an "exceptional contribution, financial or non-financial, to benefit the district ... whose actions and reputation are consistent with furthering the mission and vision of the school district."[12]

Smith was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2016, and passed away in 2018.[13] Before his death, he donated $10 million to the Chehalis School District's "Student Achievement Initiative."[14]

James W. Lintott Elementary opened for classes in 2018, and Orin C. Smith Elementary opened in 2019.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Hayes, Katie (2019-03-22). "Chehalis' Orin Smith Elementary Almost Finished". The Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  2. ^ Baide, Matt (2017-12-29). "Former Starbucks CEO Orin Smith Giving $10 Million to Chehalis Foundation for Schools". The Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  3. ^ "Report Card - Washington State Report Card". washingtonstatereportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  4. ^ admin. "About Orin C. Smith Elementary". Orin C. Smith Elementary (3-5). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  5. ^ admin. "Contact Us". Orin C. Smith Elementary (3-5). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  6. ^ "Picture of Proposed Chehalis School Project Becomes Clearer". The Daily Chronicle. 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  7. ^ "Bennett, Cascade Eventually Will Need Modernization". The Daily Chronicle. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  8. ^ "Will Voters Retire Aging Schools?". The Daily Chronicle. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  9. ^ "Lewis County April 26, 2011 Special Election". results.vote.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  10. ^ Chronicle, The (2014-11-14). "Family of Gail Shaw Donates $1.9 Million Property to Chehalis School District". The Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  11. ^ "Lewis County February 10, 2015 Special Election". results.vote.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  12. ^ staff, The Chronicle (2024-01-17). "Chehalis School Board to consider naming W.F. West tennis courts after Jack State". The Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  13. ^ "Orin Smith, Dedicated Donor and Hometown Hero, Dies at 75". The Daily Chronicle. 2018-03-04. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  14. ^ "Former Starbucks CEO Orin Smith Giving $10 Million to Chehalis Foundation for Schools". The Daily Chronicle. 2017-12-29. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
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