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Everyone who’s enjoyed the Universal Studios Tour in Los Angeles can tell you about the Hollywood magic that can make you believe a facade is a whole building. The Courthouse in “Back to the Future” is a good example.
Our historic Renton High School will soon be another example of this type of illusion, with engineers and architects working to figure out how to support the front facade of the building while tearing down the building behind it.
The “Back to the Future” courthouse, seen from above
But voters did not ask for our century-old Renton High School building to be reduced to a Hollywood false front. Voters clearly wanted the building saved. The November 2022 ballot directed voters to the School District website for details about the ballot issue, which explicitly read “We will not take down the current Renton High School (we will continue to find uses for this building).”
Screenshot from Renton School District website in November 2022 with official details about bond election. The ballot instructed voters to go to this website for information about the ballot issue.
Since the School District said they were going to save the current Renton High School, they are working with architects and engineers to evaluate how they can save the brick facade of the 1929 building in an apparent effort to convince voters and alumni that they delivered on their promise to save the historic school. Just don’t look too close!
Universal Studios Courthouse as viewed from inside the door
Renton High Alumni that were hoping to walk the halls of the repurposed school, recalling old friends and great times, are going to be dissapointed.
Likewise, anyone hoping to see where US Secretary of the Interior (and former head of REI) Sally Jewell went to high school, won’t be able to. The halls that echoed with Ron Hicklin music, before he enriched the lives of everyone in America with his Renton-grown musical talent will be gone. The Renton High buildings were the center of education for numerous future olympians, pro-sports stars, and one of Washington State’s top 25 attorneys, Mark Prothero. Elaine Miles, beloved native american actress who helped propel the hit show “Northern Exposure” for five seasons was educated in Renton’s performing arts program. And although the classrooms of Henry Moses, the last Duwamish Chief and Renton High basketball all-star, have already been removed, the current building has honored his legacy as esteemed alumni for almost 100 years.
In addition to these famous alumni, there are thousands of others whose lives were just as important and impactful, and this is their high school. Many of them live in Renton still, and some have children and grandchildren that have a common bond through attending the same high school.
There are arguments to be made both ways about whether or not to tear the buildings down, but the voters should have been given an honest picture before the election. Only in that way would the School Board know they were doing the will of the voters when their architects use sleight-of-hand to make it look like they preserved the school as they were supposed to.
The Renton School Board has unilaterally decided that the 95-year-old historic building at Renton High is too dated to be capable of delivering a modern, equitable education.
Harvard University just updated their 250-year-old Harvard Hall, with modern classrooms, to offer the best education in the country while preserving the history and heritage of the renowned university.
Demolition of all buildings except IPAC and “Historic front facade of original high school building”
(Doc Brown to Marty) “Even if your intentions are good it can backfire drastically”
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