White Pass School District

The White Pass School District is a school located in East Lewis County, Washington. It serves the communities of Packwood, Randle, and Glenoma which are located along US Highway 12. The district currently has a student population of around 500 students. The district and schools are named after the mountain pass over the crest of the Cascade Mountains, located at the east end of the district.

Schools

Current school buildings

  • White Pass Jr./Sr. High (7-12th grade)
516 Silverbrook Rd.
Randle, WA 98377[1]
Mascot - Panthers/Timberwolves
  • White Pass Elementary (Preschool-6th grade), formerly Randle Elementary
127 Kindle Rd.
Randle, WA 98377[2]
Mascot - Panther Cubs

Former school buildings

  • Packwood Elementary
Mascot - Warriors
  • Randle Elementary
Mascot - Tigers
  • Glenoma Elementary
Mascot - Wildcats

Athletics

Since 2010, White Pass High School has joined all its athletic programs with neighboring Morton High School in the WIAA 2B classification as the Morton/White Pass Timberwolves. Prior to 2009, White Pass competed independently in the 2B/1A classifications as the White Pass Panthers.

The Morton/White Pass Timberwolves compete in interscholastic competitions throughout the school year, including

Fall Sports

  • Football
  • Cross Country
  • Volleyball

Winter Sports

  • Boys Basketball
  • Girls Basketball

Spring Sports

  • Track and Field
  • Boys Baseball
  • Girls Fastpitch Softball

Academic

  • Knowledge Bowl

2004 school closures

Due to loss of timber industry and Forest Service jobs, the school-age population of the entire White Pass School district has declined significantly from its high in the 1970s, especially from the mid-1990s-2000s. By 2004, the Packwood and Glenoma Elementary Schools' K-6 enrollments dropped to around 50 students each, resulting in the closure of the Packwood and Glenoma schools. Since 2004, all students in the district are now taught at the Elementary/High School campus in Randle.

Construction

In 2009, construction began on a new high school as a replacement for the aging cinder block building. Construction was completed on the new high school in summer, 2010, and junior high and high school classes and athletics occupied the new facility beginning Fall, 2010. Thereafter, a complete gutting and remodel of the old elementary school began, with elementary classes occupying the old high school building for the 2010-2011 school year. Currently the Elementary School resides next to the present Jr/Sr High School and district offices. Due to rising attendance in the Junior High grades, the district may be looking into various ways to reduce class size and improve mobility within the school for junior high and high school students alike.[3]

Notable alumni

  • Scott Carnahan (1969) - Baseball Coach and Athletic Director, Linfield College; Assistant coach/business manager, 1996 US Olympic baseball team[4]
  • Michael Moodenbaugh - theme park owner/developer[5][6]
  • Darrell Davis, Professor and Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry, University of Utah[7]
  • Kenneth Brown (1994) - Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry, Duke University[8]
  • Eric Blanton (2000) - Nationally recognized AA[9] and AAA[10] Minor League Baseball turf manager

References

  1. ^ "index". wphs.wpsd.wednet.edu. Archived from the original on October 11, 2003.
  2. ^ "White Pass Elementary | Home of the Panther Cubs". wpes.whitepass.k12.wa.us. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011.
  3. ^ "WPSD Construction Project". Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  4. ^ "Administration | Linfield College". www.linfield.edu. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009.
  5. ^ Wild Waves Theme Park
  6. ^ "Classing over Park Venture -- for the Benaroyas, Boblo Island Amusement Park Was a Business Deal Gone Bad. For Michael Moonbaugh, It Was a Dream That Was Never Given a Chance".
  7. ^ "Darrell R. Davis - Bioscience - The University of Utah". www.bioscience.utah.edu. Archived from the original on November 10, 2016.
  8. ^ "Kenneth R. Brown - Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering".
  9. ^ "Eric Blanton Named Double-A Sports Turf Manager of Year". Oursports Central. November 5, 2007.
  10. ^ "Blanton Earns Second PCL Turf Manager of the Year Honor". August 26, 2011.
  • [1] District page
  • [2] Grade School
  • [3] High School