Federal Way Public Schools

School district in Washington, United States

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Federal Way Public Schools

Address

33330 8th Ave S

Federal Way

, Washington, 98003
United States
Coordinates| 47°18′17″N 122°19′29″W﻿ / ﻿47.304858°N 122.324696°W﻿ / 47.304858; -122.324696﻿ (Educational Service Center (ESC))
District information
Type| Public
Motto| Each Scholar: A Voice. A Dream. A Bright Future.
Grades| Pre-K through 12
Established| May 22, 1929; 96 years ago (1929-05-22)
Superintendent| Danielle Pfeiffer, Ed.D.
Deputy superintendent(s)| Marla Newton
Accreditation(s)| Northwest Accreditation Commission/Cognia (education)
Schools| Elementary 21
K-8 3
Middle 6
High 4
Other 4
Budget| $305,628,283 (2017-18)
NCES District ID| 5302820[1]
Students and staff
Students| 21,765 (2020-2021)[1]
Teachers| 1,527 (2017-18)
Staff| 2,835 (2017-18)
Athletic conference| North Puget Sound League (NPSL) (Olympic)
Other information
Website| fwps.org

Federal Way Public Schools is a school district in King County, Washington covering all of Federal Way and portions of Kent, Des Moines, Auburn, and unincorporated census-designated places Lakeland North and Lakeland South, encompassing 35 square miles (91 km2).

## Schools

[edit]

FWPS operates 37 schools,[2] including:

* 20 Elementary schools
* 3 K-8 schools
* 6 Middle schools
* 4 High schools
* 4 Specialized schools

### Elementary schools

[edit]

* Adelaide Elementary School
* Brigadoon Elementary School
* Camelot Elementary School
* Enterprise Elementary School
* Green Gables Elementary School
* Lake Dolloff Elementary School (/ˈdoʊlɒf/ DOH-lof)
* Lake Grove Elementary School
* Lakeland Elementary School
* Mark Twain Elementary School
* Meredith Hill Elementary School
* Mirror Lake Elementary School
* Panther Lake Elementary School
* Rainier View Elementary School
* Sherwood Forest Elementary School
* Silver Lake Elementary School
* Star Lake Elementary School
* Sunnycrest Elementary School
* Twin Lakes Elementary School
* Valhalla Elementary School
* Wildwood Elementary School

### K-8 schools

[edit]

* Nautilus K-8 School
* Olympic View K-8 School
* Woodmont K-8 School

### Middle schools

[edit]

* Illahee Middle School (/ˈɪləhi/ IL-ə-hee)
* Kilo Middle School (/ˈkaɪloʊ/ KY-loh)
* Lakota Middle School
* Sacajawea Middle School
* Sequoyah Middle School
* Evergreen Middle School[3]

### High schools

[edit]

* Decatur High School (/dɪˈkeɪtər/ dih-KAY-tər)
* Federal Way High School
* Thomas Jefferson High School ("TJ")
* Todd Beamer High School

### Specialized schools

[edit]

* Open Doors at Truman Campus
* Career Academy at Truman
* Internet Academy (K-12)
* Public Academy (6–10) ("FWPA", /ˈfwɑːpə/ FWAH-pə)
* TAF@Saghalie (6–12) (/səˈhɑːli/ sə-HAH-lee)

## History

[edit]

Before the establishment of Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS) in 1929; the area was thinly populated and characterized by early settlers working in logging, trapping or previously served in the military.[4] Settlements were sparse as many individuals preferred to reside closer to Tacoma or Seattle, where educational opportunities were more accessible.[4] Within the Federal Way vicinity, education was overlooked, as homesteaders provided informal instruction to their families or had none at all.[4] However, the landscape began to change by the early 1880s, as a wave of emigrants began to settle in and around Poverty Bay and Auburn-- marking the beginning of community development in the area.[4]

The formal establishment of FWPS began in 1929, with the consolidation of five small school districts into District 210, known as Federal Way. Since its inception, the district has expanded significantly to accommodate the growing population. Federal Way High School opened its doors in 1938, with numerous elementary and middle schools following suit in the subsequent decades. As FWPS recently celebrated their 90th anniversary in 2019,[5] they still vouch for their tagline, "Each scholar: a voice, a dream, a bright future.[6] Since then, the school district underwent a transition from Junior High Schools to Middle Schools during the 2002 to 2004 time period.

## Governance

[edit]

The Board of Directors for Federal Way Public Schools consists of five members who are elected by the voters of the entire school district. Each director must reside and be a registered voter, at the time of their election or appointment, in the geographical region, known as a Director District, they represent on the board. The Board also consists of two student representatives, selected by the Board of Directors. The length of the term is four years. Board meetings are generally held twice monthly. Currently, board meetings are typically scheduled for the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m., with some exceptions, at various schools in the district.

School Board Members[7] Director  | Director

District

| First

Elected or Appointed

| Term

End

| Board

Position

|
|
|
|

Quentin Morris[7] | 1  | December 2021  | 2025  | WIAA Representative
Dr. Jennifer Jones[7] | 2  | May 2019  | 2027  | President
Luckisha Phillips[7] | 3  | October 2018  | 2027  | WSSDA Representative and Vice President
Trudy Davis[7] | 4  | October 2018  | 2025  | Board Director
Joan Marie Murphy[7] | 5  | December 2023  | 2027  | Board Director

## Demographics

[edit]

Out of 21,136 students,[8] the demographic is as follows:

* 20.6% White[8]
* 15.9% Black[8]
* 12.2% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander[8]
* 11.3% Two or more races[8]
* 6.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander[8]
* 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native[8]

Enrollment by gender is

* 48% Female[8]
* 52% Male[8]

## Censorship

[edit]

On January 9, 2007, the Federal Way Public School District temporarily blocked its teachers from showing global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth without presenting a "credible, legitimate opposing view". The order was passed after Frosty Hardison, a Federal Way parent, complained about the movie's use in his daughter's class. Hardison was quoted in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer citing Biblical predictions of the age and end of the world, and saying neither condones Al Gore's view points being taught within school.[9] The Board cited its policies on the teaching of controversial issues, neither of which provide for a moratorium.[10][11] On January 23, after two weeks of criticism in the local and national scene, the Board backtracked and repealed the moratorium, but still insisted that opposing views need to be considered.[12]

## Curriculum and programs

[edit]

In the Federal Way Public School District, 71% of high school students in the district have taken an advanced course and 92% of students taking an advanced course are earning a passing grade. Along with this, 63% of students enrolled in a two or four year college program and 81% of scholars who attended a four-year postsecondary institution were continuously enrolled.

Federal Way Public Schools has also hosted an annual STEM Exploration Night[13] since 2017; and in 2018, they launched Scholar Art in the City, an initiative that displays student art and writing in businesses and organizations across the city of Federal Way.[14]

In 2021, the school district mandated that students earn 24 hours of community service as a graduation requirement,[15] with this being the standard for the following graduating classes.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Federal Way School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
2. ^ "About Federal Way Public Schools / District Profile". http. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
3. ^ Sullivan, Olivia (November 19, 2021). "Federal Way school board renames Totem Middle School in Kent". Kent Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
4. ^ a b c d Caster, Dick (May 28, 2008). "Federal Way Area School History". Federal Way History.
5. ^ "90th Anniversary / FWPS 90th Anniversary". wa01919399.schoolwires.net. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
6. ^ "Federal Way school district to introduce strategic plan". Federal Way Mirror. June 20, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
7. ^ a b c d e f "Meet the School Board - Federal Way School District". www.fwps.org. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Overview of Federal Way School District". Retrieved April 26, 2024.
9. ^ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Federal Way schools restrict Gore film, January 11, 2007
10. ^ FWPS policy 2231 Archived 2006-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
11. ^ FPWS policy 2331P Archived 2006-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
12. ^ Seattle Times, Federal Way School Board lifts brief moratorium on Gore film, January 24
13. ^ "STEM EXPLORATION NIGHT DRAWS 3,600+ IN ATTENDANCE". Federal Way Public Schools. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
14. ^ "SCHOLAR ART IN THE CITY". Federal Way Public Schools. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
15. ^ "COMMUNITY SERVICE GUIDE". Federal Way Public Schools. Retrieved April 26, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Map of district boundaries