Grand Opening of New W.F. West STEM Wing Celebrated

About 400 community members on Monday came out to celebrate the grand opening of the W.F. West High School STEM wing, a facility that speakers said would help the district, the community and the nation as a whole by equipping students with the skills they need to compete for high demand jobs across Washington state. 

Chehalis School Board President Joe Clark said the science, technology, engineering and mathematics wing ties back to the district’s collaborative effort known as the Student Achievement Initiative that focuses on three strategic goals: to improve, modernize and prepare. The initiative has been heavily supported by The Chehalis Foundation and its donors. 

“Everyone in this room, this community has been supportive of our efforts,” Clark said. “Whether you gave $10 or $10 million, your generosity has been overwhelming. It is truly with heartfelt appreciation on behalf of the school board and the staff that I say ‘thank you.’ Together we are creating a world class educational system.”

The new 16,000-square-foot STEM wing features six 1,300-square-foot lab classrooms and two 1,040-square-foot science classrooms, as well as three lab prep rooms, a cell culture room and a room housing the scanning electron microscope. It also features a centralized collaborative breakout space that gives students a place to work together as a team. 

Steve Norton, with Centralia College, said throughout his decade at the college he has visited many middle schools and high schools, but has never found a place that is as committed to providing quality STEM offerings.

“No one is as dedicated to STEM careers and building STEM professionals as the Chehalis School District and especially the folks at W.F. West,” he said. “They talk the talk, they walk the walk and they are truly committed.”

The help of state Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, was crucial in securing $5.8 million in funding for the new wing. During the grand opening celebration, he reflected on how the district helped his daughter Sophie further her STEM career. 

Now Sophie works at the innovation center at General Motors in Phoenix, Arizona. She joined those in attendance as a live feed projected her face on a screen behind her father. 

“I’m thrilled this next generation of students at this school will have the opportunity to fail and to grow and to do so in a safe environment before college,” Sophie said. “I’m excited to see how many things they’ll be able to accomplish in their careers as they have this opportunity to grow.”

Following a presentation, attendees joined Alicia Bull, the executive director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce, for the official ribbon cutting. 

Assistant Superintendent Mary Lou Bissett said the amount of community support at the event was overwhelming. 

She said the new wing will provide expanded opportunities for the students and also said the community would feel that impact as more students go through the program.

James Hill, with KMB Architects, said the process from design to completion took 1 and a half years.

The total construction cost for the STEM wing was around $4.2 million. That doesn’t include various improvements to sidewalks and restroom facilities at the school, Hill said. 

The Centralia School District is also building a STEM wing at its high school after also receiving state funding.