The Cowlitz Tribal drummers play a celebration song at the groundbreaking ceremony at Toledo High School on Friday evening.
Heidi Buswell, a member of the Toledo School Board pours the water from the Cowlitz River, a gift from the Cowlitz Tribe to honor the goodwill between the school and the tribe, over the dirt that will be used to break the ground for the construction of the new high school.
Toledo School Board members break the ground on Friday evening to signify the start of construction of the new high school building.
Superintendent Chris Rust hands out plaques to those who participated in breaking the ground.
Elected officials, Cowlitz Tribal Council member and student speakers, break the ground on Friday evening to signify the start of construction of the new high school building.
Toledo Superintendent Chris Rust signs the contract with the general contractor from Jones & Roberts Co.
Toledo School District Superintendent Chris Rust speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday evening.
Cowlitz Tribal drummers play a celebration song at the groundbreaking ceremony at Toledo High School on Friday evening.
School Board Chairman Jerad Buswell is presented with a blanket and a jug of water from the Cowlitz River from the Cowlitz Tribe.
Toledo High School held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to signify the beginning of construction on the new high school building which featured a performance from Cowlitz Tribal drummers and speeches made by community members, students and faculty — past and present — to express their excitement about the future of their school.
Toledo Superintendent Chris Rust opened the ceremony by explaining the theme.
“We are honoring the past, embracing the present and building for the future,” said Rust.
The Cowlitz Tribe performed a few traditional songs for the audience, including a celebration song. The tribe presented the school with gifts to honor the goodwill between the school and the tribe including a special blanket, beaded necklaces, and water from the Cowlitz River prepared with rose petals to mix with the dirt where the ground will be broken.
“I was very fortunate to be born and raised here. The Cowlitz Tribe is very honored to be good neighbors. I am proud to be a Cowlitz Indian and that we can build this new school and put some of Cowlitz artwork in it. We are thankful for that. This is going to be something so good for this town and we welcome you to Cowlitz territory,” said Cowlitz Tribal Council member Patty Kinswa-Gaiser to the audience. “It gives me great pleasure to see the community involvement here.”
Jerad Buswell, Toledo School Board Chairman spoke of his memories attending Toledo High School and reflected on how the school has stood the test of time. He thanked the legislature — Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, and Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis and the voters who passed the bond.
“I grew up in this school district and my kids are going to school here. I am proud to be on the school board. This school stood the test of time. Today marks the start of a major change for our students and also the start of an exciting new area for the town of Toledo,” said Buswell.
Denny Clark, who was principal of Toledo High School in 1974, spoke as a voice from the past that was looking toward the future by recalling his time as principal. He said that during his first year as principal, 45 years ago, the current high school was still under construction.
“It’s exciting to see our second Toledo High School building, a grand stage for our students to be able to achieve and perform for the next 45 years, initiate the construction process today,” said Clark.
Two Toledo School District students, Greenlee Clark and Wyatt Nes, spoke at the ceremony and showcased their excitement in having the opportunity to be a part of this exciting time in the school’s history.
“When the bond finally passed I was filled with so much joy that words cannot explain… Of course I would love to move into the new high school right away but I’m also excited for the younger generation that will get to experience all four years in the new and fresh high school,” said Clark, Toledo sophomore and Associated Student Body (ASB) President.
Wyatt Nes, a student that will be in the first class, the class of 2022, to graduate from the new high school, spoke during the ceremony and quoted Winston Churchill — “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”
In November of 2018 Toledo passed a school bond of $0.76 per $1,000 of assessed property value with 73 percent of the vote. With the passing of the bond the school will collect $7 million from the community and $18 million in state funds, $10 million from the state’s distressed school fund and $8 million in state School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP), to pay for the construction of the new high school. With the bond funds and state money the Toledo School District has a budget of $25 million for the construction of the high school building.
County Commissioner Edna Fund was in attendance as well as Orcutt and DeBolt, who supported the bill to get the school the state funding to build the school, and Mayor of Toledo Steve Dobosh. Pastor Joe Martin of Toledo First Baptist Church said a prayer as a part of the ceremony and Ross Parker, an architect with IBI Group, said a few words and congratulated the community on the building of the new high school.
Many people grabbed a shovel and put on a hard hat to participate in the groundbreaking including: school board members and school staff, elected officials that were involved in the securing the funds for the construction of the new high school, members of the Cowlitz Tribe, student leaders and architects from the IBI Group.
To conclude the ceremony Superintendent Rust signed the contracts with the general contractor— Jones & Roberts Co. According to the school’s website the grand opening of the new high school is set for August 2021.
“This is something that our community will once about every fifty years. I ask that you be gentle as we do this ballet of operating our school while building a new one. It’s going to be exciting,” said Rust.
