Washington Elementary School District history

The next school was constructed using bricks and opened on March 3, 1896, where the burned one had been.

On February 19, 1900, Washington School first opened its doors under Principal Loda L. Bellville and two teachers, Miss Jeanette Tomlinson and Miss Margaret B. Thomas.

Growing pains continued as only two years after Washington's opening, the School Board discussed an addition in the March 6, 1902 meeting.

Eventually, the bond issue passed and Washington School, enlarged by four more rooms opened with seven teachers and six grades in September of 1903.

On March 9, 1908, the School Board purchased the east one half of Block 10 of the Brumback Addition, giving Washington School a full block as it stands today.

1924: George Washington Junior high school opened with 500 students and 25 faculty members.

1926: Jack Parsons, one of the principal founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, attended Washington Junior High School

In 1931 a new Washington School was built on Peach Street.

By 1947, the facility had twelve rooms, an auditorium and stage, and modern restrooms on the first and second floors.

In 1952 the old school was demolished and a new school built.

The bell was moved to the front of the school in 1956 when two new wings and an office were added.

With growing enrollment, the school board decided to build a new school on Washington’s old playground in 1980 while the children went to school in the old building.

The new Washington Elementary School opened on September 9, 1981, housing a gym, art and music rooms, seminar rooms, an indoor garden and carpeted classrooms.

During the spring and summer of 1993 Washington School was modernized through special state funding.

She was a multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards and, in 1995, she became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.

In 1996 the renovated school reopened.

In 2002, the San Gabriel community successfully passed a school bond.

2003: Pasadena Education Network formed with a focus on providing information about the Pasadena public schools and connecting families interested in learning more about their options

In 2006, the Medford School District passed a bond to improve the learning conditions for students throughout the district.

Washington was in the first round of schools to be remodeled in the 2007-08 school year.

In November 2011, Washington was one of four district schools named to receive a three-year, nearly $3-million magnet school grant from the United States Department of Education.

2013: Pasadena Unified was awarded $3.1 Million Magnet Program Grant by United States Department of Education to fund magnet programs at 4 schools, including Washington STEAM Magnet Academy (WSMA).

2018: The United States Department of Education awarded an additional magnet grant to implement a Dual-Language Immersion Program (DLIP) at WSMA, renamed as Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy.