PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend High School’s new elevators open the door for easier access between floors for its disabled students and family members.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was conducted Thursday after elevators were installed in the three-story high school and the two-story annex building using funds from two capital levies recently approved for the district.
Construction began last April and was completed in December. Once all the permitting and inspections were done, the elevator was opened for use in mid-January, said Carrie Ehrhardt, Port Townsend High School principal.
Port Townsend High School Principal Carrie Ehrhardt stands inside the newly completed elevator at the high school. (Zach Jablonski/Peninsula Daily News)
About 25 people — school staff, alumni and community members — attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The honor of cutting the ribbon was given to Margie Abraham, of the Class of 1943, with the assistance of a more recent alumnus, Jan Boutilier, who works in the administration office.
“We were hoping to have completion in August, but that didn’t happen,” Ehrhardt said. “The kids love it.
“We always have a couple of kids on crutches, so it’s been a great help and relief.”
Ehrhardt also said that some of the students’ family members have been able to use the elevator to get to the auditorium.
Port Townsend High School Class of 1943 alumni Margie Abraham, left, and Port Townsend High School alumni Jan Boutilier cut the ribbon ceremoniously opening the new elevator at the Port Townsend High School and annex building. They are surrounded by fellow alumni, school board members, a current student and principal Carrie Ehrhardt. (Zach Jablonski/Peninsula Daily News)
The elevator was originally planned to be built with funds from the 2015 $40.9 million bond that built the Salish Coast Elementary School, but the elevators ended up being twice as expensive as previously thought. Funding from subsequent capital levies and district funds were needed to pay for the nearly $2.3 million project, said Superintendent John Polm.
The elevators operate with a numbered key system; any student who needs access to the elevator during the school day can check out a key from the office that allows the student to call and use the elevator. For after-school events, the janitorial team can unlock the elevator for general use as needed, Ehrhardt said.
The dedication plaque is up at one of the new elevators. (Zach Jablonski/Peninsula Daily News)
Before the elevators were installed, it was very difficult for people with mobility issues to traverse the different floors, and now the school is compliant with the American Disabilities Act (ADA), Ehrhardt said.
“We’re just so very grateful for it,” Ehrhardt said.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
