The Taholah (Washington) School District and the Quinault Indian Nation are ready to break ground on a new K–12 school in Taholah.
The Daily World reports that the new building will provide a school safer than the one students have been attending in an earthquake and tsunami zone.
“This project shows what’s possible when schools and communities work together,” said Taholah Superintendent Herman J. Lartigue, Jr. “The Quinault Indian Nation donated the land for this new school. We’re grateful for their partnership and for the state’s support."
The state has named Taholah a top priority under the School Seismic Safety Grant Program. The school sits in an earthquake zone and tsunami area, which makes building a safer school urgent.
The Quinault Indian Nation village of Taholah is vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surge, and river flooding, the Environmental Protection Agency says, so it is being moved to higher ground.
The existing K-12 school site is prone to tsunami damage. A site near the high point of the relocated village was identified for the school a decade ago. The school will be centrally situated within the new village and within a short walk of most of the residential areas.
The cost of the new school is estimated to be $50 million.
