Building History

Spinning Elementary School
1306 East Pioneer
Puyallup, WA 98372

Spinning Elementary School began as a four (4) room schoolhouse in 1891. Spinning Elementary School is located in east Puyallup, east of Meridian Avenue and just south of East Pioneer Avenue.

The school was named after Frank R. Spinning. Mr. Spinning was born in Olympia, Washington, on August 6, 1860. Frank received his early education in an Indian school on the Puyallup reservation, later attending the public schools of Puyallup and Sumner, and completing his studies in the schools of Portland, Oregon.

In 1882, Mr. Spinning engaged in farming at a location in the Stuck Valley, three (3) miles north of Sumner. For many years Mr. Spinning took an active part in public affairs and served in a number of important official positions. For example, from 1883 to 1887 he was a member of the Board of County Commissioners and was a member ofthe Sumner School Board for 18 years.

A two (2) room addition was made to Spinning Elementary School in 1923 and a four (4) room addition was added in 1926. The V-shaped building was remodeled in 1935 and the play court, which was an outside play court, was made into an enclosed play court with a stage.

The east and west classroom wings were added to the V-building in 1961. In 1977, the special education wing was added. In 1985, the entire building was modernized with the exception of the special education wing. This remodel was a state matched project with local funds coming from the 1984 Bond Issue.

The education specifications for the permanent building were designed to have a total of 12 general-use classrooms, one (1) kindergarten room, three (3) special education classrooms and a number of smaller specialty instructional spaces. In addition, the school has one (1) of the district's prototype play sheds. In 2012, the building received a Building Assessment Score of 59, compared to a districtwide rating average of 76.4. It is currently eligible for state matching funds for modernization or new construction in lieu of modernization.