Ground was broken for a new state-of-the-art learning center at Burien’s Puget Sound Skills Center on March 18.
Principal Todd Moorhead, Rep. Tina Orwall, Sen. Karen Keiser, and Superintendent Susan Enfield broke ground during a special ceremony last Friday. Photo courtesy Highline Public Schools.
The $19.4 million new project is totally state-funded, which was approved by the state legislature in the 2015-2017 biennial budget. Construction is funded differently from all other school construction – voters must approve a bond to build local schools, while skills centers are fully funded directly by the state capital budget.
As we previously reported, the new Health and Science building will house educational programs in dental assisting, nursing certification, and biomedical research. The two-story building will be approximately 27,000 square feet. Here are some of the building highlights:
- 250-seat lecture hall and adjacent multipurpose room capable of seating an additional 200
- Dental assisting lab with four operatories, panoramic camera room, sterilization center, and stone lab
- Dental clinic, operated by Sea Mar Dental in partnership with PSSC, with five operatories, labs, and classroom
- Nursing assisting lab with four beds and classroom
- Biomedical lab and classroom
The facility will be constructed on property already owned by Highline Public Schools at the center’s campus, located at 18010 8th Ave S.
