Port Angeles School Board to Vote on Renaming Stevens Middle School

PORT ANGELES – The Port Angeles School Board could make it official Thursday night — whether to rename Stevens Middle School.

The district is building a new sixth-through-eighth grade campus to replace the current Stevens building, which dates back to the 1950s. State law gives school boards the authority to name or rename facilities when a new building goes up or major changes are made.

A naming committee made up of students, staff, community members, and representatives from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe narrowed the options to four: Hurricane Ridge, Riverstone, Elwha River, and Port Angeles Middle School.

The district has gathered public input for months. Supporters of Elwha River and Hurricane Ridge highlight their cultural and environmental importance, while others say Port Angeles