The name is up on the Kent School District’s new River Ridge Elementary School scheduled to open this fall.
Construction continues on the school at 22420 Military Road S., in SeaTac that replaced the former Kent Mountain View Academy.
The Kent School Board approved boundary changes in February at seven elementary schools to populate River Ridge. Boundaries were adjusted at Neely-O’Brien, Kent, Springbrook, Panther Lake, East Hill, Meadow Ridge and Scenic Hill elementary schools. Most of the students for the new school will come from Neely-O’Brien and Kent elementary schools.
Voters approved a bond measure in 2016 to pay for the new school, which will cost an estimated $58.2 million, according to Kent School District officials.
Planning teams of a faculty member and administrator were appointed by the district last summer as advisors to work with a group of students to select a name for the school.
River Ridge received the recommendation of the group over Rainier View, and was approved by the school board. The school sits above the Green River and has views of Mount Rainier. Two other elementary schools named Rainier View exist in Federal Way and Seattle. River Ridge also is the name of a high school in Lacey, near Olympia.
The district requires that names of new buildings should be selected based upon geographical location or local community name or distinguished individuals who have served the local community, state or nation, in education or related field. Other considerations include area names of historical significance, geographical landmarks, roads, area names or housing developments.
River Ridge will have a nickname of Raptors with school colors of ocean blue, black and silver.
Kent Laboratory Academy
Construction also wraps up this summer at the new Kent Laboratory Academy, which combines Kent Mountain View and Kent Phoenix academies.
The school is on the southwest corner of 108th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 208th Street, the site of the former Panther Lake Elementary. The estimated cost is $43.8 million.
Editor’s note: This headline and story have been updated with the correct location of the school in SeaTac.
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