1967

• The Bethel School District enrollment climbs to 4,100 students.
• The District makes plans to build a "middle school" at 159th and 5th Ave East, housing grades 6, 7, and 8.
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1968

• Voters in the Bethel School District approve a construction bond issue.
• The state emergency funds provide 70% of the cost of building a new middle school.
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1969

• Spanaway Junior High School is built for 1.3 million dollars.
• The building design uses the "open concept." The classrooms have moveable walls and are without doors.
• The library layout is open and shares space with the student lockers. There are no doors restricting student entrance into the library. Students can freely pass from one side of B building to the other through the library.
• The district abandons the idea of opening SJH as a middle school. Because of overcrowding, the new school will house 7th, 8th and 9th graders.
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1970-71 School Year

• Spanaway Junior High School opens.
• Carl Bond and Pat O'Brien guide SJH through its first year as principal and vice-principal.
• The Bethel School Board relaxes the dress code. Girls are permitted to wear slacks.
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1973-74 School Year

• Will Damrau joins the staff of SJH as principal. Carl Bond moves over to Bethel Junior High School.
• Students at Bethel High School double-shift to relieve overcrowding.
• The Bethel School Board adopts a plan for year-round school for the following school year. All schools except Bethel High School will be affected.
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1974-75 School Year

• Spanaway Junior High begins year-round school using the 45/15 model.
• The student body is divided into four tracks. The track schedules are staggered so that three tracks are in school at any one time while one track is on vacation. A different track goes on vacation every 15 school days.
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1977-78 School Year

• Jay Reifel joins Mary Lou Pearson as school counselor.
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1978-79 School Year

• Spanaway Junior High undergoes a major expansion and remodel.
• The small gymnasium is built and the locker rooms are expanded.
• The breezeways between A and B buildings are enclosed.
• All of the student lockers are removed from B and C building hallways and placed in the enclosed breezeways and the commons.
• Partitions enclose the library and doors are added to each side which open into the newly created hallways.
• Two small classrooms are added in C building where the student lockers were vacated. A new entrance and hallway is built for access to the three classrooms in the middle.
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1980-81 School Year

• Mary Dickey and Ron Poage join the administration as vice-principals. Pat O'Brien leaves to oversee the planning of Cedarcrest Junior High School.
• The track, football field and softball fields are built. A sprinkler system is installed to maintain the turf on the football field.
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1981-82 School Year

• Jay Reifel is the 3rd principal to lead SJH.
• Mary Dickey continues as vice-principal.
• The Bethel School District ends year-round school.
• School opens with only the 7th and 8th grade classes. The 9th grade class is housed in the just-completed Spanaway Lake High School.
• Sharon Olson, our PE teacher, is chosen as Washington State Teacher of the Year.
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1982-1983 School Year

• The year begins with Spanaway Warriors double-shifting with Cedarcrest Chargers. The school is used by Spanaway in the morning and Cedarcrest in the afternoon.
• Cedarcrest Junior High School opens in November and life at SJH returns to normal.
• Terry Liefson inaugurates the Cultural Fair for the 8th grade class. The fair is later carried on by Corey Millard.
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1984-85 School Year

• Janel Chang of the 7th grade and Nikki Montgomery of the 9th grade represent the State of Washington at the National History Day competition in Washington, D.C.
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1985-86 School Year

• Grant Hosford takes over as principal.
• Staff and students unite following the deaths of three students.
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1986-87 School Year

• All classrooms finally have doors. While this greatly reduces the noise caused by the "open concept" design, the new doors create a new problem. They interfere with the heating and ventilation system which confounds the experts to this day.
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1987-1988 School Year

• Grant Hosford leaves at the end of the year to become principal at Spanaway Lake High School.
• The garden in the court yard is dedicated in memory of Jerry Rankin, the school custodian.
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1990-1991 School Year

• Glenn Worthington becomes the fifth principal of Spanaway Junior High School.
• Steve Remlick takes up the reins as vice-principal.
• Soon after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. Army calls up Mr. Worthington to active duty. He departs midway through 1st semester. Mary Dickey becomes acting principal.
• Mary Dickey leaves to plan for the opening of Frontier Junior High School.
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1991-1992 School Year

• Sterling Thurston takes over as principal.
• Jeff Scheuerman organizes the first annual "garden party." Walkways are graveled, and flower beds are raised with railroad ties in front of the school and in the courtyard.
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1992-93 School Year

• Under the leadership of Robert Barnette, Spanaway Junior High School adopts a site-based management plan.
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1993-94 School Year

• Spanaway's strategic plan calls for an increased emphasis on technology.
• The district hires full time security officer for SJH.
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1994-95 School year

• The last of the original orange carpet is removed and replaced with soothing dark blue.
• Leaky, aging roof damages the library carpet and books.
• The school develops a computer lab large enough to handle the typical class.
• The Bethel School District begins a program for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing at SJH run by Meagan Reehling.
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1995-96 School Year

• Telephones are installed in every classroom.
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1996-1997 School year

• Cliff Anderson and Pam Burke join the staff as principal and vice-principal.
• "SJH Pride" and "Its a Beautiful Day" become the school's new watchwords.
• Students learn to live by the 3 R's: Respect yourself; Respect Others; and Respect Your School.
• Spanaway gets a new roof and a new coat of paint.
• A sprinkling system is installed on the front lawn.
• The gravel walkways around both sides of B building are paved.
• Pam Burke leaves SJH to become principal at Columbia Crest Elementary in Eatonville.
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1997-98 School Year

• Tom Gifford moves in as vice-principal.
• The "Garden Party" makes improvements to the school's flower beds. Shrubs and trees are planted.
• Spanaway's computer lab goes on line. Student guidelines for internet use are developed.
• Each classroom is wired for the internet.
• A scuba diving accident takes the life of Meagan Reehling, teacher of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.
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1998-99 School Year

• SJH adopts "Pride Wear" dress code.
• Attendance and grades are done electronically through the school server.
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1999-2000 School Year

• Jeff Hunt becomes vice-principal having occupied the save position at Cedarcrest Junior High
• John Mishra becomes the first Dean of Students at S.J.H..
• Tom Gifford takes a principal position in the Clark County School District in Las Veges, Nevada.
• Student enrollment climbs above 900. Pierce County installs a sewer line down B Street which allows for increased student enrollment. Two additional portables are installed bringing the total to five.
• The school's strategic plan places a renewed emphasis on reading.

If you have any additions or suggestions, please contact Paul Trepus, "The School Historian."