PSD and KJH History
Kalles Junior High School opened as East Junior High in 1956. The
school was later renamed Kalles, after Eileen B. Kalles. Eileen B.
Kalles was a local activist and strong supporter of public education.
She was the Director of the district's School Board from 1952-1967. She
eventually served as the president for the Washington State School
Directors Association and also served on the National School Board
Association Policies Committee. The 2004 Bond brought upgrades to the
learning community when the school was rebuilt on the site of the old
fields. Today, Kalles houses approximately 900 students, two
self-contained Special Services programs, the PSD PAGE program for
highly capable and gifted students, and successfully functions as a
comprehensive school offering opportunities in the Arts,
Activities/Clubs, and Athletics, along with a strong tradition in
student achievement.
Our charge is simple - create the best learning environment possible!
It's that simple & we work tenaciously to make that happen!
While staff members have come and gone over the years, and Mr. Kovacs
and Mrs. Lee are the current administrators to the building, our focus
remains the same.
Our number one focus at Kalles is student learning. Our
mission/charge helps guide our work towards improving student
achievement on a regular basis.
Our motto is: LEAD.
• L-eadership: we want to develop leadership skills in each student.
• E-mpowerment: we want to empower students to take control of their learning.
• A-ccountability: we are accountable for every student and whether they are reaching their full potential.
• D-evelopment: we work to develop the whole-child and give them the best possible experiences while at KJH.
Our mission remains focused on what is best for our students.
THE PUYALLUP SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Puyallup School District was organized in 1854, and was the third
school district formed in the state of Washington. Fort Maloney, also
known as the "Blockhouse," was built on the south bank of the Puyallup
River. It was used by U.S. soldiers as a storehouse and was occupied by
the John Carson family. Emma Carson was the first teacher in Puyallup
and had four students in the Blockhouse School in 1861. Fort Maloney
also served as the first post office.
Several one-room log schools were built in the area to serve the
children of the pioneer families moving to the west. Also, Puyallup's
hop crop was booming. This and a stave (strips of wood that make a
barrel) factory attracted many families to Puyallup.
In February 1885, a vote was taken calling for the building of a
school. According to the "Puyallup Notes" section of the Tacoma Ledger,
"The children suffered very much in the old log schoolhouse during the
recent cold weather. People hesitate to settle here because of the poor
condition of our school buildings. Something ought to be done at once."
The result was the building of Central School, which cost the town
$3,035. The Karshner Museum stands today where Central School was built.
About 305 first- through eighth-grade students were the first to
attend.
By 1891, settlers were flocking to Puyallup, having heard that it was
a thriving agricultural center, and that it had a new
"state-of-the-art" school. Central School began the 1889-90 school year
with four classrooms:
First grade taught by Miss Ankrom had 82 pupils. Second grade taught by Miss Lacey had 69 pupils. Third and fourth grades taught by Miss Addie Hubbard had 67 pupils. Fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades were together taught by Professor Dresbach and his wife, and had 87 pupils.
With such overcrowded classrooms, two new schools were planned: Maplewood and Spinning elementary schools.
Since then, the Puyallup School District has continued to grow. More
than 150 years later, the district is home to 21 elementary schools,
seven junior high schools, three high schools, and one alternative high
school.