Tribal leaders, local and state dignitaries came together Wednesday morning to officially open the new Muckleshoot Tribal School.

The throng gathered to hear speeches, listen to tribal songs and watch the ribbon cutting on the sparkling new, 107,000-square-foot school about a mile from the Cooper's Corner turnoff from State Route 164.

“This dream has been a dream of decades,” said Joseph Martin, assistant tribal operations manager for education.

The school consists of a main administration and elementary building, a middle school building, a high school building and a gymnasium-cafeteria building.

Among the amenities are a library, two gymnasiums, computer labs, occupational educational facilities, a shop, a media production center, athletics fields to support football, track, soccer, softball and baseball, a covered play area for small children and nature and interpretive trails.

In addition to general academics, the school will offer a Whulshootseed language program and an extensive native cultural program. It can support a student population of 400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Muckleshoot Tribe jointly funded the multi-million dollar project.

Contact Auburn Reporter News reporter Robert Whale at rwhale@auburn-reporter.com or 253-833-0218, ext. 5052.

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