By Sheldon Traver
There isn’t anything like it in Silverton.
Coming in at more than 200,000 square feet, Silverton High School’s new Pine Street campus is the largest structure in the city. With technology integrated into classrooms, a new media center and theater, it is one of the most technologically advanced buildings in Silverton.
And when more than 1,300 people attended the school’s open house on Oct. 6, it was also one of the most admired buildings in Silverton.
Senior Hallie Day and junior Margie Will planned the open house for their senior projects. The event doubled as a food drive for Silverton Area Community Aid, raising more than 900 pounds of food.
“This is absolutely wonderful and incredible and stupendous,” said Jan Rehfeld, a recent Silverton transplant who took a guided tour. “I don’t have kids in school anymore, but this makes me want another so they can go to this beautiful school.”
Students walked throngs of eager visitors through the long corridors and into rooms specially designed for math, science and culinary arts. What drew the most “oohs” and “aaahs” from residents was the 600-seat state-of-the-art theater, complete with stadium riser seats, first-class lighting and sound and air conditioning.
“It’s just fantastic,” said Silverton resident Christina Golden. “The auditorium is so much more than we hoped for. It’s a wonderful addition to the community.”