This week, the Department of Local Services will join the White Center community in celebrating the grand opening of the new Evergreen High School.

The freshly minted school building will mark an exciting chapter for students, educators, and the community. It will be a new center of Wolverine pride.

Our department is proud for the role several of our team members played in helping this new high school become reality. Members of our Permitting and Road Services Divisions helped keep the opening on schedule by making sure all boxes were checked.

And in one instance, our team had to think outside of the box.

A little background: In 2022, voters in the Highline School District overwhelmingly passed a $518 million construction bond – one that included a new Evergreen High to replace its current aging building.

Building off the successful bond, the school community worked to develop a set of community-driven values that would be the foundation for how it would show up in the classroom, on the field/court and in the broader community, a.k.a., “The Wolverine Way.”

Those behind this approach advocated for something they said was critical: Changing the name of the road next to the new school to “Wolverine Way SW” so it was reflected in its official address.

But changing a street name isn’t as simple as switching a sign or two. It doesn’t happen overnight, either. After hearing from the community, the Department of Local Services’ Permitting and Road Services teams worked together to find another solution.

The local government for White Center and other unincorporated areas determined that the new high school’s entrance road might be able to meet the standards for a “Commercial Minor Access” designation under King County Road Standards, which would allow for an official “Wolverine Way SW” street name.

The school had to meet several criteria for the designation, including designing a larger sidewalk. It worked with the Department of Local Services to make sure it took steps to meet all necessary measures. Add to that the other boxes that needed to be checked for a new building – everything from a traffic plan to a working sprinkler system – and it’s easy to understand why our teams had each other on speed dial.

Fast-forward to this week, and the community is ready to welcome the new Evergreen High School. Its new address: 11460 Wolverine Way SW.

Knowing the role we played to make this new school – and its official address – a reality adds to our pride and excitement.

Congratulations to the Highline School District, White Center and the North Highline community on this milestone!