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Marysville Pilchuck students get new cafeteria but face old one

caption: The new school cafeteria was largely paid for by the state. Students wanted never to return to the old one, where many of them witnessed the shootings.
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The new school cafeteria was largely paid for by the state. Students wanted never to return to the old one, where many of them witnessed the shootings.
Credit Marysville School District

Marysville-Pilchuck High School is getting ready to open its new cafeteria.

The school hasn’t used its original cafeteria since 2014, when a student opened fire in the middle of lunch period. Hundreds of young people witnessed the student killing four friends and then himself.

Afterward, they said they never wanted to go inside that building again.

Students and parents said they wanted the scene of the killings demolished and a new cafeteria built.

The state provided the bulk of the $8.6 million it took to build the new one.

It’s designed to be a place where students come together after two years eating all over campus.

But students still have to look at the original cafeteria building, which is still standing.

A bond measure that included funds for tearing it down failed last November.

The new cafeteria is expected to go into service after the New Year.

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