Below is a timeline of The Bush School’s commitment to inclusivity, belonging, and community. The list is a living document and is updated as more information is collected.
1920s-1940s
* In 1924 The Helen Bush School was founded by Helen Taylor Bush.
* Mrs. Bush implemented an ethos that anyone is welcome, even if they could not afford tuition. She supplemented tuition costs for several students.
* In 1933, eighty-one students were enrolled at The Bush School. Despite the lack of funding, and due to the generous nature of Helen Taylor Bush, eleven students attended The Helen Bush School tuition free and fourteen students paid only half of the school’s $400 annual tuition.
1950s-1960s
* The Bush School decides to stay in Seattle, despite civil unrest in the city, receiving praise from the mayor of Seattle.
* Beginning in the 1950’s, through the combined efforts of alumni and parents, a stable source of scholarship funding was established. By 1967, the scholarship endowment totaled $15,000 and $4,350 in financial aid was awarded to seven students.
1970s
* In 1971 The Bush School became the only K-12 coed independent school in the Seattle area.
* By 1972, the endowment increased to $202,000, helping expand need-based financial aid funding for students.
* The January 1, 1976 Board of Trustees Financial Aid Report stated “A second area of impact has been race. In 1967 Bush’s minority population was in the category of 1%-2%. Today it stands at about 11% due in part to an aggressive effort to recruit Blacks in the early seventies. It is important to point out that now most racial minorities and most boys are not on financial aid…The Bush School’s commitment to make Bush reflective of the greater Seattle population is well underway.”
* Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ‘75 reflects on her experience at Bush. “We were the bumper crop class, and that’s what I’ve called us for many years. Meaning, there were more people of color in my class when we started in seventh grade, which was upper school, then. There were five of us, four of us graduated.”
* In 1971 the Gardner Nettleton LeCocq Endowment Fund was established by Martha Nettleton Gardner ’36 and her sister, Jane Nettleton LeCocq, to provide scholarship grants. Income from the fund supports financial aid for students selected by the Head of School or a committee appointed by them.
1980s
* In 1981 a Multicultural Perspective Study was completed, which investigated better ways of serving minority students.
* A Global Education Program, serving the entire K-12 community, was created to include the different ethnic groups living in Seattle into the curriculum. Upper School students were divided into cross-age groups representing the European community; the Japanese community; the Native American community; the Black community; the Hispanic community; the Filipino community; the Chinese community; the Southeast Asian community; and the Jewish community.
* In 1986 the Minority Affairs Committee examined parent, faculty, and trustee responsibilities to bring about a real commitment to a multicultural curriculum and help design a community outreach program for faculty and students.
* Notes from the 1987 Minority Affairs Committee acknowledges the support of Les Larsen over the past several years. The direction of the school reflects his commitment to furthering multicultural education as a necessary prerequisite to living in a pluralistic society.
* The Board of Trustees had conversations about which languages to include in the Middle School curriculum. Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, and Arabic were considered as additions to the established languages of French and Latin. These discussions led to talks about language programs in the Lower and Upper School.
* In 1988 the Parent Faculty Student Association (PFSA) agreed to assist the Board of Trustees with starting a mentorship program at Bush and inviting a speaker to the school.
1990s
* On November 21, 1991 Bush Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept a six-point proposal recommended by the Diversity Committee to increase diversity at The Bush School. The six points include:
* The board directs the head to conduct an active process to search for, hire and retain faculty of color. Progress will be reviewed by the board annually.
* The board directs the head to conduct an active process to attract, admit and retain students of color. Progress will be reviewed by the board annually.
* The board directs the head and the development office to conduct fundraising efforts to support the diversity goals and to raise a substantial endowment for financial aid in order to increase economic diversity at Bush. Endowment is to be an integral part of the institutional campaign currently being planned.
* The board directs the head and the Diversity Committee to develop a protocol for dealing with incidents of racism, sexism or other forms of prejudice or bias that occur within the Bush community.
* The board directs the Education Council to discuss issues of diversity as they pertain to curriculum.
* The board directs the head to assign personnel and financial resources to support the above endeavors and to set timetables for progress.
* Eimeikan Adventure in Study Japanese program brings approximately 200 students in June to attend class at Bush and experience Seattle. Bush student volunteers are one of the most important pieces of this program. They give the Japanese students an idea of how it is to be a teenager in Seattle. The long-lasting relationships that are formed between our student volunteers and the Japanese students strengthens the cultural bridge between our two schools.
* In April 1991 City Council Member Ron Sims visited Bush and talked to students about discrimination and treating people with respect and dignity.
* In May 1991, Bush and Lakeside partnered together to host Constance Rice, Ph.D. Rice talked about the changing demographic landscape of public and private schools.
* Accessibility in buildings and other parts of campus becomes a key factor in capital campaigns. Buildings, starting with Wissner Hall, are designed with mobility and accessibility in mind.
* In 1993 the Board of Trustees circulated a survey to Bush faculty members about diversity in their curriculum. Seventy-seven percent (46 of 60) of responding teachers said they taught multicultural content. This triggered the board to provide recommendations to further enhance curriculum.
* In 1996 the Fund for Socio-Economic Diversity, a permanently restricted fund to support financial aid for students from middle-income families, was established by friends of The Bush School.
2000s
* Bush partners with Rainier Scholars, which cultivates the academic potential and leadership skills of hard-working, underrepresented students of color.
* In 2002 Karleen Wolfe was hired as the Diversity Coordinator.
* In 2006 the new Lower School campus was completed with accessibility at the forefront.
* In 2006 the Upper School play was The Laramie Project, a play based on the true events surrounding the killing of Matthew Shepard because he was gay. The play was also performed in 2020.
* In 2007 the Sis Pease Endowed Financial Aid Fund was established in honor of Sis Pease’s retirement from the Board of Trustees. Income from this permanently restricted fund provides support for student financial aid.
* Intercultural fluency replaced ‘cultural competency’ as one of the four pillars of Bush’s educational foundation and strategic plan.
* Bush partnered with numerous sponsors in the 2000s to establish a Diversity Speakers Series. The series was free and open to the public. Every month there was a different topic presented on by a leading expert.
* In 2009 the first Rainier Scholar graduated from Bush.
* In 2009 Bush hosted its first Privilege Day, with 300 students from the Upper School and surrounding public and private schools discussing privilege, diversity, multicultural education, and leadership. There were two keynote speakers and sixteen workshops.
2010s
* In 2010 nine students attended the White Privilege Conference founded by Dr. Eddie Moore Jr., Diversity Coordinator at Bush.
* Diversity speaker series continued.
* Percy L. Abram, Ph.D became the first person of color to be appointed Head of School in 2014.
* The Upper School had a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club with 15 members.
2020s
* In 2020 The Percy L. Abram Fund for Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Peace was created to provide funds to support educational programming which inspires students to build a just, inclusive, equitable, and compassionate community and nation. The fund was created by Board Chair Karen Marcotte Solimano and her family.
* Established in September 2020 the purpose ofWang-Zhu Chinese Language Program Fund for Mandarin Studies is to support the Middle School and Upper School Mandarin language programs for at least the next 10 years at The Bush School. The goal of a comprehensive Mandarin program is to provide students the opportunity to study throughout their Middle School and Upper School years, gaining an appreciation and proficiency of the language and culture.
* In 2020, instead of freezing tuition in response to the pandemic, the Board of Trustees approved an additional budget of $175,000 to provide families with temporary relief for financial aid.
* Being Comfortable Being Uncomfortable article in Experience Magazine 2020 about students on the Board of Trustees Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.
* In 2021 the theme for BushTALKS was Race and Belonging. Steve Banks ’94, Michelle Purnell-Hepburn ’75, Skylar Kil ’21, and Aaron Mitchell ’22, Bush’s first Black male to graduate as a lifer, were panelists.
* Throughout 2022 Bush continued to increase accessibility in buildings with the Upper School South building and retrofitting of Gracemont Alumni Hall.
* The Drs. Blanche Sellers Lavizzo and Philip Lavizzo Fund for Financial Aid endowment established in 2022 increases access for students and families whose finances are a barrier to attending The Bush School. The Lavizzo Fund for Financial Aid will support financial aid to students for tuition and other school-related expenses.
* Family affinity groups in 2023 are developed by the Families Association include the Afro-Diaspora Family Group, Asian-American/Asian Affinity Group, Bilingual Affinity Group, Jewish Affinity Group, Latinx Affinity Group, Learning Differences Affinity Group, LGBTQIA+ Family Affinity Group, Muslim Family Affinity Group, and White Anti-Racist Parents/Guardians.
* The Bush School designates a Prayer Room on campus open to students, families, faculty, and staff. This room is available to all Bush community members who require a space to pray during the day.
* Neurodiversity became a leading factor in Community, Equity, and Inclusion work and curriculum building.