On Thursday afternoon, workers from Garco Construction signed their names and left good wishes on a large steel truss at the new Adams Elementary School on Spokane’s South Hill.
The tradition is called a topping-off ceremony. The workers placed an American flag and a small fir tree on the truss before using a large crane to hoist it into place.
It’s a tradition that goes back to the Norse, who placed a tree on top of the last beam of their mead halls for good luck.
Dieauka Bradley, a welder for Garco, said that by helping to build the school, he gets to create something that means a lot to others.
“We work hard to — not just to make a living, but to make America good,” Bradley said.
The original Adams Elementary School was built in 1909 and expanded in 1917.
Spokane Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Travis Schulhauser said the old building wasn’t compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2015, the district considered installing an elevator, but the cost was too high. Students who needed ADA access had to go to other schools.
Voters approved funding for this new building in 2015. NAC Architecture of Spokane completed the design, and Garco Construction is building it.
“We are on budget and on time,” he said. “I think out the door, we’re right around $40 million.”
Beth Nye is the principal at Adams and was at the ceremony, although she’s usually down the street at Camp Adams, the school’s temporary location.
She said the topping-off ceremony helped her appreciate all the work the crews have put into it so far.
“Ever since the groundbreaking back in — I think that was May, just to see it start and how quickly our workers have done this work and all the effort they’ve put into it,” she said. “It’s exciting to see it come to fruition today for that topping off ceremony.”
Nye said she signed her name on the beam and thanked the community and the workers for this gift of a new school.
Students can expect to be back at Adams next August, just in time for the 2027-2028 school year.
