About Stuart Island School

• Stuart Island School is a kindergarten through 8th-grade one-room public school that is part of the San Juan Island School District.  The school is centrally located on Stuart Island.  It is about 14 miles NNW of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington.
• The campus is on 3.13 acres and includes the 1654 square foot main building that was built in 1980, as well as a small library, a museum, a workshop, outhouses, and a large playing field.
• There is no public transportation to the island or school.  Most residents access Stuart by private boat from Roche Harbor on San Juan Island.  The trip from Roche takes from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the boat and weather conditions.  Over the years, depending on where on the island students live, students come to school on foot, by bike, car, or by a combination of boat and car.
• There are no public utilities on Stuart Island.  The school uses a generator and invertor for electricity.  There is an oil-fired furnace and a wood stove for heat. The school has minimal plumbing with a sink, a small kitchen, and outhouses.

Highlights of Stuart Island School

• The school is taught in a multi-age integrated format with students learning at their own pace.  Because of the small student-to-teacher ratio, the curriculum is tailored to the needs of individual students.
• Stuart Island School provides a nurturing but rigorous academic curriculum that is aligned with state academic learning standards.  State testing is administered and used to help monitor student progress and to assess and revise the academic program.
• Stuart provides many opportunities for “hands-on” education, such as conducting experiments, maintaining aquariums, making 3-D maps, and participating in many outdoor educational activities.
• Stuart School provides many opportunities in the arts, including painting, drawing, music, drama and fiber arts.  Visiting artists have been engaged to broaden the learning in fine arts.
• Students are encouraged to discover and develop their passions.  We want students to be excited about learning.
• Spiraling Thematic Units in Social Studies and Science are taught each year.  For example, one year the Social Studies unit might be American History/Geography and the next year World History and Cultures. All the students in the school are included in the thematic unit at their level.
• Parents are encouraged to be involved in the activities of the school and to participate in the learning.  Community members also are welcome to share their skills.  An example is a local wood-turner who taught students how to turn wooden bowls.
• Due to the small number of students, opportunities to engage with other students and schools are encouraged.  In particular, Stuart Island School has participated with other small island schools (Decatur Island and Waldron Island) in field trips and learning opportunities.
• Most years Stuart Island School students publish regular newspapers highlighting the activities and learning.
• Stuart Island School has fairly reliable internet access.  This has been used regularly by students to participate in on-line learning. Use of technology is encouraged for word-processing, presentations such as PowerPoint, communications such as reading blogs, and research.

Life on Stuart Island

Stuart Island is a beautiful place that is visited by thousands of tourists each year.  Although a lovely natural environment, Stuart Island is a challenging place to live:

• Stuart Island has a Marine State Park and includes land controlled by the BLM and various land conservation organizations.  The rest of the land is privately owned.
• There is no public transportation to Stuart Island.  Most residents have private boats and/or planes.  Private water taxi services and barges (for moving large items to the island) are available but may not be economical.
• There is a one-lane dirt road on Stuart.  Most residents have vehicles such as four-wheelers, pick-ups, motorcycles, and small cars. Four-wheel drive is handy for the winter.  All fuel must be brought out by the residents. 
• There are no public services on Stuart.  All groceries and supplies must be brought out by residents.
• There is no public power, water, or sewer on the island.  Many residents use a combination of generators and alternative energy sources for electricity.  Springs and dug or drilled wells are typical water sources.
• Land/house prices on Stuart, like other places in the San Juan Islands, are not inexpensive. Due to the shape of the island, much of the land includes waterfront and a limited amount of the land is arable.
•  Rental property is limited on Stuart. Some owners who come in the summer are willing to rent their house/cabins for the school year.   To rent on Stuart, one must contact individual landowners to find out about availability.
• Most houses and cabins on Stuart Island use wood heat and many have wood cook stoves. Annually, residents need to get in enough firewood for heating and cooking.
• San Juan Island propane providers send trucks out on a barge several times a year to service residents who use propane for refrigeration, light, heat, or cooking.
• In the summer, Stuart Island is socially active with summer tourists and summer residents. The winter months are quiet with only a small handful of residents staying year-round.
• Most residents use cell phones and internet for communication.  However, the cell phone service is not consistent across the island and cell phones often roam through Canada for their signal, which can be costly especially for text messages.  Internet service is also spotty and there is no service provider that covers the whole island.  However, most residents have figured out a way to get at least some internet access either by setting up their own system or sharing a system that is already in place.
• There is no post office on Stuart Island; mail is delivered 3 times per week to a mail shed on the East Side of the island.  Residents may choose to have a non-locking mailbox in this mail shed.  UPS delivers one time per week as long as the East Side runway is open.
• Employment opportunities on Stuart Island are very limited.  There are no businesses or industries.  Through the years, many resident families have had a family member leave the island for employment.  Some island residents have created work by doing activities such as caretaking/maintenance for non-residents, growing vegetables for sale or selling T-shirt to tourists. People whose work is via the internet, writers, or artists might find Stuart Island a good place to call home.

Handy Skills/Traits for Stuart Island Life

• Boat ownership; ability to run a boat in a variety of weather conditions
• Familiarity with alternative energy
• Love of quiet times and solitude
• Ability to use a chainsaw and to split/stack wood
• Self-sufficiency and do-it-yourself mentality:  can you fix your own car?  A plumbing leak?
• Enjoyment of the natural world and a physically demanding lifestyle
• Interest in independent activities and hobbies such as gardening, making art, reading, or writing
• Flexibility: for example, you can’t just “run to the store” if you run out of milk; sometimes the weather makes a water crossing dangerous and you have to change your plans
• A willingness to do without or with less:  electricity, refrigeration, shopping, social contact

           Most of all - A sense of adventure and a sense of humor!