By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Virginia Bethea, a member of the Seattle Public Schools’ SCWAC Capital Projects and Planning team, has spent decades fighting for underserved communities in South Seattle. Now, her leadership in rebuilding Rainier Beach High School (RBHS) marks a significant milestone in her life/career, which has been devoted to service.
During Bethea’s career, she designed a senior program at RBHS that was responsible for increasing graduation rates from 56% to 90% within four years. However, Bethea said her most noted achievement was organizing and leading a unanimous school board vote for the newly constructed RBHS project, valued at over $230 million.
Bethea said that the process of building the new school started back in 2012 and was a rocky journey, to say the least, but it has been a dream come true seeing it unfold.
“I have to give all glory to God,” says Bethea. “The strength and the direction came from my faith in God. Although I was the vehicle he used, I give him all the glory and honor for blessing our community with this building.”
In 2012, Bethea mentored a group of students who voiced their aspirations of having a new school. While the three closest high schools to Rainier Beach—Garfield, Franklin, and Cleveland—were in brand-new buildings, Rainier Beach was the only high school in Central and Southeast Seattle that was still operating in its original building. Following up on the students’ desires, Bethea began the process by requesting a replacement building. By 2013, the students had started mobilizing and planning but soon graduated before seeing results. The effort was then passed on to a new group of students, which Bethea continued mentoring for another four years. Now, 13 years later, what started out as a desire to have a new school building has transformed into a new four-story high school of approximately 297,000 square feet that can accommodate up to 1,600 students.
“It was necessary for these students to understand their fight and the benefits that come from a cleaner environment, a healthier learning environment for our students, which has been the goal for some time,” said Bethea.
Seattle School Board President Brandon Hersey says that the ability to follow through on the students’ wishes for a new building is something that we all can be proud of.
“Having a modern, well-resourced building creates an environment where learning can really thrive,” said Hersey. “I believe it will help students feel more connected, supported, and proud of where they go to school, and that pride shows up in academic success, too.”
As the community lead for the Rainier Beach High School replacement project, Bethea helped turn a shared dream into reality, ensuring that the students and families of Rainier Beach were at the heart of every decision. Her deep commitment reflects a family legacy of activism that has shaped South Seattle for generations.
Bethea, who graduated from Franklin High School at the age of 16, launched her career in 1987 and has worked for Seattle Public Schools (SPS) for over 35 years. However, her true calling has always been community service—a passion inherited from her parents, Betty and Havili Von Tresckow Patu. Her father, alongside activist Larry Gossett, founded Washington’s first South Pacific Islander Association. Her mother, Betty, is not only a champion for underserved youth but also served as a member of the Seattle School Board.
Bethea served as Patu’s campaign manager during her run for the school board, and their campaign was very successful, winning 70% of the vote across Seattle. That experience taught Bethea how to build meaningful relationships and engage effectively with the community.
“The passion and drive [that I have] were planted in all four of my siblings and me since we were very young,” said Bethea. “We grew up in a home where our parents served people and families our whole lives. Sometimes, we weren’t able to have our own rooms because my parents would bring people in, and that is just the way we lived our lives.”
Bethea said that her family lineage has passed the torch of service from generation to generation, and it shouldn’t be interpreted as anything other than what it really is, but rather seen as faithful custodianship of a cherished legacy.
“My family’s hearts and souls have been governed by our faith, in serving our local communities in various sectors for generations,” says Bethea. “Our commitment and dedication have shaped lives, built resilience, and fostered unity.”
“My mother first started working with South Pacific Islander students with academic barriers, and due to its success, her services were expanded to all diverse students, especially those underserved [populations of our community like] our African American males,” added Bethea. “It has always been about the kids, the parents, and families.”
While many individuals contributed to making the new RBHS a reality, Bethea’s work on the project has always stood out. She worked tirelessly to foster strong relationships with SPS, contractors, architects, and, most importantly, the Rainier Beach community itself. She organized weekly stakeholder meetings, kept communication open, and mobilized local voices under the rallying call “Build the Beach.”
In addition, she helped bridge the gaps between Black and brown contractors and prime builders, which provided direct access for community members to work on the school project. She also created opportunities for Rainier Beach alumni and their families to establish/grow careers in carpentry and electrical work through pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities associated with the project, and she partnered with IBEW 46 to pilot an after-school electrical pre-apprenticeship program for students at Rainier Beach.
“I was responsible for creating a process to open recruiting and engaging community members as part of the design team,” said Bethea. “We had a diverse group of folks who participated in every meeting with amazing ideas, input, and feedback. I gathered community support for the Landmark Preservation, marketed our build as a community project ‘By Us, For Us,’ and organized events to highlight opportunities from the project.”
Richard Best, Executive Director of Design and Construction for SPS, said that Bethea’s community connections truly helped establish a strong level of participation from RBHS students, families, and alumni in the replacement project process.
“It has been just fantastic to work with her. She has been instrumental in student, business enterprise, and community involvement,” Best said. “She helped community members understand the architectural process and participate with school staff in the design—plus had former students actually help construct the building with Lydig Construction.”
Former RBHS counselor and athletic director Dan Jurdy said the Rainier Beach rebuild would not have happened without Bethea’s tireless dedication.
“I know personally that Virginia spent hours and hours beyond the workday and late into the night, pushing aspects of this project. That never would’ve gotten done without her,” Jurdy said.
Dwane Chappelle, Executive Director of the Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning and former principal at Rainier Beach High School, agrees and says that Bethea’s role in the rebuilding of Rainier Beach cannot be understated.
“Her involvement was nothing short of instrumental. Everyone knows that her leadership was a key force in turning the vision for a new RBHS,” says Chappelle. “Virginia’s deep commitment to community voice and transparency helped foster trust and collaboration, making sure that the project not only addressed the physical transformation of the school but also reflected the values and aspirations of the community and the people it serves.”
Looking ahead, Hersey hopes the new Rainier Beach High School will be a place where future generations can thrive.
“Virginia played a pivotal role in the RBHS rebuild, serving as a dedicated bridge between the community and District leadership. Thanks to her efforts, the voices of Rainier Beach students and families were not only heard but actively included throughout the project’s development,” said Hersey. “I hope [Rainier Beach] becomes a place where every student can see their full potential and feel like they belong. We are not just building a school; we are building a legacy, pride, and opportunity for future generations.”
Jamal Crawford, former Rainier Beach star and NBA legend, says that while the rebuilding of Rainier Beach was a community effort, Bethea was definitely the magnet that brought everything and everyone together.
“Mrs. Virginia’s involvement with this project was absolutely everything,” said Crawford. “If I am being honest, there would be no project without her. She won’t say that because she wants no credit, but we will say it for her! She has been the quiet MVP of this whole project.”
The community is invited to attend a soft opening of the new and improved Rainier Beach High School, located at 8815 Seward Park Ave. S. in Seattle, on Sat., May 10 at 1:00 p.m.
