Old Mabton School / Jon Roanhaus / CC BY-SA 3.0

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V11i3 Haunted Halls
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Narrated by J.M. Wood

If you have ever walked through the echoing hallways of an empty school after dark, it’s easy to understand why they are places where hauntings are common. Whether it’s the daily trauma of kids learning to navigate society, or real historical events, there is always fuel for the fire of haunting stories, and our local schools are not exempt from this phenomenon.

Here, in Washington State

West Valley City School 

Spokane, WA

In 1910, Dishman Elementary School opened. It had only four classrooms and a gym. By 1947, the school was three times larger, and housed elementary and middle school students. It became the alternative high school in 1981; then, in 2000, it was renamed West Valley City School and became a middle school again, which it remains to this day.

In 1964, a custodian died in the boiler room. Since then, people have reported doors opening and shutting on their own, furniture moving around, and strange sounds. Lights, faucets, and old televisions are said to turn on and off by themselves. There are pounding footsteps heard on the stairs.

One night, a custodian heard noise coming from a room that was used as a daycare. Upon investigation, he found one of the mechanical baby swings moving around. He disabled the device, but it started to move again. Having experienced a lot of spooky phenomena around the school, the custodian decided to simply leave the room, ignoring whatever was in there, and continue with his work.

Animals are also notoriously sensitive to hauntings, and when another custodian brought his dog to work, the dog became agitated for no apparent reason, and ran out of the building. Another time, a dog that was accompanying his owner — a teacher who was wrapping up her work for the evening — began to whimper and stare across the room. When the teacher looked over, she saw a stool moving under a desk. She left without ever finding an explanation for the occurrence.

Christ the Teacher School

Yakima, WA

In 1914, Father Robert Armstrong acquired five acres to build a school, which he named St. Paul’s. They broke ground in July of that year, and classes started in September with 47 students. Father Armstrong asked several Dominican sisters from Tacoma to be teachers, one of whom was Sister Mary Sabina.

After serving over 60 years and having been expanded in 1949, the original school building was torn down in 1968 and a new one was constructed. Most of the sisters left the school in 1975 and in the 1980s, and early educational classes were introduced. In 2017, St. Paul’s moved closer to the cathedral, and the building is now occupied by Christ the Teacher School, which teaches early education and elementary school. 

Sister Sabina, a tiny but notably strict woman, stayed until her death in 1976. It is believed by many that she remains to this day on the school’s fourth floor, which is originally where the living quarters for the nuns could be found. During her tenure, Sister Sabina was respected and feared by the students. It was well known that she would use a heavy ruler in her punishments, which she employed frequently.

Legends say that Sister Sabina has an affiliation with water, and she reminds people of her presence through the manifestation of water stains on the ceiling or the sound of running water from the bathrooms, which have no origin when investigated. In addition, it is said that handprints appear on the wall, lights suddenly flash, items go missing, and windows open and slam shut, even when there is no wind.

Old Mabton School 

Mabton, WA

The Old Mabton School was built in 1911, when the town economy and population was booming. It was  a high school until the 1960s, and later was used as an elementary school until the new school was built. The Mabton Historical Society took responsibility for the building in 1977, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The school is currently abandoned, despite several efforts to revive and repurpose it for use by the community. 

Visitors to the building report an eerie feeling when they enter, and some say they can hear students walking the halls, screaming, or running on the stairs. Pots and pans are heard banging in the kitchen, objects are said to move around, and shutters apparently open and close for no perceivable reason.

Police patrolling the building to stop vandalism and unauthorised visitors have also reported paranormal experiences. In one case, two officers were responding to a call about kids hanging around the abandoned school. They entered the building and headed to the basement. While they looked around, all their flashlights went out. They had to feel their way out of the building, and as soon as they reached their car, the lights started to work again. 

On another occasion, two deputies responding to a call smelled something awful and heard a terrifying scream. The scream didn’t sound like an animal, but they searched the building and couldn’t find any evidence of foul play. To this day, one of the two officers refuses to enter Old Mabton School again.

Once, a group of paranormal investigators placed glow sticks on the floor and set up a camera before leaving the room. They didn’t have to wait long before the glow sticks flew past the camera moved by an unseen force.

In nearby Oregon

La Pine High School

La Pine, OR

The La Pine School District administrative office once housed Bend Union High School. It is unknown whether any specific event triggered the hauntings, but employees have reported several supernatural experiences. These include the sound of footsteps and voices, a ghostly boy riding his bike through the halls at night, and lights going on and off by themselves. The basement is said to be the most haunted part of the building, emanating banging sounds which have no identifiable source.

Helix High School

Helix, OR

Umatilla County is well known for haunted spots, and the small town of Helix, founded in the 1880s, is no exception. Helix High School, formerly known as Griswold School, was named for its founder, Dr. John Griswold, who also practiced medicine in the town. Town legend says that Dr. Griswold and his wife continue to watch over the school, peeking through the gym’s left-side window at random intervals, startling students and teachers alike.

Ashleigh Malin is a cosplayer, historian, and folklorist who enjoys living her best life.



Sources:

West Valley City School

Christ the Teacher School

  • Gargas, Jane. “Holy Ghost: Does the Spirit of Sister Sabina Inhabit St. Paul?” Yakima Herald-Republic, October 31, 2009. 
  • Woog, Adam. Haunted Washington: Uncanny Tales and Spooky Spots from the Upper Left-Hand Corner of the United States. 

Old Mabton School

La Pine High School

Helix High School