When the new Vashon High School opened in 2014, a bit of history was left behind. VHS class photos dating back to the 1930s that had previously adorned the walls of the lunch room did not make the move.

But now, after several concerned islanders and VHS alumni helped come up with a plan, some photos are hanging once again and islanders are fundraising to restore some of the others.

“People were talking about it in the store,” said Bettie Edwards, former owner of The Little House, of the class pictures. “They weren’t very happy. Then I saw something posted about it … online, so I decided to reach out to Michael.”

Superintendent Michael Soltman said that after hearing from islanders, he worked to find a way to hang the pictures, “out of respect for the history and traditions of the school,” he said, “and also to complement the school, and I think we’ve done that.”

The pictures now hang on a wall outside the theater by decade and will rotate each year. For example, currently hanging are the classes of 2014, 2004, 1994, 1984, 1974 and so on, to 1934, which is the oldest photo.

Initially, the district approached the heritage museum about storing the photos, but the museum didn’t have space. That’s when some VHS alumni got wind that the pictures weren’t making the move.

“There just wasn’t the right space,”  Soltman said. “There are so many. There really isn’t anywhere we could put all of them up, and they were in terrible condition.”

Brian Brenno, who graduated with the class of 1976 and is on the museum’s board, said there was some dismay from alumni when they learned the district was looking for something else to do with the photos. But he thinks the solution is a good one.

“It’s cool that the pictures will see the light of day after all, even though my class is missing,” he said.

That’s where Donna Kellum, owner of Frame of Mind came in. She is now working to restore some of the older photos and replace missing ones using yearbook photos.

Soltman called the project a labor of love for Kellum, and one that will require financial support. To that end, Kellum and former McMurray Middle School principal Mike Kirk came up with an idea. Vashon artists Irene Otis, Chris Barnes and Mike Massey once designed a Vashon map to serve as a cover for the box of a Vashonopoly game that never came to be. The prints were donated to the schools and have been sitting in a storage space at McMurray for some time. Now, they will be sold for $10 each to help fund the restoration of the class photos.

“It’s so unique,” Kellum said of the poster. “It may not cover all of the costs for the restoration, but at least we’ll give it a try.”

Soltman noted that any costs not met by the poster sales will be covered through the district’s operating budget.