They say the first year is always the hardest, and TAF Academy has that first year under its belt.

Around 100 people showed up to hear about how that first year went during a year-in-review presentation Thursday at the Seattle Art Museum.

The academy was a partnership between the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) and the Federal Way School District. The idea was for a school that would serve primarily students of color, or students on free or reduced lunch, and give them a school with access to the best technology and a more hands-on learning style. The plan was approved in November 2007 by the school board, and the new school had to go about recruiting teachers and students before there was even a building.

“This past year has been a lot like building a puzzle, with a lot of people in different rooms and sometimes with their eyes closed,” Federal Way schools director Josh Garcia said.

There were ups and downs, admitted those involved in the project. One of the biggest challenges was getting ninth-graders enrolled — ninth-graders who preferred having a typical high school experience. However, sixth- and seventh-grades had so many students sign up that the school needed a lottery to decide who was accepted. The school also almost reached its goal for student makeup with almost 75 percent minority students. The school started the year with 14 special education students, two of whom were able to successfully move on from the special education program.

Michael Miles, a ninth-grader, was one of the first students enrolled in the school after his mom found out about it.

“TAFA looked way too small,” Miles said. “I didn’t want to have six kids in my class, but my parents made me go anyway.”

However, Miles soon changed his mind about the school.

“I liked the project-based curriculum,” Miles said. “The projects go on beyond the four corners of the classroom. I liked the opportunities at TAFA.”

His classmate, Reesha Flavors, also a ninth-grader, liked the idea of small classes.

“I was trying to avoid high school,” she said. “(The teachers) break it down like they cared.”

She did have some suggestions, including a new Web site and another location for more kids who would like to attend.

Miguel Rios, a sixth-grader, also liked his first year.

“I look back at my first year and I am speechless,” he said. “There’s a lot of responsibility, a huge amount. It’s actually kind of harsh to have to manage your time, to be organized. I’m actually not used to that.”

Challenges and resources

One of the biggest challenges for the school was finding a principal, especially since most principals were already working when the school was looking.

Their eventual selection, Lara Davis Brown, came from a traditional school and had to quickly transition to the small school setting — and assemble a team of teachers.

The teachers also had their fair share of challenges in the first year.

All students at TAFA have their own laptop computers, which for students and teachers was mostly considered a good thing. Students could keep projects on their own laptop and improve their technology skills — something many of the students may not have access to at home. However, the school will have more comprehensive Internet blocking software next year to combat the students playing games.

“There are vast resources,” sixth-grade math/science teacher Deb North said. “That was a big challenge because everything was new. It was difficult to handle how distracted the kids would be with the Internet. The first thing they would do is play games. These distractions are going to exist in college.”

English and language arts teacher Dave Neese loved the extra access to technology.

“Teachers are very good at stealing and hoarding,” he said. “We don’t have to do that here. Support this place. If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevancy even less.”

Looking ahead

The school plans to add eight new teachers and 80 students, along with expanding the facility to add a chemistry lab, a general science lab and an arts and foreign language lab area. TAF is also hoping to launch a second academy somewhere else in the state after learning from experiences in Federal Way.