 SWIS was built to relieve the pressure of a growing student population at both South Whidbey Elementary School and (at the time) Langley Jr. High School.Previously, both LJHS and SWES had an extensive network of portable buildings to be able to accommodate students.After SWIS was opened, LMS moved all of its portable buildings to SWHS, and SWPS converted the portable for other uses, however, by 1990 SWPS was again using portables for classrooms.