Over the last few years, Lake Washington School District’s (LWSD) enrollment has been growing by the equivalent of an elementary school each year.

Districtwide, enrollment is estimated to increase to more than 30,000 students by 2021-22. That is more than 5,000 more students than district schools were built to serve. There is little space left in current school buildings, some of which need replacing due to their age and building conditions.

What should LWSD do?

This was the challenge that faced the Long-Term Facilities Task Force as it began its work last December. A smaller working subcommittee of the task force dug into the details of the district’s overall needs, use of space, funding for school buildings, ways to reduce costs and other issues. The task force also reached out to the broader community through surveys and open houses for input on their work.

They have now developed a set of draft recommendations and are asking for feedback from the community. The recommendations address classroom capacity issues, cost reduction, efficient use of space and other issues. They also recommend specific projects to be undertaken in the future. Some of the major recommendations concerned capacity, aging facilities and funding.

An online open house provides information on all of the draft recommendations. A survey on that site is open through Oct. 11. Community members can also participate in in-person Learning Community meetings this month, as well as to a task force town hall from 6-8:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, at Rose Hill Middle School, 13505 N.E. 75th St. in Redmond.

Capacity recommendations

The task force’s first recommendation is to build new schools to address overcrowding and lack of classroom space. They included a set of principles aimed at reducing costs in the construction of those new schools.

The task force expressed confidence in the district’s enrollment projection process. They made recommendations concerning how the district determines the need to refine further its current projection methods.

The task force made recommendations concerning the efficient use of space, including removing dedicated computer labs from the current standard for elementary schools. It also recommended that the district develop and conduct a regular audit of facility use and communicate the results to the community.

To reduce the need for more schools, the committee developed a list of potential strategies. They include alternative spaces for preschool, additions at schools that have the ability to accommodate them and offering a two-shift schedule at choice middle and high schools.

The task force considered the potential changing conditions the district could face. If the district cannot raise any capital funds to build new schools, the task force recommends implementation of a year-round multi-track schedule.

The task force developed a list of potential strategies should the district raise only partial funding or if an accelerated increase in enrollment occurs. Those strategies include changing school attendance boundaries, increasing class size, increasing the use of portable classrooms and more.

Aging Facility recommendations

The task force recommends prioritizing aging facilities projects that can increase capacity. Such projects would involve renovating or rebuilding aging schools that can also accommodate an increase in classroom capacity. They cautioned, however, against creating inequity across the district. They also advised the district to share the building condition assessments and methodology with the community.

School projects

The task force identified a list of projects that could add capacity through building new schools or by remodeling or replacing aging schools while also adding to their capacity. These projects would address capacity and aging facilities through 2029-30.

High school projects include remodeling or replacing Juanita High School while adding capacity of more than 500 students; building an addition at Lake Washington High School and either adding on to Redmond High School or building a new choice high school in Redmond or Sammamish.

Middle school projects include remodeling or replacing Kamiakin Middle School and Evergreen Middle School, adding permanent capacity to both schools; adding on to Finn Hill Middle School; and adding a new middle school in Redmond.

Elementary school projects include building four to five new elementary schools and remodeling or replacing Kirk Elementary School and Mead Elementary School, adding permanent capacity to both schools.

Funding recommendations

The task force recommends that the district consider pursuing an increase in school impact fees as one way to raise funds for facilities projects. Another recommendation is to sell undevelopable and/or excess land currently owned by the district. They also suggest seeking private funding, including donations and/or naming rights.

The task force recommends the district urge state legislators to increase the state’s outdated construction funding assistance methodology and to remove sales tax from school construction.

Next steps

The task force is engaging in a series of efforts to gather feedback from the community on the draft recommendations. Community members can give input via an online open house through Oct. 11. Task force members will present the draft recommendations at meetings in schools around the district this month. Community meetings also will be held in each of the district’s four regions (see schedule below). A final task force town hall on Oct. 7 will provide an additional opportunity to provide input to the task force.

The task force will review the input collected through these different methods, then meet to determine revisions needed in the recommendations. They plan to share the final recommendations with the school board in November.

Learning Community Meeting Schedule:

Wed., Sept. 16, Juanita Learning Community Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Juanita High School, 10601 N.E. 132nd St., Kirkland

Thurs., Sept. 17, Lake Washington Learning Community Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Rose Hill Middle School, 13505 N.E. 75th St., Redmond

Mon., Sept. 28, Redmond Learning Community Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Redmond High School, 17272 N.E. 104th St., Redmond

Wed., Sept. 30, Eastlake Learning Community Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Eastlake High School, 400 228th Ave. N.E., Sammamish