Thanks to our voters, LWSD construction teams have been busy this summer. Most of the summer construction projects were completed with a few finishing up in the next few weeks. All of these projects will give our students the space they need to thrive and be future ready.

Construction has been ongoing at a handful of our schools this year. As we wrap up the 2021-22 school year, we would like to provide an update on these projects.

The project at Rachel Carson Elementary that will add a four-classroom addition is moving along.

The construction of the new gymnasium at Mark Twain Elementary is really starting to take shape. 

In addition to the eight classrooms that opened in the fall, construction on a new gymnasium at Benjamin Franklin Elementary is underway.

Thanks to the 2019 Capital Construction Levy, Lake Washington High School has completed projects to add more space for students in class, in the new auxiliary gym and while they are in the commons area. 

The new North Wing on campus added 20 new “world class” classrooms and shared space. The new classrooms were built with a focus on math, science, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes.

For Juanita High School students, school has become a “home away from home.” For five days a week, they eat, learn and play in facilities designed with the goal of graduating future-ready young adults. The new school was completed in fall 2020 and was funded by the voter-approved 2016 bond measure.

At Rose Hill Elementary, the foundation for the expanded commons has been poured, and the contractor is preparing for the upcoming concrete slab pour.

At Ben Franklin Elementary, clearing has been completed in the area of the new gym building and preparations have begun for relocating existing portables.

The contractor on the Mark Twain Elementary core expansion project has been preparing for the first major concrete pour, which is scheduled this week, weather permitting

The Juanita Ravens kicked off the 2021 football season with a win on the stadium’s new synthetic turf field on September 3 against the Inglemoor High School Vikings.

Teachers at three elementary schools had the chance to welcome students to new elementary additions this fall. As growth continues, permanent classroom additions at Benjamin Franklin Elementary, Rose Hill Elementary and Mark Twain Elementary make efficient use of the existing school grounds to create more classroom space.

Athletes at Juanita High School will have upgraded fields to practice on when they return to school this fall for soccer, football and slowpitch softball. Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the baseball and multipurpose fields.

Three elementary classroom additions will be ready for students on the first day of school. The additions at Benjamin Franklin, Rose Hill and Mark Twain elementary schools will provide an additional 20 permanent classrooms to address the district’s growing enrollment.

In April 2019, voters approved a capital construction levy that is providing $120 million in funding, collected over six years. These funds, combined with state construction assistance funds, will provide a total of $144 million. As of March 2021, $73 million has been spent on these levy projects:

Workers are in the process of installing the wood floor at the new auxiliary gymnasium at Lake Washington High School. Sprinkler and electrical installation have begun and interior painting is underway. The school will be able to start using the gym for physical education classes and other athletic needs in the fall.

A new covered play area and library will greet students when they arrive for the first day of school in the fall at Mark Twain Elementary. Relocating the library and play area allowed designers to make room for an additional four permanent classrooms at the school, which will also open this fall. Workers have begun to install casework in the classrooms and ceiling tile installation is nearly complete.

Installation of operable windows at the Rose Hill Elementary addition will begin soon. The windows allow teachers to open the window to bring fresh air into the classroom. Both floors in the addition will also have restrooms near the original building. The black-and-white stripe from the original building continues around the addition, representing the school’s raccoon mascot. The school will have eight additional permanent classrooms when school begins in the fall.

At Benjamin Franklin Elementary, classrooms are beginning to come together with casework installation and ceiling tiles. Shared learning areas in each pod are within sight of classrooms, and windows let in natural light as well as a view of the mature evergreen trees nearby. Lighting installation will start soon in the eight-classroom addition.