A total of eight new classrooms at Benjamin Franklin Elementary are receiving window frames and glass this month. On the exterior, concrete block installation is ongoing and exterior siding has begun. Inside, drywall installation is nearly complete and interior finishes will begin soon.
 
The addition is scheduled to open in September.

Two pods of four classrooms at Benjamin Franklin Elementary will soon blend in with the rest of the school as block installation is completed. Inside the eight-classroom addition, installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems has begun. After roofing is complete to protect the building from moisture, work on interior classrooms will go into high gear.
 
The project reached a milestone in December when crews completed steel installation. Watch this slideshow of steel installation at the three Kirkland elementary school additions.

Homes around the district received LWSD’s Building on Success progress newsletter in their mailboxes in February. If you missed it, you can view the digital version, which includes these updates:

Visitors to LWSD’s high schools will now enter directly into the main office, thanks to funding from the 2019 capital projects levy. The modifications will increase security at three schools that required modifications. The modifications incorporate the entry control system found at other LWSD entrances.
 
Modifications at Lake Washington High School were completed in the fall and construction on the Redmond High School entrance was completed this winter. Construction at Eastlake High School is scheduled to be complete in fall 2021.

After more than a year of work, the LWSD Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC) addressed the Board on January 25 during its regular meeting. The FAC was tasked with making recommendations to accommodate the District’s rapid enrollment growth and continue to provide quality learning environments. The Board will use the recommendations to determine next steps, which could include sending a funding measure to voters in 2022.
 
You can see the final recommendations report and the FAC’s presentation to the Board here:

School openings looked a little different in 2020. Grand Opening celebrations with students have been postponed, but Lake Washington School District staff and students with special needs are enjoying their new spaces for teaching and learning. Enjoy these images from our new schools and construction projects.