COVID safety protocols led to a different looking Lake Washington School District (LWSD) Culinary Competition this year. The event took place virtually with students cooking from their own kitchens.
Juanita High School
Welcome to the new Juanita High School
Project Updates
At Juanita High School, the softball, baseball, and multipurpose fields are being upgraded to a new synthetic turf surface. The underground stormwater detention system is complete and the softball field is beginning to take shape as fencing and curb installation is underway for all fields. Track and Field participants in the discus, shotput and javelin will also have new throwing cages and landing areas south of the stadium.
The new tennis courts west of the Fieldhouse are ready for competition this spring. The full project...
The softball, baseball and multipurpose fields at Juanita High School are being upgraded to a synthetic turf surface. The full project is scheduled to be complete by this summer.
Grading for the new tennis courts is now complete and concrete is scheduled for later in February. The tennis courts are expected to open for student use in March, and to be fully complete by May 2021. These improvements are being funded by our 2018 Capital Projects Levy and 2016 Bond program.
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:
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.
We are so pleased that all our bond projects are now completed and ready for students. We want to thank the community for their continued support in building needed classroom space. While spending will still occur over the next year as we close out the projects, the charts below show planned 2016 bond program revenues and expenditures compared to current receipts and spending. Of the total planned revenues and expenditures of $434 million has been received to date. Of the total planned revenues and expenditures of $434 million that has been received to date, the district has spent $409 million.
Construction Progress Photos
Aerial Photos
Photo credit: Tim Rice Photography
Drawings and site plans
Project Information
This project will rebuild and enlarge Juanita High School, built in 1971. It was included on the Long-Term Facilities Task Force recommendations to remodel and enlarge aging schools. The Task Force also recommended, based on community feedback, that the current Field House by retained. The fieldhouse and pool building will remain as it is.
Contractor: Cornerstone Contractors
Square Footage: 217,000 s.f.
Capacity: 1,800 students (increase of 504)
Spaces: 36 standard classrooms plus science labs, art, CTE, special education, instrumental and vocal music, library, theater, cafeteria (total of 71 teaching spaces)
Estimated Project Cost: $145,477,000 (Includes construction costs of $82.5 million in 2016 dollars, $39.5 million in non-construction costs, and $23.5 million in expected construction cost inflation between now and the building’s completion)
Planned opening: September 2020 (one year early)
Remodel vs Rebuild decision
The district completed a Remodel vs Rebuild Study to determine whether to remodel the existing school building or rebuild a new school. The study was informed by a two-day workshop that leveraged the expertise of four contractor firms, architects, a commercial developer and cost estimators all experienced in school construction.
Based on this work, the academic building would be replaced rather than remodeled. The analysis shows the cost to remodel the building, including the upgrades to meet current codes and educational spaces comparable to other recent projects, would cost 1.8% less than to construct an entirely new academic building. This figure includes the cost of temporarily housing students during construction.
The analysis also showed that renovation of the existing building would result in a less efficient school given the current story and a half volume. The space would be less efficient to heat. It cannot be easily converted to two stories to gain needed additional classrooms space.
The study also showed that while remodeling would result in inadequate parking considering the addition needed to accommodate more students. When the cost to replace parking is included, the cost to remodel and expand the current building would be 3.8% more than the cost to rebuild a new school.
State construction assistance
Due to its age, the school became eligible for state funds for renovation or replacement in 2001. State funds are also anticipated due to lack of classroom space at the high school level in the district overall. The district expects to receive $15 million in State Construction Funding Assistance for this project.
Juanita High School Goals and Visions:
- Create an inviting environment where students and community members feel welcome and safe
- Design socialization areas for students and staff to gather for cultivating community
- Demonstrate school culture and pride throughout that is shared with the community
- Provide a variety of functional, practical and adaptable spaces that have the capacity and configuration to take advantage of the evolution of education
- Design activated environments that inspire professions, students and community members and cultivate learning
- Design easily understood building & site organization that is easily navigable
- Create spaces that encourage student clubs, sports, rehearsals and the activity to happen as part of daily life
- Provide a healthy environment with fresh air and abundant daylight, visually connected to the exterior