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.

Construction began this fall on the LWHS auxiliary gymnasium as part of the school’s core expansion to accommodate our growing student population. The auxiliary gym will allow the school to offer more PE classes, provide more spaces for sports teams to practice and hold games, and will provide additional recreation space for our community.

The district completed a Limited General Obligation bond sale in May 2020 for $75 million in order to front-fund the these critical capacity projects. Bonds will be paid back with the levy proceeds that are collected over the next six years. Program spending picked up over the summer as the LWHS addition was completed; elementary exterior cameras were installed; and elementary additions and entry control projects began. Of the total planned expenditures of $144 million, $33 million has been spent.

Teachers with new classrooms in the Lake Washington High School addition spent time in August unpacking boxes and preparing their classrooms. Students at Lake Washington High School had a chance to see inside the new wing and meet some of their teachers during textbook and supply pickup. The new 20-classroom addition includes...

High school entry modifications at Lake Washington High School, Redmond High School and Eastlake High School are underway. Construction of a new visitor’s entrance...

When students return to Lake Washington High School, they will notice a brand new space as they climb the main staircase. A second floor above the main level of the commons will provide expanded seating for students during lunchtime. The new space, which was constructed during the summer, gives students a bird’s-eye view toward the window in the commons area.