Published 10/30/23

Evergreen Middle School was originally built in 1983 and is one of the aging schools identified in Lake Washington’s Long-term Facility Task Force Advisory Report and the 2019 Facilities Advisory Committee for replacement or remodel under a future bond or capital levy. The athletic fields behind the school have become increasingly more difficult to maintain as the district does not irrigate the fields due to the excessively high cost of water (estimated at $1 million annually) in the Union Hill area.

The fields are currently maintained by mowing 1-2 times weekly, through fertilizing and weed control application, by aerating in the spring and the fall, by applying a top-dress and over-seeding annually, and by mulching grass clippings to provide nutrients back into the grass. 

Despite these efforts, the fields continue to prove challenging to maintain and, therefore, the district is taking the following steps to identify near-term through long-term solutions.

Near-term actions

LWSD ground crews will be providing weekly maintenance as needed, which includes filling in low spots on the fields. Fill material is being stored on-site to facilitate these efforts. Additionally, the crew will be pulling soil samples for nutrient analysis and provide additional aeration, top-dress, overseed and fertilizer.

To prepare the Evergreen fields for season two soccer practices, LWSD is mowing the three fields used (football field, baseball/softball field and old Dickinson field) to a 1-inch height and then will roll and fertilize the fields. Games will continue to be held at Eastlake High School with transportation for athletes provided. 

Mid-term actions

This school year, LWSD will be engaged in developing a master plan for the site of potential replacement buildings and fields. This master planning effort will allow the district to determine the location of future fields and whether those future sites are available prior to any construction efforts on the school itself.

Additionally, LWSD will be developing options for field upgrades along with project scope, schedule and funding options.

Long-term actions

LWSD will implement field upgrades at Evergreen dependent upon the impact of the Evergreen master plan, the field upgrade options selected and the availability of funding. This section will be updated as those mid-term actions provide clarity regarding long-term impacts.