Lake Washington School district is growing rapidly. In fact, it has grown from the sixth largest district to the fourth largest district in the state since last year. The district has grown by over 3200 students in the last five years. That's an average of over 625 students per year for the last five years, which is equivalent to five large elementary schools. Growth is projected to continue, reaching over 30,000 students by 2020-21 and over 32,000 students by 2029-30.  To meet these growing needs for classroom space, the district's board of directors voted on January 25 to place a bond measure on the April 26, 2016 ballot. This measure, for $398 million in 20-year bonds, would fund the most immediate, high priority needs. The total tax rate will be maintained at the 2015 rate.

 

"Our district is at a critical point with regard to classroom space," noted Board President Nancy Bernard. "Moving to all-day kindergarten and reducing class sizes thanks to new state funding increases our need for more classroom space. At the same time our enrollment continues to grow."  The measure would build one new middle school and two new elementary schools and would rebuild and enlarge three schools (Juanita High School, Kirk and Mead Elementary Schools). It would also replace the Explorer Community School classrooms and refurbish the Old Redmond Schoolhouse for use by preschool classes.

 

For more information please see the LWSD Bond site: http://www.lwsd.org/News/2016-Bond/Pages/default.aspx . More information is being added to the website each week.  This week, the district added a video tour of Kirk Elementary, one of the aging schools included in the bond measure.  If you have specific questions about the bond measure not answered on those pages, use the Let's Talk online form to submit your question and get an answer. Answers to the most commonly asked questions will be answered in a Bond Blog starting in late February.