March 5, 2026

New schools in the works around Lake Washington

Renderings via LWSD [enlarge]

Construction is set to start this spring on the $86 million rebuild of Louisa May Alcott Elementary School in unincorporated King County.

The Lake Washington School District is in the midst of a building boom.

With two back-to-back school levies in 2022 and 2024, the state's second-largest school district is currently underway on multiple projects, with more soon to go out for bid.

Construction is already set to start this year on several projects funded by the $676.9 million school building levy passed in 2024 in the district serving students in Kirkland, Redmond, and parts of Sammamish and Woodinville. Meanwhile, projects are still bubbling up from the $295 million levy that passed there in 2022. Let's take a closer look.

UPGRADING CROWDED AND AGING SCHOOLS

Between 2014 to 2019, the district went from being the sixth largest to the second largest school district in the state, with overcrowding in many schools.

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Samantha Smith Elementary’s $118 million rebuild includes new classrooms, a library, cafeteria/commons, gymnasium, and outdoor covered play area.

Like other districts in the area, those numbers are now on a (slight in this case) downward trend, but Lake Washington's schools are still aging and undersized to serve its 30,100 students.

The 2022 and 2024 levies represent phases I and II of a district program to expand capacity and update schools, funding secure facilities with single entry points, up-to-date systems and infrastructure, and “other features to ensure students continue to learn in a safe environment that supports modern learning standards.”

PHASE I PROJECTS ROLL FORWARD

The district's $295 million Building Excellence Construction Levy, passed in 2022, funded Phase I of this program.

The 2022 levy originally called for building a new fifth high school in Sammamish, but the district decided in 2024 to redirect those funds toward upgrades at Redmond High School and Eastlake High School instead.

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A proposal for a new building on the Emerson alternative school campus is set to go before the Kirkland City Council on March 17.

The district said at the time that the change of plans was due to capacity and enrollment changes stemming in part from the pandemic.

The 2022 levy also funds expanding the Emerson K-12 campus, additions at Finn Hill, Kirkland and Redmond middle schools, and a rebuild and expansion of Rockwell Elementary School.

Here's a closer look at where those projects stand now:

Eastlake High School's addition is being designed by Mahlum and built by Absher Construction, with plans to open this fall.

Absher Construction was tapped in January as GC/CM for the $24 million addition at Redmond High School. Mahlum is the architect for the project that could include interior renovations, site improvements, classroom additions and upgrades of core spaces, including restrooms, hallways and commons areas. Demo of the school's former administration wing took place over winter break. Students will remain on site during construction, and some new areas are slated for occupancy in the spring, with the full addition slated to open in 2027.

The city of Kirkland's hearing examiner recommended approval last week of the district's application to amend its master plan for the Emerson campus in order to demolish an existing building and construct a new two-story, 50,000-square-foot school. That will be built on the current campus of the Emerson alternative school at 10903 N.E. 53rd St. in Kirkland's Houghton neighborhood. The site is also home to North Star Middle School, which won't be affected by the rebuild.

The proposal would increase Emerson's occupancy by 167 students and includes a daycare space for current students and families. Plans also include a geothermal well and landscaping. It's scheduled to go before the city council for a final decision on March 17. Mithun is architect and Lease Crutcher Lewis is builder for the project that's set to start construction this spring.

Finn Hill and Kirkland middle school expansions both opened in the fall of 2024, built by BNBuilders (with Pacific Mobile on Kirkland) and designed by Integrus Architecture. Redmond Middle School's expansion also opened that fall, built by BNBuilders and designed by McGranahanPBK.

Rockwell Elementary School celebrated its topping out in January at 11125 162nd Ave. N.E. in Redmond. The $80 million rebuild is being built by Lydig Construction and designed by McGranahanPBK, and is expected to open this fall.

PHASE II JOBSITES POPPING UP

With construction still in the works and underway on several Phase I projects, Phase II projects are also moving into construction. Let's take a closer look at where the work stemming from the $677 million levy stands:

Cornerstone General Contractors is set to begin construction this spring on the Mahlum Architects-designed $86.8 million rebuild of Louisa May Alcott Elementary School, the oldest elementary school in the district. Located in unincorporated King County off Highway 202 at 4213 228th Ave. N.E., the school was built in 1986 and currently serves around 700 students in grades K-5. The district wants the new school to be complete in 2027.

The progressive design-build team of Lease Crutcher Lewis and Mithun is working on the $202.9 million rebuild and expansion of Evergreen Middle School in Redmond, and the $174 million rebuild and expansion of Kamiakin Middle School in Kirkland's Juanita neighborhood, both still in design. Evergreen is set for a 2031 opening and Kamiakin is slated to open in 2029.

In Sammamish, the $118 million rebuild of Samantha Smith Elementary School is in pre-design, with no architect or contractor yet attached to the project. The rebuild would increase capacity by 253 students for the 1988-built school at 23305 N.E. 14th St. Construction could be complete in 2031.

Some work is already complete on the fieldhouse and community pool update at Kirkland's Juanita High School at 10601 N.E. 132nd St, built in 1971, but the updates completed so far have not come from the district's $25.1 million levy funding.

Miller Hayashi Architects is designing the upgrade that's being done by GLY Construction. Work already completed includes updated roofing, pool infrastructure, and HVAC systems. The remaining $25 million modernization covered by the levy and set to be complete in 2028 includes upgrading the boiler system and remaining air handling units, modernizing locker rooms and restrooms, and updating safety, lighting and electrical systems.

The district plans a future levy for Phase III of the program, possibly in 2030.