June 10, 2015

Tahoma starts state's largest high school

Image from DLR Group [enlarge]

Tahoma School District is addressing overcrowded classrooms by building what it calls the state's largest high school.

Officials last Friday broke ground on the 315,000-square-foot replacement for Tahoma High School on 35 acres that were part of Elk Run Golf Course, which closed last fall. It will hold up to 2,400 students in grades 9-12.

Construction will cost $121 million.

Tahoma High School & Regional Learning Center will be at 27500 228th Ave. S.E. in Maple Valley. When it opens in September 2017, it will replace the existing high school in Covington.

The new campus will be a comprehensive high school during the day, with community access for learning and training at night and during the summer.

It will have a 600-seat performing arts center.

Students at the new school will be given a career path through collaboration with higher education, as well as training and internships with local businesses.

Skanska, the GC/CM, is seeking subbids for the project. The next group of subbids are due June 18 and include athletic fields, metal panels and rough carpentry. On June 25, subbids for glass, flooring and roofing are due. Other work will be sought after that, such as painting, casework and insulation.

DLR Group is the architect and OAC Services is the project manager.

The district is changing grade alignments of its schools to alleviate overcrowding. The old high school and Tahoma Junior High will become middle schools, and Cedar River and Tahoma middle schools will become elementary schools. Lake Wilderness Elementary will get a major renovation that eliminates portables and older parts of the school while adding new classrooms.