2025 Bond
Creating space. Ensuring safety. Building futures.
Dear Lake Stevens students, staff and families,
I am thrilled to share that our school construction bond is passing with a supermajority (61.66%) and has been validated! This is an incredible moment for our schools and community, and it is all thanks to your support.
With this bond, we will be able to move forward with addressing growth and overcrowding, replacing aging facilities, enhancing safety and security, and supporting student well-being and success. This investment will stay in our community and benefit generations to come, creating safe, innovative, and welcoming spaces for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.
This achievement reflects the strong partnership between our schools, families, and the broader community. We are deeply grateful for your trust and commitment to our students' future.
In the coming months, we will provide updates on project timelines and next steps as we bring these much-needed improvements to life. Thank you for believing in our schools and supporting our students.
With gratitude,
Dr. Mary Templeton
Superintendent
On Feb. 11, 2025, our district will rerun its school construction bond proposal. The bond focuses on addressing growth and overcrowding, replacing aging facilities, enhancing safety and security, and supporting student well-being and success.
While the projects and $314 million bond amount remain unchanged, this proposal has a lower tax impact for property owners thanks to reduced interest rates and a growing taxpayer base in our community.
The projects maximize approximately $60 million in state construction assistance funds to minimize the costs to our taxpayers. These funds are only available to school districts after the successful passage of a school construction bond. In addition, school impact fees paid by developers of new homes will also go towards the projects.
The decision to rerun the bond reflects feedback from the 2024 campaign and reinforces transparency and community priorities.
What has changed?
- The 2005 bond will be fully paid off in 2025.
- Decreased interest rates and more property owners sharing the cost mean the same projects can now be funded at a lower tax rate.
Growth Projects
- New Elementary #8
- Secondary Innovative Learning Center
- Central Meal Production Kitchen
- Special Education Services Spaces
Growth, Safety, Aging Facilities Projects
- Glenwood Elementary Modernization and Growth
- Skyline Elementary Modernization and Growth
- Lake Stevens Middle School Modernization and Growth
Safety Projects
- Classrooms with doors at Glenwood and Skyline Elementary Schools
- Secure Portables
- Secure Receptions
- Secure Perimeters
School PE and Community Athletics Improvements
- Separate gymnasiums from cafeterias at Glenwood, Hillcrest, Mt Pilchuck and Skyline Elementaries
- Larger gymnasiums at Lake Stevens Middle School
- Artificial turf at Lake Stevens Middle School
- Field lighting and improved community access at Cavelero Mid-High and North Lake Middle Schools
Understanding your property tax statement
Snohomish County offers tips and interactive tools to better understand how your property taxes are allocated. In 2024, Lake Stevens School District's portion of property taxes were $3.20 per $1,000 of assessed value, annually. This amount covers the Educational Programs and Operations Levy, the capital Technology Levy, the 2005 bond, and the 2016 bond.
In 2025, the school district's portion is projected to decrease to $3.07 per $1,000 of assessed value, annually. This amount will include the Educational Programs and Operations Levy, the Technology Levy, the 2016 bond, and the 2025 bond (if approved by voters).
Questions about your property taxes? Contact the Snohomish County Assessor at 425-388-3499 for more information.
Project Breakdowns
New Elementary #8
- Estimated cost: $76.6M
- State contribution: $7.9M
- Local tax share: $68.7M
- Eligible to use school impact fees
See a full list of what the bond will fund at each school.
Safety & Security
Glenwood Growth and Modernization
- Estimated cost: $70.7M
- State contribution: $12.3M
- Local tax share: $58.4M
- Eligible to use school impact fees for additional classrooms
Skyline Growth and Modernization
- Estimated cost: $72.3M
- State contribution: $12.3M
- Local tax share: $60M
- Eligible to use school impact fees for additional classrooms
Exciting updates for Glenwood & Skyline
Lake Stevens Middle School Growth and Modernization
- Estimated cost: $98.8M
- State contribution: $27.3M
- Local tax share: $71.5M
- Eligible to use school impact fees for additional classrooms
How will the bond will benefit LSMS?
Secondary Innovative Learning Center
- Estimated cost: $27.7M
- State contribution: None
- Local tax share: $27.7M
- Eligible to use school impact fees
What is the Secondary Innovative Learning Center?
Fiscally responsible
Our district has a strong record of fiscal responsibility, completing past bond projects on time and within budget while addressing additional needs at no extra cost to taxpayers. With clean audits, a balanced budget, an excellent credit rating, and strategic use of construction funds, the district has also secured more than $105 million in state construction grants since 2005 to support schools and students.
Project Timeline
Timing considerations
Passing the bond in February will allow us to move forward without delay on these vital projects, addressing overcrowding, improving safety, and creating learning environments that meet the needs of our growing community.
Informational Materials
Article in the Everett Herald
'We need more buildings': Lake Stevens to try same $314M school bond by Jordan Hansen, Dec. 21, 2024
2016 Capital Bond Projects
$39.1 million in state construction assistance funds
Growth Projects
- New Elementary #7 – Stevens Creek
- New Early Learning Center
- Transportation South Satellite at Cavelero
Growth, Safety, Aging Facilities Projects
- Lake Stevens High School Modernization and Expansion
Safety and Security Projects
- Secure Entries
- District-wide security cameras
- District-wide card readers and electronic door locks
Infrastructure Projects
- New bleachers at Lake Stevens Middle School
- Track replacements at Lake Stevens Middle, North Lake Middle, Cavelero Mid-High and Lake Stevens High Schools
- Roof repairs at Lake Stevens Middle, North Lake Middle and Lake Stevens High Schools
- Exterior painting at Cavelero Mid-High and Lake Stevens High Schools
- Sewer service at Glenwood Elementary School
- Furnace replacements at Glenwood and Skyline Elementary Schools
Lake Stevens High School was modernized and expanded.
The high school gym was completely rebuilt.
The Performing Arts Center, gym and pool are connected in the Southeast Hall.
The LSSD Pool was refurbished and modernized for school, athletic and community use.
Stevens Creek Elementary School was built, and opened in 2018.
Stevens Creek makes connections to nature, and students have the opportunity to tend to a school garden.
The Early Learning Center was made possible by the 2016 school construction bond.
ELC students enjoying the playground.
An example of secure entries at the ESC.
The bleachers at LSMS before being modernized.
2016 K-3 Class Size Reduction Grant
$24.4 million in state construction grant funds for K-3 classrooms
Growth Projects
- Eighteen classrooms at Stevens Creek Elementary School
- Two-classroom additions at Glenwood, Highland, Hillcrest, Mt Pilchuck, Skyline and Sunnycrest Elementary Schools
- Four modular classrooms at Glenwood Elementary School
- Six modular classrooms at Skyline Elementary School
Growth and Aging Facilities Projects
- Renovation of 11 classrooms and three support spaces at Hillcrest West
2005 Capital Bond Projects
$41.5 million in state construction assistance funds
Growth Projects
- Cavelero Mid-High 8th/9th grade campus
Aging Facilities Projects
- Hillcrest Elementary Modernization
- Mt. Pilchuck Elementary Modernization
- Sunnycrest Elementary Modernization
- Lake Stevens High School Office and Cafeteria Modernization
- Lake Stevens High School Stadium Replacement
- Artificial turf replacements of Lake Stevens High School football, soccer, baseball and softball fields
- Lake Stevens High School tennis court renovation
Cavelero Mid High School opened to students in 2008.
The athletic field and track at Cavelero Mid High School.
Lake Stevens High School was modernized.
The LSHS stadium before modernization.
And the new and improved LSHS stadium.
Friday Night Lights in Lake Stevens.
Hillcrest Elementary School was modernized.
Mt. Pilchuck Elementary School was modernized.
Sunnycrest Elementary School was modernized.
2025 Bond FAQ
- Why is the district re-running the bond?
- What has changed?
- Why is the district proposing this bond when family budgets are tight?
- Why is the district asking for more taxes? Didn’t voters just approve a bond in 2022?
- What is the district doing with all of the money received due to community growth?
- What projects have been funded by previous bonds?
- What is the Lake Stevens School District doing to address growth and overcrowding? Why didn’t the district plan for the growth in our community?
- Do developers contribute to funding new schools?
- Why do students who live in Marysville attend Lake Stevens schools?
- Why don’t Glenwood and Skyline Elementary Schools have doors? Were they removed? Can doors be added? How do you ensure student and staff safety?
- Why is the proposed new elementary school so close to Stevens Creek?
- When will Cavelero Mid High School become a second high school?
- The bond projects will address the elementary and middle school levels, but what about the high school?
- If you’re building a new elementary school to address capacity, won’t that mean that we will need another middle school and high school?
- Why isn’t North Lake Middle School included in the bond?
- How does the design of Lake Stevens High School benefit students and the community?
- I don’t have children in the Lake Stevens School District. Why is this important to me?
- Why are athletic field improvements included in the bond package?
- When will I receive my ballot? When is it due?
- Is there a special bond tax exemption for senior citizens or those with a limited income?
- How can I learn more?