2024 Bond

Board approves adding bond to November ballot to expand and modernize aging schools, upgrade safety and security districtwide

Voters will consider approving a school construction bond this November

At its May 8 meeting, the Lake Stevens School District (LSSD) Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution to place a school construction bond on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot. This replaces the 2005 bond, which will be paid off in 2025. The bond continues the district’s commitment to replace aging school buildings with schools built to today’s safety standards, equipped for today’s learning. 

The school construction bond would allow LSSD to:

• Build a new elementary school on district-owned land across from Stevens Creek Elementary School;
• Build a secondary innovative learning center on district-owned land, at the south-end of the  Mt. Pilchuck Elementary School property, to provide secondary students non-traditional learning opportunities;
• Modernize and expand Glenwood and Skyline Elementary Schools in their current locations;
• Modernize Lake Stevens Middle School and expand selected buildings; and
• Make districtwide safety, security, health, educational, athletic and infrastructure improvements.

The board made its decision based on a comprehensive study conducted by the community Facilities Needs Advisory Committee (FNAC). The FNAC was composed of parents and caregivers, employees, students and community members. They thoroughly reviewed each facility’s Building Condition Assessment, which ranks the facility’s structure, systems and safety components. They also studied enrollment and community growth trends before presenting recommendations to the board in January.

“We are committed to providing our students with the safest and most effective learning environments possible,” said Mari Taylor, LSSD Board President. “This bond supports learning across our district, and will provide our students equitable access to safe and modern schools. Our priority has always been to manage this process with the utmost fiscal responsibility, aiming to keep the cost to our taxpayers as low as possible. The board’s decision to move forward with this bond reflects our dedication to maintaining high-quality educational facilities for our students and the greater community of Lake Stevens.”

Taxpayer investment

If approved by voters, the $314 million school construction bond would be a slightly increased cost to the average Lake Stevens homeowner—approximately $29 per month or $350 per year. This is an investment of about $1 a day for a home valued at $625,000, the median assessed value in our district as determined by Snohomish County. 

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 bonds approved in 2005 will be paid off in the next calendar year. Currently, Lake Stevens taxpayers are paying $0.44 per $1,000 of assessed value for the 2005 bond. These bonds paid for the building of Cavelero Mid High School; the modernization of Hillcrest, Mt. Pilchuck and Sunnycrest Elementary Schools; and facilities improvements at Lake Stevens High School, including the new stadium.

The total cost of the proposed bond and the 2016 bond is projected to be $1.76 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The growth in Lake Stevens has increased the number of residential taxpayers, spreading the tax burden more widely. Additionally, more retail and commercial properties within our school district have further reduced the tax burden on residents.

New elementary school, modernization and expansion of Glenwood & Skyline Elementary Schools

A new elementary school to be built across from Stevens Creek Elementary School, off of Lake Drive, to address residential growth in the north end of the school district and address overcrowding at all elementaries. This location was selected because LSSD owns the property, and infrastructure such as power, water, sewer and technology are already available. 

Glenwood and Skyline Elementary Schools will be modernized and expanded in their current locations. This includes: modern classrooms and instructional spaces built to support flexible learning, collaboration and technology—with doors; secure receptions, offices, portables and perimeters; new spaces for special education; and the replacement of HVAC and plumbing systems, and other infrastructures.

Once the new elementary school is complete, it will temporarily house students from Glenwood while their school is being modernized and expanded. A timeline of construction activities and logistics is still pending and will be finalized and widely communicated upon passage of the bond.

Prior to the opening of the new elementary school, a community Boundary Revision Committee will be formed to review data and make the best decision possible for students.

Secondary Innovative Learning Center

The number of students being served in specialized, “non-traditional” programs has increased across the district. We currently have approximately 75 students who are transported to Crossroads High School in Granite Falls School District because LSSD does not have the space for an educational program that meets their individualized needs. 

A secondary innovative learning center—which would be given its own name and identity after it is built—would allow our students to return from Granite Falls, would have the capacity to serve additional students, and would provide space for potential future programs. This space would also house the district’s other specialized learning programs, such as Transitions and students served in the Secondary Distance Learning Program.

Modernization and expansion of Lake Stevens Middle School

Lake Stevens Middle School will be modernized and expanded in its current location. A new classroom wing for science, technology and career and technical education will be added, along with a new gymnasium. Spaces that support students who receive special education services will be updated to meet students’ educational and physical needs. Aging portable classrooms will be removed, and existing portables will be relocated within a new secure perimeter around the campus.

Educational improvements and enhancements

Spaces that support students who receive special education services will be updated and/or expanded to meet students’ educational and physical needs at Glenwood and Skyline Elementary Schools and Lake Stevens Middle School. This work will also be completed at Highland, Hillcrest and Mt. Pilchuck Elementary Schools, North Lake Middle School and Cavelero Mid High School.

New gymnasiums would be built at Hillcrest and Mt. Pilchuck Elementary Schools. Currently, students share one space for PE and lunch. This greatly impacts scheduling and educational offerings. Having two separate spaces allows educators to have more flexibility with lunch schedules and PE activities. Additionally, these new spaces will be used after school hours for community athletics and events.

Safety, security and health improvements

Work from the 2016 bond helped us make our school buildings much more secure. However, our aging schools need improvements to ensure they help keep our students and employees safe. This includes entry reception areas, school offices, and portable classrooms. Secure perimeters—similar to what you see at Lake Stevens High School—will be added to all schools, including fencing with electronically locking gates around buildings, portable classrooms and playgrounds.

Infrastructure and athletic improvements

Meals for our more than 4,300 elementary students are prepared in a 1,900 square foot production kitchen, currently located at North Lake Middle School. This space also acts as a storage area for dry, fresh and frozen goods for schools, districtwide. A new meal production kitchen is needed to support food services across our growing district. A new production kitchen would allow increased access to local ingredients and supplies; higher quality menu items with healthier, fresher ingredients; better control over the ingredients used in student meals; and reduced food cost and food waste.

The grass athletic field at Lake Stevens Middle School will be replaced with artificial turf and lights will be installed. Community access to the field at North Lake Middle School will be improved, and the current lights will be replaced. Lights will also be installed to the turf field at Cavelero Mid High School. These improvements provide extended PE and extracurricular opportunities for our students. They also help us meet the increasing community need for additional fields that can be used throughout the year and in the evenings.

Why now?

With each passing year, our aging facilities and overcrowding issues become more difficult to address. Even though we have maintained our buildings well, they are aging and outgrowing the educational needs of today’s students.

Additionally, several factors led the FNAC to recommend these specific projects, including:

• Our elementary schools are operating well above capacity with continued growth forecasted in our district
• The facilities at Glenwood, Skyline and Lake Stevens Middle Schools are not adequately meeting  students' needs
• We need to serve all of our students by creating spaces for specialized learning in LSSD, rather than sending our students to other districts
• Our aging facilities need important safety, health and security upgrades
• Our proposed projects qualify for state funding assistance, which maximizes the power of taxpayer dollars.

Growth in our community

The population in our district—which serves students in Lake Stevens and parts of Marysville, Snohomish and Granite Falls—has grown approximately 20.8 percent in the last 10 years. Currently there are more than 800 elementary students and up to 360 middle school students who are learning in temporary classrooms.