Elementary School #8

Address: 9332 29th St NE
Design: NAC Architecture
Contractor: Cornerstone
Estimated cost: $76.6M
State contribution: $7.9M
Local tax share: $68.7M
Eligible to use school impact fees for new classrooms

Construction & Program Update

March 2026

Lake Stevens School District is constructing Elementary School #8 as part of the voter-approved 2025 School Construction Bond. This new school will help address enrollment growth while providing modern learning spaces for students.

Project Timeline

Estimated opening: 2027-28 school year (serving Glenwood Elementary students)
Temporary use: 2028–29 school year (serving LSMS students)

After these transitions, a School Board-appointed boundary committee will review and recommend updates to elementary attendance boundaries across the district to help ensure balanced enrollment.

Project Overview

Elementary School #8 is planned to serve approximately 750 students and will provide modern learning spaces designed to support today’s teaching and learning needs.

The school will be built off Lake Drive, across from Stevens Creek Elementary and the Early Learning Center, helping serve residential growth in the north end of the district and relieve overcrowding at all existing elementary schools.

Why this Project is Needed

Elementary School #8 will:

Address continued enrollment growth in our district
Provide additional capacity to reduce overcrowding at current elementary schools
Serve neighborhoods where much of the district’s current and projected housing growth is occurring
Provide modern classrooms and learning spaces designed for current instructional programs

Site Considerations

Elementary School #8 will be built on district-owned property in the northwest portion of the district, where much of our current and projected residential growth is occurring.

The school site is located within the City of Lake Stevens. However, many nearby neighborhoods served by the school are located in the City of Marysville but fall within Lake Stevens School District boundaries. Families in those areas already pay property taxes that support our schools.

Building on this site allows us to make efficient use of existing roads, utilities, and infrastructure while serving students closer to where they live.

Current Project Status

Last spring, educators, school staff, district leaders, and planning experts worked together to create shared educational facility standards for elementary schools in Lake Stevens School District. These standards guide the design of Elementary School #8, as well as the modernization and replacement projects at Skyline & Glenwood Elementary Schools, helping ensure consistent, high-quality learning environments across the district.

FAQ

Why is the new elementary school so close to Stevens Creek?

The majority of expected growth in our community is in the northwest part of the district, and the district already owns land across from Stevens Creek, which is well-positioned for development. Building schools on existing district property reduces land acquisition costs and uses the infrastructure already in place to support a new school (roads, sewer, utilities).

To mitigate traffic and neighborhood impacts, start and dismissal times will be staggered for Stevens Creek and the new school, along with the Early Learning Center.

If you're building a new elementary school to address capacity, what about secondary schools?

The most immediate need is in our elementary schools where there are more than 800 students learning in temporary classrooms.

As part of the bond, Lake Stevens Middle School will be modernized and expanded to support more students. Future bond projects could include modernizing and expanding North Lake Middle School, once it becomes eligible for state construction assistance funds. This will further support middle school capacity.

Before Cavelero can become a second high school, eighth-graders would return to middle schools and ninth-graders would move up to the two high schools. If Cavelero were to become a high school right now, there would be approximately 25 underutilized classrooms between it and LSHS.

While our enrollment is growing districtwide, the most immediate need is in our elementary schools.

Why do students who live in Marysville attend Lake Stevens schools?

A new neighborhood school for our growing community

Aerial render of the new elementary school — Here’s a bird’s-eye view of our new elementary school, which will be built across from Stevens Creek Elementary and the Early Learning Center. Strategically located on district-owned land in the northwest portion of our district, this school meets our growing community’s needs while making smart use of existing roads, utilities, and infrastructure. Staggered start and dismissal times will help ease traffic and minimize neighborhood impacts.

Render of the arrival and drop-off area — Here’s a look east at the arrival and drop-off area—getting ready for our youngest Vikings!

Upcoming engagement opportunities

Have questions or want to be included in future updates? Email tellus@lkstevens.wednet.edu.

A sneak peek at elementary school #8

The team that spent time last spring collaborating on our “schools of the future” was invited to a sneak peek of Elementary School #8 in late October. They saw early renderings, asked questions, and learned more about the project timeline.

Collaboration for schools of the future

In the spring of 2025, educators, school staff, district leaders and planning experts worked together to create shared educational facility standards for our elementary schools. These standards guide the design of elementary school #8, as well as the modernized Skyline and Glenwood elementary schools.