A Lake Washington School District (LWSD) committee is beginning the process of determining boundaries for three new Redmond area schools — two elementaries and one middle — that are planned to open in the fall of 2018 and 2019, respectively.
LWSD will build the schools — a middle school and elementary school on Redmond Ridge and an elementary school in north Redmond — to meet the needs of its growing enrollment.
The new schools will draw enrollment from neighborhoods now assigned to existing schools: The new Redmond Ridge Middle School will draw from Redmond and Evergreen middle schools; and the new North Redmond and Redmond Ridge East elementaries will draw from Alcott, Dickinson, Einstein, Mann, Redmond, Rockwell, Rosa Parks and Wilder elementaries.
“These projects will help reduce overcrowding and accommodate the district’s fast-growing enrollment. The projects were recommended by the community-based Long-Term Facilities Planning Task Force,” said LWSD Communications Director Kathryn Reith in a press release.
The Redmond elementary and middle schools that will be part of the boundary process had a total enrollment of 6,599 in October 2015 and an enrollment of 6,944 in October 2016, according to Reith. Choice schools numbers are not included.
The schools are part of LWSD’s Building on Success program and were funded by the 2016 April bond measure. The $398 million bond measure passed with 66.28 percent or 27,585 votes in favor and 33.73 percent or 14,031 votes against.
“Thanks to community support for our bonds, we are excited to plan for the opening of new schools and to begin the boundary process to establish new attendance areas. With over 29,000 students and continued enrollment growth, we are very pleased to have a long-term, community-developed plan for Building on Success so we can continue to be a high-performing and successful school district,” LWSD Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce.
The bond will also rebuild Juanita High School in Kirkland and rebuild and enlarge Peter Kirk Elementary and Mead Elementary in Kirkland.
The boundary committee — which will be made up of the principals from each school and a team of district administrators — will provide a recommendation to Pierce so that boundaries can be set before registration for the 2018-19 school year. Pierce will make a final recommendation for school board action.
Reith said the district will keep students’ parents apprised during the process and parents will be able to provide feedback via in-person meetings and online surveys.
“We’re giving parents a heads up that the process is starting and will be coming to them for input,” she said. “We want to learn from families how the potential boundaries will affect them.”
To develop the recommendation, the committee will use: current and projected data, school site specific information, regional/geographic considerations, feeder pattern considerations, demographic considerations and stakeholder input.
Reith said that parents will receive an email by the end of January with a link to the boundary criteria survey. From then on, the district will provide information on its website, www.lwsd.org, and through email.
