At tonight’s monthly Evergreen Public Schools Board meeting, Board members authorized the replacement of a seventh elementary - Mill Plain - and proposed enhancements and expansion to the district's music and college and career technical (CCTE) programs as well as transportation infrastructure. The anticipated budget is projected to become available as part of the voter-approved 2018 Bond measure and is due to project cost-savings, acceleration of timelines, and competitive bidding on projects already completed and currently underway.
In 2018, Evergreen Public Schools voters passed a $695 million Bond measure intended to build, rebuild and substantially enhance ten schools and district facilities, plus provide capital improvements in nearly every other of the 27 school facilities. Now, as the final contracts are being awarded on the items outlined in the Bond package, the district appears to have saved enough in construction costs, and contained expected cost escalations, to expand the initial project list. In addition, historically low rates, competitive bidding in a COVID-restricted construction environment and the use of prototype elementary design, is allowing the district to add several more projects.
Mill Plain Elementary, originally built in 1952, and although upgraded with modern amenities over the years, is still the district’s oldest operating school building. With the prototype design already in use on six recently completed and/or under construction elementary schools, Mill Plain can be rebuilt on the same parcel of land located just north of Mill Plain Boulevard and NE 164th Avenue. As funds become available, construction could begin in 2022, with the new school ready for occupancy in September 2023.
Also, as potential savings continue to be realized on other projects currently underway, the district will use those funds to modernize and add space for College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE) classes at Evergreen High School, enhance music programs at Evergreen and Union High School, and upgrade the district’s overcrowded and outdated transportation facility.
“When we made the initial projections for the 2018 Bond measure, construction costs were rising rapidly, and there were fewer construction companies actively bidding on school projects. COVID-19 economic impacts allowed for greater competition for construction contractors and much lower cost escalation. For example, our last elementary school bid, Burton Elementary, was the lowest cost bid of our six constructed elementary schools. Coupled with our prototype approach-using the same basic design and floor plans for the six elementary schools in the Bond - we have been able to build smarter, faster and with substantial cost-savings,” said Superintendent Mike Merlino.
Even with the addition of the new projects, taxpayers will not see an increase in property taxes over what was voted on in 2018. “We will not collect additional property taxes to fund these new projects. Instead, we are adding these new projects at no additional cost, by using the cost savings realized to-date on the earlier projects,” said School Board President Victoria Bradford.
The 2018 Bond measure has already funded the following completed, and under construction, schools:
Emerald, Image and Sifton elementary schools-completed/opened Fall 2020
Ellsworth and Marrion elementary schools, Legacy High School, Hollingsworth (formerly 49th St) Academy, Transition Program and the Administrative Services Center-scheduled to open Summer/Fall 2021
Wy’east Middle School, Mountain View High School and Heritage High School addition/remodel -scheduled to open Fall 2022
Burton Elementary School - scheduled to open Fall 2023
As the proposed projects are added to the Bond project list, the school communities will be given more specific dates and scope of work, and updates will be added to the district’s web site: www.evergreenps.org/envision.