LAKE STEVENS — A yearlong construction project is expected to close the largest elementary school in Lake Stevens next fall, raising the question: Where do you put more than 770 students?
Sunnycrest Elementary School is scheduled to get a $12.5 million face lift beginning this summer.
In many school upgrade projects, students are able to remain on their campus during construction. In some instances, as has happened several times in the Edmonds School District over the years, entire schools move into vacant buildings at other schools.
Not so for Sunnycrest. The limited size of the site along with its sloping terrain and large enrollment means the district can’t simply make a temporary campus of portable classrooms on playfields, a strategy it is using at two of its other elementary schools during other construction projects this year.
The solution appears to be splitting up Sunnycrest students geographically for a year and having them attend Hillcrest and Mount Pilchuck elementary schools in the portables that are already set up. The district is also forming a committee to redraw boundaries to balance enrollments among four of its elementary schools.
“It’s not the perfect solution, but it’s the best solution we have,” said Arlene Hulten, a Lake Stevens School District spokeswoman.
Some parents are concerned.
“I think that they are trying to put too many people into too small a space,” said TJ McDermott, who has two children attending Hillcrest.
All of which raises safety issues, he said.
“There are a lot of valid concerns,” said Melanie Copeland, Hillcrest PTA president.
Hillcrest could swell to more than 900 students. Safety, parking for both staff and parents, and cramped space at recess are among the concerns parents have raised.
Parents from the affected schools can hear from district leaders at a PTA-sponsored meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cavelero Mid High School, 8220 24th St. SE, Everett.
“We are certainly listening to any ideas, what alternatives are there,” Hulten said.
Despite the challenges, Copeland she said kids are resilient and there are ways to make it work.
“We need to work as a team,” she said.
A stroll through Hillcrest Elementary finds 30 portables in tight rows atop a big chunk of playground. Fenced-off construction work on the old school building consumes more play space.
It took some adjustment to become a school of portables, but students are learning in their classrooms and next year will be the same in the new school and on the shared campus, said Hillcrest Principal Steve Burleigh.
“It will still be school,” Burleigh said. “In some ways, it will be kind of exciting.”
For instance, there could be opportunities for teachers and students from the two schools to collaborate, he said.
Sunnycrest Principal Tim Haines will be leading a school in locations a few miles apart and he knows parents and teachers have concerns. He tries to keep in mind what the new Sunnycrest will be like when construction is done and there will be a better learning space and greater technology.
“As we are faced with obviously some challenges, there are going to be some pretty neat changes that will happen at Sunnycrest,” Haines said.
The district also is pushing toward redrawing elementary school boundaries at Highland, Hillcrest, Mt. Pilchuck and Sunnycrest schools for next fall. Enrollment varies dramatically from 396 student at Mt. Pilchuck to 772 at Sunnycrest. Hillcrest has 570 and Highland 529 and the goal is to bring them into a closer balance.
The district is in the process of forming a boundary review committee that will begin work in January. Anyone interested in serving should contact Rob Manahan, a district director for teaching and learning, at 425-335-1624.
Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com.
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