For years, Silver Lake Elementary in south Everett hasn’t been able to have all-school assemblies where the whole school fits at once. People coming to campus can easily avoid the front office, a security issue, and the gym and other buildings are aging and in need of repair.
These problems and more will be solved when the school gets a $8.8 million upgrade starting in July. Work is expected to be done by October 2008. The project is funded by the bond issue that passed in 2006 and is part of a larger district effort to modernize its buildings.
In the upgrade, Silver Lake will get a new gym/cafeteria building.
Currently, children eat lunch at an older building on the west side of campus.
“So when kids get done eating, they have to walk all the way through buildings where everybody else is still in session, so it’s very noisy,” said Teresa Burrell, office manager.
Students also walk north of the office buildings, which is less easy to supervise and less safe, she said.
Students attend physical education classes in a separate gym.
“There’s an old gym, a single building all by itself in the front parking lot separate from the rest of the building and it doesn’t function very well, it needs major upgrades,” said Mike Gunn, director of facilities and planning for the district.
The old gym will be demolished and the old cafeteria and kitchen will be remodeled for use as classrooms.
The project includes a full modernization of about 35,000 square feet of buildings and a partial modernization of about 7,700 square feet.
“It means we will take a very large portion of the school and totally renovate it up to current standards,” said Gunn.
That includes energy and technology standards.
A building lasts about 40 years before it needs a renovation, Gunn said. The upgrade at Silver Lake is part of a 40-year plan to renovate older district schools, all in the north end of the district except Silver Lake.
In the oldest schools, generally finishes are worn out, along with plumbing fixtures, the heating system and windows, Gunn said.
A few years ago, for example, Silver Lake’s boiler blew up. The district replaced it.
In addition, often the older schools aren’t suited to modern technology demands, for example, in its electrical outlets, Gunn said. The upgrade will address all those things.
The school also will get a fence that will prevent visitors from walking on campus without stopping by the main office.
“That is a major security issue in this day and age,” Burrell said.
Silver Lake has a long history. The original building was constructed in 1937. In 1958, the district bought a nearby church and converted it to classrooms in 1986.
Between 1959 and 1989, the school has undergone various remodeling and expansion projects, including a covered play area. Two years ago, the converted church building was removed. In its place is a new parking lot and entry to the school.
Burrell and others at the school are happy about the renovations to come.
“We’re thrilled overall, completely,” she said.
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