LWSD approves expansion at Eastlake High School
Every day at Eastlake High School (EHS), students resort to eating lunch on hallway floors. With nearly 25% of all LWSD high school students attending this one school, EHS students often feel the effects of overpopulation, including congested hallways, cramped lunchroom space, and heavy traffic before and after school. As part of a measure aimed at addressing these concerns, on April 15, 2024, LWSD approved redirecting levy funds to add additional capacity to both EHS and Redmond High School.
For EHS, the goal is to increase capacity by 300 students. One proposal would add 10-11 classrooms, modify existing commons and hallway space for reduced congestion, and expand the football field entry gate to increase the flow of athletics traffic.
“It can be difficult to get from point A to Point B sometimes because of the sheer size of the student body,” EHS student Batul Siddiqui, 16, said in an interview with the Sammamish Independent.
LWSD determined that modifying existing schools will be less expensive than their original plan to build a new choice school in Sammamish.
The choice school would have been built on what is known as Site 59, located across the street from Metropolitan Market, near Eastside Catholic High School. However, unexpected costs and permitting delays would have put the choice school $14-$15 million over budget and at least a year behind schedule. Furthermore, the district’s outreach efforts found no clear preference for a choice school focus.
“We need to look at the cost and benefit of each proposal,” EHS Principal Todd Apple said in an interview with the Sammamish Independent.
“One challenge that we have is budget. Our goal right now is to come up with improvements that we want to see, and the budget team will come up with what we can afford,” Apple said.
Beyond increasing student capacity, more classrooms would allow EHS to offer more specialized course subjects. Currently, classroom limitations mean fewer course options.
According to Apple, the updates are expected to take two years, with work beginning this summer. Some items may be completed by fall, depending on budget and permitting.
While additional space will provide some welcome relief for students, it will not address existing traffic and transportation concerns.
“With the traffic, the time to travel to school every morning nearly triples. Even if I leave at 8:00 a.m., there is a chance I won’t make it to school on time,” EHS student Rashi Newaskar, 16, wrote in an email with the Sammamish Independent.
LWSD already struggles with bus driver shortages. While some high school students can drive, many of them still rely on the bus to get them to and from school.
However, Apple assures students and families that LWSD considers resolving transportation issues a top priority.
“Transportation has been a topic of discussion throughout our planning process. The district will continue to consider impacts and options as plans are finalized to address capacity challenges at EHS and RHS,” Apple said.
