Lake Washington School District Buys 25 Acres For 'Future Growth'

REDMOND, WA — Washington's second-largest school district closed a $40 million real estate deal this week, securing 25.46 acres in Southeast Redmond as it looks to make room for even more students in the years to come.

Lake Washington School District announced the purchase of "Park 188" Wednesday, a large piece of land situated north of Sportsman Park and west of Evans Creek, along 188th Avenue Northeast.

District officials said the unusually large lot is well suited to serve more students, sitting adjacent to a growing neighborhood and close to trail systems, parks and future light rail stations.

"The purchase of this property is [a] unique opportunity to plan for the future needs of Lake Washington School District," said Dr. Jon Holmen, LWSD's superintendent. "It is rare to find a property of this size within the Urban Growth Boundary, and the potential uses will greatly benefit our students, families and the community."

Right now, more than 30,000 students are enrolled in Lake Washington's 56 schools, which serve Eastside families across 76 square miles, including Redmond, Kirkland and half of Sammamish.

The district estimates enrollment has grown by 31 percent since 2008 and projects another 11 percent, adding 3,450 students, over the next decade. Meanwhile, most schools are already at or beyond capacity.

"The communities within the LWSD, such as Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish anticipate developing over 16,000 housing units in the next ten years," the district wrote Wednesday. "Local large technology companies in the area, including Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Google, continue to grow within the community."

The district has not disclosed specific plans for what it will build on the lot, but said a future bond or levy would be needed to fund "the construction of educational facilities on this property." The $40 million property purchase was funded in part from leftover cash from a 2016 bond.