New Evergreen High School groundbreaking sees big turnout
New Evergreen High School groundbreaking sees big turnout
Bond passed in 2022 authorizes $140 million out of $518 million total; New school will open in 2025
At the groundbreaking (from left to right) CFAC co-chairs Shane Stender and Omaha Sternberg, Yes for Highline co-chair Long Phan, Highline capital projects director Ellie Daneshnia, Evergreen principal Simón Iñiguez, EHS students Kalkidan, Kevin, Richard and Jeffrey; Highline chief operations officer Scott Logan, Highline superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran, Highline school board directors Azeb Hagos and Aaron Garcia Virgen
Photo by Patrick Robinson
Sat, 05/20/2023
The official groundbreaking for the complete reconstruction of Evergreen High School saw a very strong turnout of neighbors, construction company workers, Highline Public School officials, alumnae and the public on Friday May 19.
The original school was opened in 1955 and at 68 years was showing its age. It needed to be replaced. The plan from Highline Public Schools was to float a bond levy for $518 million to pay not just for Evergreen's reconstruction but to do much more.
Rebuild Tyee High School (in SeaTac)
Rebuild Evergreen High School
Rebuild Pacific Middle School
Repair and improve schools districtwide
The bond got a 68% yes vote in November of 2022 and the plans were set. The construction cost for Evergreen was capped at $140 million but the actual cost remains to be determined by accepting sub contractor bids.
Previously in 2007, Evergreen was closed and replaced by three small high schools, which was part of a district-wide effort (originally funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) to increase student achievement levels. The three small schools were named: Technology, Engineering & Communications School (TEC), Health Sciences & Human Services High School (HS3), and Arts & Academics Academy (AAA). The experiment to break up large comprehensive high schools into smaller separate high schools did not work.
Beginning in the 2017–2018 school year, the small schools were disbanded and the campus was re-unified as Evergreen High School.
The site plan (100% schematic design phase), provided by Bassetti Architects, shows the new school will be constructed in the northeast corner of the existing site. The new facility will be two buildings connected by an enclosed bridge walkway. This design allows construction to span an existing sewer easement without disruption. The location allows students to continue attending school in the existing buildings during construction.
Once the new school opens in fall 2025, demolition of the old buildings will begin and construction of the new softball field (southwest corner) and baseball field (east of the new softball field) is expected to be completed by summer 2026.
Construction will include new tennis courts and a bus loop in the southeast corner of the site. The existing pool facility will remain in place and is not part of this school construction bond.
The existing synthetic turf football/soccer field and the track will remain in place as they are recent upgrades.
Two parking areas and a student drop-off lane will be incorporated to the west of the new school facility, with entrance and and exit lanes to SW 116th Street and 10th Avenue SW.