Lake Stevens residents got their first look Friday at plans for a new Glenwood Elementary School, a $70.7 million project scheduled to begin construction in June 2027. The district released three-dimensional renderings of the replacement building, which is expected to be ready for the 2028-29 school year.
The designs appeared on the Lake Stevens School District website after the district submitted ecological permitting documents to the state Department of Ecology on Oct. 27. Robb Stanton, executive director of school planning and construction, described the filing in a Thursday interview as a significant step involving environmental protections, safe construction practices and permission from agencies overseeing the work.
A protected wetland beside Glenwood limits where construction can take place, requiring the district to keep the replacement within the existing school’s footprint. The solution is a three-story building. Stanton said building upward on smaller sites provides more room for learning, recreation, parking and student pickup and drop-off. Plans call for 26 learning spaces with capacity for more than 650 students. Glenwood currently serves about 640.
The proposed campus includes a bus loop, something the current school does not have, and a separate area for student drop-off. Renderings place a turf field and play area in front of the building, with the school positioned beside the wetlands. Stanton said that location would support science and nature activities as well as provide views.
Gina Anderson, chief of innovation, compliance and school support operations, said classrooms would overlook the glen and an outdoor classroom would provide access to it. Stanton said locating recreation areas at the front would improve public access. District spokesperson Jayme Taylor said the campus would have a secure perimeter fence, with electronic pedestrian gates allowing access after school hours.
Voters approved a capital improvement bond in February 2025 to pay for construction, and the district website lists $12.3 million in state funding for Glenwood. District enrollment is increasing by 50 to 100 students annually. The bond also supports Elementary School No. 8, now being built across from Stevens Creek Elementary as the district’s first three-story school, with capacity for about 750 students.
Other bond projects include a specialized learning center for secondary students, a replacement Skyline Elementary expected to open in midwinter 2027, an expansion at Lake Stevens Middle School and a gymnasium at Hillcrest Elementary. Smaller projects are also included.
Elementary School No. 8 will initially provide temporary space during other construction projects. Taylor said Glenwood students would attend the new building during the 2027-28 school year before returning to their rebuilt campus in 2028. Lake Stevens Middle School students would then use Elementary School No. 8 during renovations in 2028-29.
Taylor said a school board-led community process to redraw attendance boundaries would determine which students and staff would ultimately be assigned to Elementary School No. 8. By its third year, the school would have its own name, mascot and branding.
