Bond Project Update: April 2022
Thank you, voters!
With Katherine G. Johnson Elementary now open, we wanted to provide you with updates on our next projects funded by the 2019 School Construction Bond.
Challenger High School Phase II (2022)
The second phase of Challenger High School’s renovation and expansion project is getting closer and closer to the finish line.
The 31,000-square foot project will add more classroom space, as well as more parking and a practice field. It is on track to open this fall.
Graham-Kapowsin High School Expansion (2023)
Construction on the Graham-Kapowsin High School expansion project is now underway!
The 33,000-square-foot expansion will add a classroom wing, a gym and weight room, along with administrative spaces and a larger commons.
New Naches Trail Elementary School (2023)
Naches Trail Elementary was originally slated to be a complete remodel and expansion, but a cost analysis determined it would actually be more expensive to modernize the current Naches Trail than it would be to build a new school.
Originally built in 1979, Naches Trail is one of our oldest elementaries. The student population has now outgrown the building and the 14 portable classrooms that are being used on campus.
By building a completely new school on adjacent property the district already owns, Naches Trail students won’t have to be relocated during the construction, which saves money, makes the build quicker, and is safer for students and teachers.
Crews are expected to break ground on the project later this year.
Elementary #19 (2024)
We’re getting closer and closer to finalizing a site for our nineteenth elementary school! The district and DR Horton are now in agreement on the language of the First Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the future site of the school, which will be located within the Rainier Ridge at Lipoma Communities.
New Bethel High School (2025)
The original timeline for opening the new Bethel High was September 2023. But changes to the Pierce County Stormwater regulations delayed the opening until 2025.
The updates to the Pierce County Stormwater Manual’s regulations have resulted in development standards that are different than when the District purchased the property in 2009.
But that hasn’t stopped the design work on the new school. Earlier this year the School Board approved a plan to build a memorial in honor of Casey Crate as part of the New Bethel High School campus. Plans show a plaza that would memorialize Crate and all the other graduates of the Bethel School District who lost their lives in combat activities in defense of our country.
Future Projects
2025
Evergreen Elementary Expansion
Elk Plain School of Choice Improvements
New Kitchens at Bethel Middle and Roy Elementary
2026
Cedarcrest Middle School Improvements
2028
Old Bethel High School Renovations
