Seattle Schools Taking On Two High-Profile AND High-Cost Capital Issues
The two issues I am speaking of are:
- the renovation of Rainier Beach High School
- the renovation of Memorial Stadium
Superintendent Brent Jones has been here to see these projects in their earliest beginnings. But will he be here when either project is done? In normal times, I'd say yes. But there are two issues that might see him beat a quick exit.
One is that, oddly, when Jones was offered the permanent superintendent job, he opted for a two-year contract, not three which is the usual. Why he did that is a mystery but my thought is to make it easier to jump ship if he got offered something better.
Two, Jones is gonna feel a LOT of heat soon from parents and school communities. Because yet another project that will start under his term is closure and consolidation of school communities. The district's Budget review document shows that they expect to gain $28M from closing buildings. It seems like they will focus mostly on elementaries but I suspect with their complete lack of support for Washington Middle School as well as Licton Springs K-8, those two might go as well. I believe the average elementary school budget is around $1.4M so that may mean more closures than we might have thought.
And, there are real costs involved in closing a building. I think parents should ask hard questions on ALL the possible issues around money and school closures.
Rainier Beach High School
Long on the BEX list, this school is finally getting its due. Here's the timeline for this project via SPS' webpage:
Timeline
- Predesign phase complete
- Schematic design phase complete
- Design development phase complete
- Construction documents/permitting phase in progress
- Bid and award phase complete
- Phased construction: April 2022-August 2026
- Phase 3 in progress
- Estimated move into western 70% of new building: Jan. 2025
- Phase 4 begins Jan. 2025
- Project complete 2026
This project will take longer than a normal rebuilt because students
and staff wanted to stay on campus rather than move off-site as is the
norm. They are keeping the relatively new theater.
From the recent Seattle Times article on the rebuild (which is quite a bit of cheerleading from the Times on the project):
With a $206.5 million construction budget, and an estimated total cost of $276.3 million, according to Seattle Public Schools, the high school project is bringing new jobs, new activity and a new look to the neighborhood with the potential to have positive impacts on thousands of lives for decades to come.
That is an insane cost. Roosevelt High School, renovated as a landmark building in 2004, cost just over $93M. So this project is just under three times that cost in less than 20 years. Garfield, whose renovation budget started at $78M and "ballooned" up to $100M (again, a landmarked building) opened in 2008.
I can tell you that regionally, other districts do - not - spend - this - kind - of - money. Why SPS manages to get the highest costs in the region is a mystery.
Project managers hope the new Rainier Beach High School will qualify for LEED Platinum status, the nation’s top level of certification for environmental sound and energy-efficient design.
President Brandon Hersey's statement from the article:
Seattle School Board President Brandon Hersey, a Rainier Beach resident, said he couldn’t be prouder of the collaboration and conscious decisions going into the project.
“Our kids deserve a high school that matches their brilliance and beauty, not only in the cultural sense, but also in the physical sense,” he said.
“Here we are today with ground broken on a project that is honestly going to make [Rainier Beach] one of the crown jewels of Seattle Public Schools,” Hersey said.
That "crown jewel" term has been used throughout the history of the BEX capital project as many high school were sited at the top of hills so that communities could easily see them.
Sadly, the Times did not bother to ask about the very low test scores at RBHS and what Hersey plans to do about that.
I am happy for RBHS but that is an enormous cost that means another project could not get done (and boy, I can raise my hand for Whitman or Washington or Eckstein).
To note, nearly all of the comprehensive high schools have been renovated. Ingraham has been done in a very piecemeal fashion over several BEX/BTAs so it is somewhat newish. Chief Sealth got a major facelift but the bulk of that project's dual cost went to Denny Middle School.
Memorial Stadium
I really worry about this project because:
- I don't believe either the City or the district are going to do any kind of true public engagement. The district is notoriously bad at this and I think how they handle school closures will give us clues.
- The bond between Superintendent Jones and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell spans decades. They don't just have a shared past; they are good friends. I honestly wish the Superintendent would make a statement on this, making clear that he is there to act in the best interests of the district, despite his friendship.
- SPS was somewhat under the gun by the City to provide some funding for this project. In the last BEX, there was $66.5M allotted. If I had to guess an overall cost, I'd say at least $300M. Because if RBHS is coming in at $276M just for a high school, what might it cost to create a multi-purpose stadium that will also aligned with the vision of what Seattle Center will look like?
- Private investors had until May 4th to submit bids. Only two did. One is Oak View Group (OVG) (they built the Climate Pledge Arena down the street from Memorial Stadium. The other is still unknown.
From IQ (a live music business website):
VG submitted a proposal under the name “One Roof Partnership” which is a nod to One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic arm of ice hockey team Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena.
Tod Leiweke, CEO of Seattle Kraken and brother to OVG CEO Tim, has been serving as the local point person on the proposal.
He would not say how much OVG would contribute if selected as the winning bidder but he told local press “If it happens, it will be the biggest commitment we’ve made to this community”.
If OV can secure this project, they will have a near monopoly on Seattle outdoor entertainment sites.
From the Seattle Times:
The city and SPS intend to release proposer names and proposal executive summaries by the end of next week but won’t release full proposals until a partner has been selected, they said.
Well, if there are only two, why can't the public view both the proposals?
A partner decision by Mayor Bruce Harrell and SPS Superintendent Brent Jones is tentatively planned for late May. The deal will need approval from the City Council and the Seattle School Board. There will be a community outreach process after that, the city and SPS said Thursday.
Tod Leiweke did mention Memorial Stadium’s history. The 12,000-seat venue was built in 1947 and dedicated to local students who died in World War II; a memorial wall was later added at the stadium with students’ names.
That is a HUGE fact mentioned. The stadium existed BEFORE the memorial wall. So isn't the entire thing a memorial? Hmm.
- Whoever the partner is, they can sell the naming rights as long as the word "memorial" is the name. How does that really honor the WWII soldiers?
- This all feels very fast-tracked to me. And I don't think it will slow down for any real reflection or input.
Comments
NE Parent2
Vanity.
Garfield's enrollment is listed at 1628, nearly double RBHS. It is hard to compare construction costs from 2008 ($100MM), but looking at cost per student, using 1628 and 100MM, cost per student was $61,425. RBHS ends up costing 5.5 times as much per student.
I tried to find the cost figures for Tyee and Evergreen High Schools in Highline. They are going to hold 1200 students. Along with a rebuild of Pacific Middle School, I think the cost for the three is in the %500 MM range. I think the high schools might be in the $180MM range. There are differences between all these schools of keeping kids on campus during construction vs moving to a temporary site, and it is tricky to compare costs for that reason, but it appears RBHS is a lot more expensive than comparable sized buildings in Highline.
I remember when the district built Eagle Staff and refused to include an auditorium, even though many other schools like Eckstein and Jane Addams both have them. Better an old auditorium than no auditorium. I believe that was a terrible decision.
I support giving the Rainier Beach kids the best science labs, library, computer labs, auditorium, classrooms, security systems, and other facilities as we can. And the District should capitalize as much of the ongoing maintenance cost through upfront upgrades as possible.
NE Parent 2 wrote that other schools like View Ridge and Eckstein also need updates. But the reality is the eighth graders at Eckstein this year had a week-long overnight trip. That is not true at many middle schools. Those same eighth graders had a week-long overnight trip when they were at View Ridge. That is not true for many elementary schools. Those schools may be old, but they are not failing. My kids went to two very old unrenovated schools, and those were their best years in SPS.
To the degree the Rainier Beach money is being spent on the kids instead of new administrators, pensions, and salary increases, I support it. To the degree it makes the community less resentful, I support it. To the degree it can help the students succeed and make them feel like the community cares, I support it.
Both are built on existing sites, to a capacity of 1200 when current enrollment is around 700 and 900. So, in the ballpark of RBHS.
Tyee cost: $189.7MM.
Evergreen (White Center) cost is $213MM
There's a lot that's hard to compare, but I think the RBHS is $60 to 80 MM more than the Highline Schools.
That you would bring up that some kids in a lousy building got a trip so therefore that trip means everything is great for that school community is astonishing. It plays right into Hampson/Rankin thinking that schools in the north are selfish and all their kids are gonna be alright.
-OMEP
Old timer
At Rainier Beach High School, 77% of students are low-income, with 90% failing math. In comparison, 11% of students at View Ridge are low-income, with only 22% failing math.
It's a no-brainer that the District should prioritize providing the best high school experience possible for kids at Rainier Beach over updating View Ridge and similar schools simply because the students at Rainier Beach are low-income and struggling academically.
NE Parent 2 expressed concern that, as a result, kids at Wedgwood, Eckstein, View Ridge, and other similar schools might be shortchanged. I don't agree, even though my own children attended one of those schools. Parents with means can invest in trips, clubs, after-school classes, and other enrichment activities for their children. I fully support and encourage that, including contributions to their own PTAs and weeklong overnight trips.
However, I also believe the District should provide scholarships and additional funding for low-income schools, so those students can have similar access and resources. Instead, the District seems to allocate money to administrators and raises it cannot afford, leaving insufficient funds to help the students who need it most. That's a real tragedy. If the District would simply let go of a few DEI specialists, I imagine they could fund numerous additional science field trips for low-income students.
I'm aware that the Rocket Club at Lincoln High School has access to a fantastic science lab with 3D printers. These are the kinds of resources that should be provided to Rainier High School, even if it requires extra funding. While they're at it, they should build a theater room, music practice rooms, study rooms, and everything else imaginable for those students. The situation at Eagle Staff, where they refused to build an auditorium because of some standard metric, was disgraceful. If the District is constructing more classroom space per student, a nicer athletic facility, a more elaborate art studio, and better science labs than those at Lakeside, then they might have gone too far. However, I doubt that's the case. Let's not force that community to raise money for a pottery kiln, musical instruments, and a greenhouse when those costs can be capitalized into the construction budget and not capped by the state.
Melissa, I genuinely appreciate your attention to where the money goes and all the other reporting you do. Please don't think otherwise.
Taxspend gone
Northener
The District, at a minimum, better include the same facilities as Lincoln High School with the same quality of finishes, along with a greenhouse-like at Ballard, any other special facilities and equipment they have at Roosevelt etc. Those are the bare minimum requirements, not only because it’s the right thing to do because over 75% of the students at Rainier Beach are low come, but because if they are not provided, the north end will be hearing about it for years.
This is Seattle. It’s not going to be cheap.
Sorry, Eckstein, I didn't mean to misrepresent what those students received. And I don't resent it, and am glad they had those opportunities. I had those opportunities when I was a kid in public school, and it's a sad fact many students no longer do.
I think most north end kids would give up a career and technical education lab for more humane class sizes…
Ask anyone with a sibling and they can tell you how inherently unfair life is.
I don’t have a clear answer, but will say it makes me feel sad and discouraged to see the SPS families somehow pitted against each for obtaining dwindling resources. If north end families flee the schools, it’s not great for the district and no one’s going to argue about helping the kids who need an extra heap of educational justice.
Would be great to see some school board candidates that are uniting and campaign on some Obama ‘Yes we can!’ messaging…
SPS Parent
What the District is thinking with regard to enrollment at Lincoln is not clear. As far as I can tell, the numbers are exploding. But then, let's remember what happened with HCC before; the numbers exploded because the District got rid of Spectrum. I know a number of kids going to Lincoln next year that do not live in the attendance area, including kids that previously were not planning to go there. When the District opened Lincoln, it wanted to end the high school HCC pathway, and perhaps some staff members still have that as the plan. Or perhaps the staff are just happy to pack those Lincoln kids in like sardines so they have more money to hire administrators and DEI staff downtown. Or perhaps both.
Regardless, salaries and construction costs come out of different budgets. Seattle voters can't directly vote to raise taxes to lower class sizes. On the other hand, Seattle Voters can vote to raise taxes to build a comparable high school to Lincoln for Rainier Beach.
Just because the cost is high for the new high school doesn't mean it's wasted money like many of the countless staff members that don't actually spend every day in a school. The building will be there long after the current leadership and students are gone. The District has to build something at a minimum equal to Lincoln, and my perception is that Lincoln is a high standard.
$130M for Lincoln vs $276M for Rainier Beach.
-Numb3rs
Remodeling vs. New Construction
When Lincoln was originally built they included High ceilings and big windows and a large library and auditoriums and multiple gyms etc etc. When they remodeled it they remodeled these facilities plus included the things I listed in a previous post.
Rainier Beach is a new building.
It should be no surprise that to build a new building to Lincoln standards is costing more than remodeling an old one. And if anybody is proposing we should build something less than Lincoln standards because Lincoln already existed, they would be best to remember Seattle's history.
I'm sure if the district builds a new school that includes things like a combined cafeteria and auditorium like they built at Eagle Staff, they can build it for cheaper, but that's not what the kids at Lincoln have.
Only 12% of the kids at Lincoln are low income. Over 75% of the kids at Rainier Beach are low income. The Rainier Beach kids should have a facility as nice as Lincoln with community rooms and club rooms and 3D printers and science labs and everything else Seattle can provide them to help them succeed. And it shouldn't be left to the community to then go raise funds by selling cookies at bake sales to fit it out once it's built.
Is the district wasting money? Sure the district is good at wasting money. Many needless administrators and staff I would argue in the central office are a complete waste of money because they don't help students in overburdened classes.
But comparing a new building to a remodel, comparing costs to buildings that very likely don't meet minimum requirements based on what Seattle has elsewhere, and arguing that there are other uses for the money, are not proof that the district is wasting money.
It would rather be helpful if someone could provide specific examples from the design proposal on what should be cut because it is a waste of money.
Lincoln did NOT get a full remodel; I was remiss in not including them in with Ingraham and Chief Sealth. Their building still has issues.
I don't know what this means:
"And it shouldn't be left to the community to then go raise funds by selling cookies at bake sales to fit it out once it's built."
All the high schools have science labs; Ballard probably has more because it has a bio-tech program. Should RBHS be as nice as the others? Yes and it will be. But the high schools don't all the EXACTLY the same things because of their programming.
Also, you should ask Capital; it can cost a lot more to remodel a standing old building than tear it down and build new.
To overspend to build a single new building when there are other buildings still waiting seems unfair. And many of those buildings house low-income students.
"It would rather be helpful if someone could provide specific examples from the design proposal on what should be cut because it is a waste of money."
The district doesn't share the design; you'd have to go thru public disclosure to do that. Be my guest.