Oak Heights Elementary School
Oak Heights Elementary News
Oak Heights Construction Update
Construction at Oak Heights Elementary is progressing well, on schedule and on budget. Capital Projects is actively working on furniture procurement and successfully tested two pilot classrooms last year. As part of a community engagement effort, two large pieces of plywood were delivered to the interim school site for students to sign, and one was delivered to the Edmonds Services Center for staff signatures. These signed pieces will be installed in a visible mechanical space in the new building, serving as a legacy feature throughout the building’s life.
Area D framing is complete, skylights have been installed, and MEP rough-ins are 95% finished. Siding and masonry work are currently underway. In Area C, framing is nearly complete, roofing preparations have begun, and MEP trades have started their rough-ins. Area B has received structural steel, and framing on the east side is enabling the installation of key mechanical systems. In Area A, underground work and the slab pour are complete.
Sitewide, construction of the detention vault is in progress, utility work has begun on 18th Ave West, and geothermal well drilling is ongoing. Safety performance remains strong, with zero reported incidents to date, and on-site security continues to be effective. Final completion remains on track for May 26, 2026, ready to receive equipment and furniture, along with the staff, students and community in the summer of 2026.
Oak Heights Replacement has begun
Construction of the Oak Heights Elementary School Replacement has officially begun!
Over the summer, the school transitioned to the Former Alderwood Middle School, where it will remain for the next two years while the new facility takes shape. The construction site is alive with activity, as large machinery moves about, demolishing the old structure and grading for the new learning environment. Workers are making swift progress, with the foundations starting to take form.
We excitedly anticipate welcoming students to the brand-new Oak Heights Elementary in the 2026-2027 academic year.
Project Overview
It is with gratitude we thank our voters for approving our 2024 Capital Bond, which will fund the Edmonds School District Oak Heights Elementary School Replacement Project. The construction of the new facility replaces the existing 1967 Oak Heights Elementary School and is expected to start in the spring or summer of 2024. The new school will be built on the same site.
In February 2024, the District’s voters approved by 65.33 percent, a $594 million levy measure that specifically identified the replacement of Oak Heights Elementary School. For the duration of construction, students and staff will be located at the Former Alderwood Middle School.
The buildings at Oak Heights Elementary are functionally obsolete and past their useful life and lacking many of the affordances we expect to see to facilitate student learning.
The Oak Heights Elementary School design concept is based on the District-Wide Elementary School Educational Specifications that are currently in the process of being updated by the design team. The last version was updated in 2014, and since then, we have had a change in administration, a new strategic plan, and new codes to incorporate into the planning of the new facility.
The new Oak Heights facility will be about 84,000 square feet and is designed to continue to serve 620 elementary school students. The proposed replacement school is designed as a series of three separate buildings situated in the landscape deliberately spaced apart to allow the park-like site to run around and through it. Each building stretches lengthwise from east to west to optimize solar orientation for most spaces to achieve north and south daylight, which is more easily controlled. The buildings are connected via a central north-south circulation path, alternating between interior space, exterior covered walkways, and the main entry plaza. Much attention has been dedicated to safety and security, specifically around the principles of concentric rings of control: Deter, Detect, Delay. This is balanced with a focus around student learning and wellbeing.
A playfield is proposed in the northeast portion of the site. Bus access and staff parking will be accessed from 18th Avenue West and visitor, parent pick-up/drop-off and additional staff parking will be accessed via Oak Road.
We continue to involve the community, students, families, and educators in ongoing planning discussions, as we move from the design of the new school to permit documents.
Aerial Photos of New Construction
Demolition of The Existing Oak Heights Elementary
