Arlington Public Schools is investing capital levy funds in two campuses this summer. Capital projects occurring this summer are the Presidents Elementary Envelope Improvement project and the Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center Campus Improvements. Both projects kicked off on June 18 and are scheduled for substantial completion by Aug. 30, 2025.
A building envelope is a term that describes the exterior surfaces of a building, from the roof to the walls and all the way to the foundation. Last summer, building envelope improvements were made at Pioneer Elementary and this summer it's Presidents Elementary’s turn. Work associated with the project includes: replacing the building roofing system; repainting the building’s exterior walls, exterior doors, and exposed structural steel; replacing failed windows; and applying sealant and anti-graffiti coating on exterior masonry surfaces
The project will also include expanding the building’s cold storage capacity that’s part of the kitchen. The Presidents kitchen serves as a central production facility, providing meal services to all elementary schools in the district. Student participation in meal programs has grown substantially due to additional state funding which pays for all meals in elementary schools regardless of a student’s free and reduced meal status. Currently, Kent Prairie, Presidents, and Eagle Creek students receive no cost meals; Pioneer Elementary will begin participation in the no cost meal program in the 2025-26 school year.
“As we’ve added more meals, we’ve experienced greater utilization of refrigerated and frozen cold storage spaces at the central kitchen, so much so that there is no remaining space to meet daily production needs,” said Brian Lewis, Executive Director of Operations. “Construction work at Presidents this summer will result in a larger cold storage facility at the school to meet current and future needs for freezer and refrigerated space.”
The Presidents Elementary Envelope Improvement project is funded by the 2020 Capital Levy, approved by voters in February 2020.
The Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center (SVLC) campus houses a wide range of programs including the SVLC Parent Partnership program, the Arlington Online Program (AOP), and the APPLE/ECEAP early learning program. The campus serves 300 students daily. This project, the first in the district funded by the 2024 Capital Levy approved by voters in February 2024, includes the following work at SVLC: replace rotted or damaged siding on portable buildings; repaint all portables; remove all exterior wood ramps and stairs and replace with long lasting, low maintenance aluminum ramps and stairs; replace all exterior heat pumps with high efficiency heat pumps for heating, cooling, and ventilation on all buildings; replace several exterior metal doors that are no longer serviceable; full interior demolition and rebuild of campus portable toilet building, replace interior flooring, wall coverings, fixtures (sinks, toilets, and partitions) and ceiling; reroof four portable buildings; and remodel SVLC’s family room to provide an additional classroom.
“We greatly appreciate the Arlington community’s support of the capital levies that provide funding for these improvements and benefit all students, staff and the community through investments in public facilities,” said Lewis.
The goals of the district’s capital program are to: provide adequate, functional building capacity that supports student achievement in a fiscally responsible manner; promote and protect safety and security; improve efficiency in utilities and staffing utilization; and extend the useful life of existing buildings and facilities as appropriate.