Washington Schools Wait on State Funding

LAUREL, Wash. — Construction of the new greenhouse at Meridian High School — the first phase of rebuilding the campus — has begun, with much of the project slated to begin in early 2011.

Last February, Meridian School District voters approved a $17 million bond measure to rebuild much of the Meridian High School campus and renovate and expand Irene Reither Primary School. Zervas Architect Group designed the plans for the high school’s rebuild, which are currently being reviewed. The Meridian School Board also wants to use Zervas to design the renovation plans for Irene Reither Primary.

The majority of the high school project will go out for construction bids in February and will be built in phases to accommodate ongoing classes. The project will be complete by the end of 2013.

However, in order for Meridian to finish both projects it will need state funding. Funding depends on how necessary a construction project is compared to others in the state. With the current state deficit, fewer projects will be funded over the next few years.

When Meridian began planning the $17 million high school rebuild, the state was expected to reimburse $12.6 million in July 2011, but that funding is now in doubt,

The district has enough money to pay almost all of the high school’s rebuild costs but will need state funds to renovate the primary school. That project has already been deemed eligible to receive state funding in the New Year and will likely go out to bid in 2012.

The Meridian School Board also submitted a proposal to renovate and rebuild Meridian Middle School. That project is dependent on the high school and primary school receiving state matching funds. District officials expect to learn this month whether the middle school is eligible for state funding.