Mill Plain school set to be replaced earlier than expected

Evergreen Public Schools’ oldest operating school is now on the list to be fully replaced earlier than anticipated.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, directors authorized the replacement of Mill Plain Elementary, which sits at 400 S.E. 164th Ave.

The district cited cost-saving efforts in construction during COVID-19, accelerated timelines and the use of a prototype elementary design as part of its efforts to add Mill Plain Elementary and its project list from a voter-approved 2018 bond to build, rebuild and enhance several schools.

Other proposed building enhancements authorized Tuesday night include expanding the district’s music and college and career technical programs and its transportation infrastructure.

Mill Plain Elementary opened in 1952 and last was remodeled in 1999, said district spokeswoman Gail Spolar. The district plans to use a prototype design using the same floor plan and designs currently at six other replaced elementary buildings. Construction at Mill Plain could begin as soon as 2022, and open in fall 2023.

In 2018, Evergreen Public Schools voters passed a $695 million bond to build, rebuild and enhance 10 schools and district facilities, and provide capital improvements to 27 other schools.

The bond already has funded 12 projects recently completed or currently under construction, including Burton, Emerald, Image and Sifton, Ellsworth, and Marrion elementaries, Wy’east Middle School, Heritage, Legacy, and Mountain View high schools, Hollingworth Academy, and the district’s Administrative Services Center.

Related Stories