Frequently Asked Questions

The previous play areas included spaces that weren't designed for play, such as the east parking lot and the area near the wetlands. These areas presented some safety concerns and were not compatible with our goals to protect the local environment and create a more accessible play space for everyone.

Based on extensive feedback from our students and staff, we learned that the large, spread-out areas made it difficult for students to find and connect with each other. It also presented a challenge for our staff to effectively supervise all students during recess.

The modernization project centralizes the play area into a more defined and manageable space. This allows our staff to better supervise students and encourages more interactive play, which in turn helps foster a stronger sense of community and connection among our students.

Sensory and Imaginative Play: The playground includes a variety of textures and activities to engage the senses. Students can scramble on rocks, play musical instruments, and feel the turf mounds and hillside. There are also specific areas designed for cooperative and imaginative play.

Physical and Active Play: For physical development, the new space offers numerous options. There is a "big toy" with features for climbing and sliding, a spider web for hanging, and specific running lanes that connect the play areas to the field.

Social and Cooperative Play: The design encourages interaction through cooperative elements like the rocker and swing, which can accommodate multiple students at once. The new communication board is also a key feature, supporting non-verbal students and promoting inclusive social interaction.

Play Options: The new design provides a range of choices for students. In addition to the structured play zones, there is a large, covered play area for ball play. Seating is also available for students who prefer quieter activities. The backstop at the sand field has been improved to enhance safety and access. The new grass field will also be ready for use around mid-November 2025, providing a versatile space for running and other activities.

In addition to the play area features identified above, accessibility was integrated into the design of the interior campus circulation. From every corner of the campus, there are accessible paths within the secure boundary that lead to all play areas, including the sand field.

As of late September 2025, the grass field will be growing and establishing roots until mid-November 2025. We intentionally waited for cooler temperatures and more suitable weather conditions to seed the grass, as planting during the mid-summer heat would not have been successful.

The final design of the playground was guided by several key pre-construction challenges and strict site constraints:

• Before construction, the existing play structures were located within a wetland and its buffer, leading to frequent flooding and the closure of play areas during the rainy season. The old playground was also not accessible to all students. 
• In addition, students reported that the play area was so large they had trouble finding their friends, and its scattered layout created significant supervision challenges for staff during recess. The shared space between the old playground and the parking lot created a hazardous environment, especially during deliveries.

To address these issues, the project team had to work within several strict limitations to meet current city code requirements. The campus's environmentally sensitive location meant that the surrounding wetlands and their buffers severely reduced the buildable space. The new construction isn't allowed to change the amount of water runoff to the wetland, so we had to carefully balance the ratio of pervious and impervious surfaces. The new play areas also had to be within a secure boundary and provide for ease of supervision.

We are working with our consultants to explore options that we are hoping to present to the school community in October 2025.

We explored adding the field renovation during the design phase. Due to various constraints (financial, environmental, permitting, schedule), the field renovation could not be incorporated to the 2022 bond project scope.  It is, however, on the list of projects for the 2026 bond.

The new design, created by the award-winning firm Mithun, was inspired by our campus's surrounding natural environment, featuring vibrant greens and natural tones. This aesthetic intentionally highlights the school colors and provides a flexible canvas for art installations such as murals or school mascots that are authentic to the school community.

A key goal of this project was to extend the life of our existing school buildings within the available budget. The buildings' materials, primarily wood and stucco, require regular painting and maintenance to stay protected. The decision to fully refresh these areas, including those with existing murals, was made jointly with school leadership to ensure the long-term preservation and cohesive appearance of the campus.

We recognized the value of the existing art and made sure to document it all through photographs. We are currently developing a plan to digitally exhibit this art as a way to honor our school's history and creativity.

We plan to engage our school community in choosing the location of yet-to-be-determined art installations and provide support for the creation of artwork that is meaningful to the Kenmore community.

Yes, we have sufficient parking during regular school hours. The new parking lot exceeds all regulatory requirements and meets the typical daily use demand observed at Kenmore Elementary.

Right-of-Way (ROW) improvements are upgrades made to a property's frontage, specifically to the adjacent public roadway, to meet a city's road standards. These are mandated requirements for developers to receive permit approval. For the Kenmore project, the required ROW improvements include sidewalk installation and the creation of a cul-de-sac at the end of the street.

The new design features a separate bus loop and car drop-off and pick-up area. This separation was crucial to the safety of the on-site traffic circulation, as it eliminated the need for buses to drive in the oncoming traffic lane at a blind corner, reduced pedestrian crossings to one marked location, and provided more space for cars to queue during pick-up without spilling onto adjacent neighborhood streets.

The streamlined traffic flow also has several operational benefits. It has significantly reduced the staff time needed to manage traffic, allowing them to focus on other critical duties, including instruction. It also improved sightlines from the front office, making it easier for staff to monitor who is on campus and giving staff better sightlines to kids getting in and out of cars. The dedicated bus loop provides a safe area for buses to maneuver, preventing students from darting between parked buses and ensuring a smoother flow during peak hours. Overall, the project created a more efficient and safer environment for students, staff, and neighbors.

Yes, there is. The design was created by professional civil engineers and reviewed with our transportation, maintenance, food service, and warehouse teams. We also successfully performed test drives of the new campus layout before the school year to confirm its functionality.

The modernization project has dramatically improved campus safety by implementing multiple layers of security, beginning with the new admin/common building. By relocating the main office to a central, highly visible location and installing new security fencing, we have created a campus secure boundary that allows front desk staff to better monitor visitors and control access to the campus. 

Building a commons, or cafeteria, is part of Northshore’s current design standards in elementary schools. Removing students from the classroom areas during lunch provides our students with a location for students to build social skills and friendships.  It also eases impact on our facilities by removing food from classrooms, and consolidates the supervision of lunch breaks.

The new construction includes AC because it was built to the district's current standards, which require both heating and cooling in all new buildings. The existing parts of this school, along with the other older buildings in the district, were constructed before these standards were in place. All students will benefit from the climate controlled space during lunch and other school activities that will take place in the multipurpose room.

The old administration building (Building 100) has been repurposed to better serve the school’s needs. The former front office is now a Student Learning Support Resource Center, providing a central location for Instructional Support Staff (who were previously in portable I). Previous admin offices and conference room are now housing the school psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist staff, Student Technology Support staff and a resource library. The rest of the building was renovated into flexible spaces that will be used for small group instructions, collaboration, and testing. The library, activity room, and staff lounge remain in their original locations.

With the recent changes, the bathrooms in the 20 and 30 wings are now accessible from the interior hall. Previously, teachers had to take students outside and around the building to use the restroom. This new, more direct route provides two main benefits: 

• It saves valuable instructional time because students can now get to and from the bathroom more quickly. 
• It improves supervision, as teachers can more easily monitor students and maintain a safer, more secure environment.

The old kitchen space was partially demolished to be turned into a covered outdoor area, and the remaining space was improved into the OT/PT space.

The Kenmore Elementary community had multiple opportunities to be informed and provide input on the modernization project, going beyond just the playground. These opportunities included various open houses, ongoing monthly discussions, and consistent digital communication.

Open Houses and Public Events

Several events were held to introduce the project and gather community feedback at key stages.

• Project Introduction (March 2023): We hosted both a virtual and in-person open house to introduce the entire project and gather initial input. We promoted these events through the project website, ParentSquare, and fliers posted throughout the community and school. We also provided a Spanish interpreter at both events to ensure accessibility.
• Pre-construction Check-in (June 2024): A second in-person open house was held to present the overall design plans and information about the upcoming construction. The event happened before the school year ended to make sure parents are able to attend. Invitations posted on the project website, and postcards were sent to the entire school community and neighbors within a one-mile radius, and our construction team personally visited over 60 nearby homes to invite residents.
• Groundbreaking Ceremony (October 2024): The community was invited to a groundbreaking ceremony to see the finalized design plans and celebrate the beginning of construction.

Ongoing Communication and Input

Throughout the project's duration, we maintained continuous channels for the community to stay informed and provide feedback.

• Monthly "Construction Conversations": We scheduled regular monthly discussions to give the community a consistent opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. A majority of these meetings were scheduled for 4:15 p.m., a time chosen to make it convenient for parents to attend after school pickup. We also offered a Zoom option to make the sessions more accessible. Our team also attended one of the PTA meetings directly when a scheduling conflict arose to answer questions. Our full schedule for these conversations was also published in our monthly construction newsletters that were emailed to subscribers and posted on the project website.
• Construction Newsletter and Website: Since July 2024, we've published a monthly newsletter to keep the community updated on the project's progress. Our dedicated project website also provides continuous project updates, along with information on our project goals, description, timeline, and overall site plan. Both the newsletter and website feature a clear "Connect with Us" section, making it easy for the community to submit questions directly to the project team.