It's an Orange-and-Blue Kind of Party as Lakes Celebrates Grand Opening

As far as housewarmings go, this one was big.

After all, it isn’t every day that the Clover Park School District celebrates the grand opening of a 170,687-square-foot high school.

Superintendent Debbie LeBeau summed up the feeling in one word: “Amazing.”

“It’s wonderful to see the culmination of truly, years, of planning to see this whole project come together,” she said.

The new was built largely due to a $65 million school construction bond approved by Lakewood voters in February 2006 – and those closely tied to the project were grateful.

“All of you gave us this amazing home,” said Lakes Principal Karen Mauer-Smith in remarks to the crowd gathered outside the new school Thursday evening. “Thank you again for your belief in our kids and generosity of spirit.”

Lakewood Mayor Doug Richardson said that he was proud of the community for passing the bonds.

“The reputation of our community is inexplicably linked between the school district and the community itself,” he said. “The fact that this building is here this (evening) is a testimony to this community.

“People were willing to pass the bond measures to bring this school district’s schools into the 21^st Century to provide the absolute best  education possible for the children who have earned it.”

In addition to a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring district officials and school board members both past and present, attendees at Thursday’s
event toured the new campus, met members of the school’s various groups and sports teams and sampled the Lakes Culinary Club’s apple mini-tarts.

LeBeau said that a poor economy actually benefitted the project because as bids came in lower, they were able to build more – including a new swimming pool and auxiliary gym. CPSD also qualified for additional State Construction Assistance funding, also known as state match.

In October 2006, a $70 million project was presented with a breakdown of a $55 million bond, $13 million in state match and $2 million in district funds.

By January 2010, the project budget had changed to $80.4 million with an increased contribution from the state. The state match of $23.05 million enabled the replacement of the school's auxiliary gym – originally slated to be modernized – and a performing-arts center.

“This school is actually a lot more beautiful and inclusive than originally planned,” LeBeau said in calling it an “evolutionary process.” She started out on the Lakes design team steering committee before becoming superintendent.

“We didn’t start out by saying we’re going to build a new Lakes High School and here’s what it’s going to look like. It was a design-as-you-go, and we didn’t know what it was going to look like at the end, so as it has come together, it has been beyond my wildest dreams.”

And the staff's and students’, too.

LeBeau said that both were patient with the process while working and attending school there, so “they appreciate what they have now.”

Mauer-Smith agreed. Prior to becoming Lakes’ principal in 2010, she was an assistant principal for three years.

“We really know what the phrase ‘to build a plane while you are flying it’ means, because that is exactly what we did,” she said. “We were living and working in the world of the old school while creating the new.”

Lakes student body president Margie Potoa’e was a freshman when the construction started. Now a senior, the days of long walks from the Guidance Office to the Main Office and chilly mornings in math class are just a memory.

“We were there for the end of the old, and now we are the class of the new,” she said of the Class of 2012. “I am happy and grateful to say thank you for replacing Lakes with this masterpiece.”