Work with us
We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD
LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:
- Bus drivers
- Instructional assistants (IAs)
- Paraeducators
- Custodians
- Substitutes
These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings.
Learning Focused
Results from Smarter Balanced Assessments will be available online on June 21
Each spring, Washington public school students in third through eighth grades and 10th grade are tested in English language arts (ELA) and math, with exams called Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Students in fifth grade, eighth grade and 11th grade are also tested in science, with an exam called the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS). This testing meets state and federal requirements.
Individual scores for the SBA exams administered this past spring for ELA and math are being delivered electronically from the testing vendor. Scores (level and scale score) will be added to Family Access on June 21. Full-page PDF reports with more scoring details will be available from OSPI in the fall, and these will be posted to Family Access at that time.
Only SBA ELA and math scores will be available in June. Science scores will not be available until the fall after OSPI releases those scores.
Directions to access SBA test scores beginning on June 21:
- To access Lake Washington School District’s Skyward portal, click on the Family Access link on the district website.
- Log in to Skyward Family Access with your username and password.*
- Click on the Test Scores tab.
*Parents who have forgotten their login or password can use the "Forgot your Login/Password?" link on the Skyward Family Access login page.
More information about state testing can be foundhere.
LWSD student receives National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships
More than 2,900 distinguished students recognized nationwide
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)announced this week that a Lake Washington School District (LWSD) student will receive a National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarship:
- Jackson C. Sutton,Redmond High School- National Merit Brigham Young University Scholarship
Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the Finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
Head Start Preschool in Lake Washington School District
Lake Washington School District offers Head Start Preschool for income-eligible families at Bell Elementary and Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Head Start preschool is a federally funded service for children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families that supports early learning, health, nutrition and family well-being. Head Start Preschool includes a 3.5-hour developmentally appropriate preschool with trained staff, two nutritional meals, health and developmental screenings, wrap-around family support services and transportation at no cost to eligible families.
Head Start preschool hours (2024-25)
AM class: 8:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. or
PM class: 12:10 - 3:40 p.m.
Head Start locations: A.G. Bell (for Kirkland residents) and Old Redmond Schoolhouse (for Redmond residents)
To apply for Head Start Preschool, parents/guardians must:
- Complete an application:
(English)preschool application|instructions
(Spanish)preschool application|instructions - Verify income as indicated on the application.
- Make sure the child is up to date onrequired immunizations.
Questions? Call the Head Start office at 425-936-1170, option 2.
Reminder: Registering a new student for 2024-25 - Please register by July 11
Please visit our registration pageif you have a new student that hasn't been registered yet. Our online enrollment system will be unavailable beginning midnight on July 11. The system will be back online at 8 a.m. on August 5. This downtime is needed as we update our student information system. Families that can't get their materials in by July 11 will need to wait to register until the system is back online on August 5.
District News
Student health plans, medications and immunization records
Lake Washington School District is committed to the health and wellness of our students. Each school has a registered nurse available to provide a range of services. At the beginning of each school year, nurses collect student health information to plan for needs during the school day. As we plan for the 2024-25 school year, we want to remind everyone of a few important health-related items.
Individual Health Plans & Medication Authorizations
If your student has a life-threatening health condition, the following requirements must be met before your student can attend school. You must supply:
- The required emergency medication to the school,
- Health care provider orders,
- An individual health plan, and
- Any necessary supplies on or before the first day of school.
These documents should be submitted directly to the School Nurse and NOT through FinalForms. Until these requirements are met, your student will not be able to attend school.
For more information, visit:https://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/health-services.
Immunizations
Immunization records must be turned in to the school on or before the first day of attendance. Your student cannot attend school until you provide these records.
Tdap:For the 2024-25 school year, all students attending grades 7 through 12 must have had one booster dose of Tdap vaccine. All seventh through eleventh-grade students must have received their Tdap vaccine dose on or after age 10 to be accepted for school entry. Students in twelfth grade must have received their Tdap dose on or after age seven to be accepted for school entry.
Medically Verified Records
Medically verified records include one or more of the following:
- A completedCertificate of Immunization Status (CIS)signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visitinghttps://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCIand clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.
- A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached.
- A CIS printed by a health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System.
- A CIS printed fromMyIRwhich is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go tohttps://myirmobile.com/to begin the sign-up process. LWSD is utilizing the Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS) School Module which requires parent consent for nurses to upload immunization records. Please sign the WAIIS consent form in Skyward Family Access to allow the School Nurse to manage your student’s immunization records.
For more information, visit:https://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/health-services/immunizations.
Questions about immunizations?Please contact your school nurse.
Sports Physicals Required for Middle School/High School Sports Participation
As a reminder, sports physicals are required to participate in middle and high school sports. High School sports seasons start in August, so it is important to have your paperwork on file in the school office before the start of the sports season. Health Care Provider offices in our area expect more appointment requests for physicals in August, so scheduling your appointment early is a good idea. For middle school students, sports begin in September. Families will receive messages fromFinalFormswith reminders about completing the required forms.
For more information, visit:https://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/athletics.
S-EBT or "SUN Bucks"
The federal government has authorized funding to provide eligible students with a new Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program called SUN Bucks. Starting this summer, the Department of Social and Health Services has partnered with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to distribute these benefits. Eligible families will receive a one-time payment of $120 per student in each household onto a new SUN Bucks card that will be mailed at the beginning of June.
This program continues a pandemic-era program that has distributed funds to eligible families since COVID. It received federal approval in April 2024. Students may be automatically eligible for SUN Bucks if they already participate in certain food-related programs like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP) and more. Families who are not already participating in these types of programs can apply for funding by submitting a Summer EBT application. Once the process opens, applications will be available in English and Spanish until August 31.
Learn more:Washington SUN Bucks Summer EBT Program | DSHS.
Lake Washington School Foundation
Uniting for Mental Health at Eastlake High School
Discover how Eastlake High School partnered with LWSF and EHS PTSA to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month with impactful events promoting wellbeing, reducing stigma and providing vital resources to students:https://www.lwsf.org/news/uniting-for-mental-health-at-eastlake-high-school/.
Reminder: Class of 2025 College Bootcamp | Find Your Fit event
Attention rising seniors! Don't miss this opportunity to prepare for college application season with expert guidance from independent college counselor Mary Pat O’Neil. Join LWSF for three informative in-person sessions on creating a balanced college list, completing the Common Application and writing a college essay.
Sessions will take place on the mornings of June 24, 26 and 28 at the LWSD Resource Center.
Details and registration:www.lwsf.org/our-work/find-your-fit.
Building Excellence
LWSD will include Building Excellence Construction Levy on November 5 ballot
Voters will consider a construction levy to replace four aging schools and update the fieldhouse and community pool at Juanita High School.
At the June 3, 2024, Board Meeting, the Lake Washington School District School Board approved a resolution to place a Building Excellence Capital Construction Levy on the November 5, 2024, ballot. The recommendation was introduced for discussion to the Board of Directors during their May 20, 2024, meeting.
“Our district is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities for students in schools that are safe, clean and healthy,” said Dr. Jon Holmen, Superintendent. “Every student deserves an exceptional education that prepares them for the 21st century. Funding from this levy would allow us to update our oldest facilities and provide a school that matches the excellence of our district and community.”
Funding from the construction levy would allow LWSD to address Phase 2 of the Building Excellence Plan to ensure every student in our district has equitable access to safe and modern learning environments. Projects will include:
- Rebuild and enlargeAlcott Elementary
- Rebuild and enlargeSmith Elementary
- Rebuild and enlargeKamiakin Middle School
- Rebuild and enlargeEvergreen Middle School
Upgrade and modernize thefieldhouse and community pool at Juanita High School
This levy will focus on aging facilities that are not fully meeting the needs of our students. The plan includes rebuilding and enlarging the four remaining schools that have not received upgrades or rebuilds since the start of the 1998 modernization program. This levy would provide funding for secure facilities with single entry points, up-to-date building systems and infrastructure, and other features to ensure students continue to learn in a safe environment that supports modern learning standards.
Community Investment
Collection on this levy will begin in 2026, generating an average of $112.8 million per year for six years. As past bonds and levies expire, the combined tax rate is projected to stay stable.
The board considered recommendations, received information and provided feedback in five study sessions between March 2023 and March 2024. The Facility Advisory Committee provided feedback on recommendations for future facility planning to accommodate our changing enrollment landscape and continue to provide learning environments that promote excellence for students. These projects have been developed with efficiency and effectiveness at the forefront.
You can view the School Board presentation here.
Watch a brief video from Dr. Holmen here:https://youtu.be/CzAswdtVsSo
See the project details athttps://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/facilities/construction/building-excellence-plan-projects.
Student & Staff Success
Redmond High School student wins state Doodle for Google contest
Mahee Chandrasekhar, a ninth grader atRedmond High School, has been named the Washington state winner in the 16th annual “Doodle for Google” contest. Her artwork is titled "Small but Mighty," and expresses her wish for the next 25 years - "to honor the smallest but mightiest of us all, the pollinators, who help make the world brighter."
The “Doodle for Google” contest is an annual competition that invites K-12 students across the United States to create their own version of the Google logo based on a theme. This year's theme was "My wish for the next 25 years," celebrating Google's 25th anniversary. The contest received tens of thousands of submissions from students who expressed their hopes and dreams for the future.
Read more about this on the LWSD website.
LWSD teams finish at the top of the leaderboard at state Science Olympiad
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) teams performed very well at the Washington Science Olympiad State Tournament. It was hosted at Central Washington University on Saturday, April 13.
LWSD teams made up three of the top five spots in the middle school competition (Division B). Two teams fromEvergreen Middle Schoolfinished in first and fifth place, while aTimberline Middle Schoolteam placed second.
In the high school division (Division C), the “Nikola” team fromTesla STEM High Schooltook home first place. The “Curie” team from Tesla STEM placed fifth.
Read more about this on the LWSD website.
