It was a quiet morning inside of North Creek High School, outside it was anything but. A cement mixer rolled through the student parking lot as dozens of workers set the foundation in the campus’ in the chilly air.
The high school, north of downtown Bothell, was founded to relieve Bothell High School of overpopulated hallways as the district continued to grow. North Creek itself now sits at a population of around 2,000. As student population at North Creek continues to grow, administration has been faced with the inevitable; adding new classrooms to a school that has only been around for seven years.
At the end of the 2022-23 school year, prior to the beginning of summer, the Northshore School District began the expansion of the campus working with Pacific Modular to install new classrooms squeezed between the second and third buildings in the middle of the campus. Referred to as the “modular building” many wondered if this new structure was a temporary classroom or if it was a permanent structure. As the year went on, it became clear that this building was here to stay.
The classrooms were supposed to be completed by the start of the 2023-24 school year when plans first developed, but the inability to finalize a plan with Pacific Modular in time has caused the opening to be pushed back to the second half of the school year. Many teachers are without classrooms, as new teachers were hired over the summer and some returning teachers picked up a higher course load. Overall, more classes are being taught at North Creek than ever before.
Matthew Edgar, an economics teacher and baseball coach for North Creek has also been challenged by the lack of teaching space, often seen pushing a cart with his supplies as he moves between classrooms. This year he has even taught in a science classroom.
Edgar describes the difficulties with constantly moving classrooms. “It can make it challenging, it’s tough when you have to navigate room to room every single period,” he said. Edgar is most looking forward to not having to move around campus all day, having his supplies in one central location and finally being able to decorate his classroom like he used to. As currently planned, Edgar will permanently teach in one of the four classrooms within the modular building.
After bringing in a crane to lower the small classrooms onto the foundation, Pacific Modular has left the site and now the majority of the work to finish the modular classrooms is centered around heating, plumbing and electrical setup.
Estimates now have the classrooms set to open after winter break and by the start of second semester at the latest. This will allow staff the opportunity to move supplies and prepare the building for school in the future.
