Mukilteo Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Dykeman Architects has been awarded the modernization projects for Challenger Elementary School and Horizon Elementary School in the Mukilteo School District.

The design of both school modernizations is set to begin in November 2020, with construction slated for June 2022, and completion in August 2023. Both schools will remain open and fully operational during these updates. The total project cost for both Challenger and Horizon is $30 million.

The Challenger Elementary modernization will include a replacement of the kitchen and music room, the conversion of the current gymnasium to a multi-purpose space and addition of a new gym that is properly sized for current and future enrollment. Additionally, some of the administration spaces will be renovated, and the covered play area will be replaced.

The Horizon Elementary project will include a renovation to the kitchen and music room, the conversion of the current gym to a multi-purpose area and the addition of a new gym properly sized for current and future enrollment, replacement of the covered play area, and the construction of new classrooms.

Both schools have seen a significant growth that the district addressed by the addition of portable classrooms. Challenger Elementary currently has 12 portables, and Horizon has 7. Each school also relies on their gymnasium space to accommodate physical education and serve as a cafeteria during lunch and breakfast. The projects will rectify this by adding multi-use areas, to allow the gym to be dedicated to instructional uses while providing overflow space when not in use as a cafeteria.

Both projects will also improve other support spaces, such as kitchens, music rooms, and play areas, and Horizon will add classrooms to support current and expected enrollment growth.  

The projects were made possible by the passage of a 2020 capital bond.