Operations update: capital projects, safety upgrades, transportation changes and Welcome Center ribbon-cutting announced

District operations leaders briefed the Bellevue School District Board of Directors on Sept. 18 about capital projects, safety and security upgrades, nutrition and technology preparations, transportation routing changes and the official Welcome Center launch.

Facilities and capital projects: Jack McLeod, executive director of facilities operations, reported that phase 3 of the Newport High School project is complete and that the final phase is in progress. He said work is underway on adding 40,000 square feet at the Big Picture program site (the former Eastgate campus), design work is in progress on an international school replacement and a master plan for an Interlake addition is planned over the next two years funded by the 2020 bond. McLeod said the district purchased two parcels south of the transition building and is developing a transition sensory garden. He also described maintenance work over the summer — deep cleaning, refurbishing science and PE kits, gym-floor refinishing, storm cleanup and mandated inspections and tests for fire and elevator equipment.

Renewable energy and EV charging: Facilities staff reported solar installations on roof areas at Interlake High School and said the district opened bids and has a contract in place to install electric-vehicle charging stations at two maintenance sites (EFC and WESK). The presentation noted the district is monitoring site security for new charging stations.

Safety and security: Director Douglas James said the district deployed an electronic visitor-management system (iLobby) districtwide, installed new entry signage directing visitors to check in, refreshed and replaced Narcan stock and AED pads where required, added bleeding-control kits to middle-school CTE shops and repaired and upgraded surveillance cameras at several sites. James said Narcan is placed in common spaces (not locked behind staff-only doors) and that instances of Narcan use in district sites have been rare. He also said the district conducts ongoing threat-assessment work and will return with a deeper safety-and-security presentation to the board in November.

Nutrition services: Wendy Wier, director of nutrition services, said the district received OSPI approval to operate no-cost breakfast and lunch at six schools during the summer program, that the district qualified over 3,800 students for free or reduced-price meals this school year (application process continues), and that Bellevue Lifespring and other donors helped clear unpaid meal debts for about 1,000 students over the summer. Wier highlighted menu additions and sustainability efforts, including plant-forward entrees as part of the district’s Lean and Green initiative.

Technology and devices: Executive director Angela Kristofferson said the technology department prepared and updated more than 10,000 student devices over the summer, upgraded integrations across district systems and produced training videos using a new tool to help staff and coaches quickly access guidance. The department also worked on volunteer-system improvements together with other departments.

Transportation: Director Don Dixon said bell-time changes allowed the district to limit cross-district routing and reduce in-district route miles; the district expects to cut route miles and reduce fuel use compared with the previous year. He said the district replaced routing software and launched a parent app and reported progress on Metro-related route changes; an electric school bus delivery is scheduled for March 2026.

Welcome Center and community partnerships: Ricardo Macias reported the Welcome Center will have an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 26. He said the Welcome Center has enrolled thousands of students this summer and summer months (the district reported 2,777 new enrollments and 1,126 enrollments between June and Aug. 29), hosts community partners and runs outreach including a “Welcome Center on Wheels” to appear at community events. Macias noted volunteer groups provided roughly 1,000 backpacks of supplies that were distributed with transportation and warehouse support.

Board members asked questions about EV-charging-site security, volunteer-background-check integration with the new visitor-management system, paddle-stop camera rollouts and how Narcan and life-safety supplies are stored and accessed. District leaders provided initial answers and said the board would receive written follow-up and additional detail in subsequent reports.