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District 52 seeks $23 million referendum to replace aging Lincoln Grade School
Summary
District 52 superintendent Pat Menacian and Lincoln Grade principal Heather Bowman told the Washington City Council a $23 million referendum would replace a 1949-built Lincoln Grade School, citing accessibility, asbestos and HVAC failures and a projected 2027 opening if voters approve the April 1 measure.
Pat Menacian, superintendent of District 52, and Heather Bowman, principal of Lincoln Grade School, presented a proposal to voters for a $23,000,000 referendum to replace the district’s aging Lincoln Grade School and consolidate students onto one campus adjacent to the middle school. The district is targeting an April 1 referendum and hopes a new building would open in 2027.
The presenters said the existing building dates to 1949 and has undergone multiple ad hoc additions; they described uneven heating and cooling, original steam heat in roughly 35% of the facility, widespread 9-by-9 asbestos floor tiles that remain intact but present future removal costs, narrow classrooms and circulation that hamper modern instructional models. “Since the beginning of the 22–23 fiscal year, District 52 has spent over $280,000 on HVAC, roof and door repairs alone,” Menacian told the council.
Heather Bowman walked the council through the site plan and programming. Planned features include separate car and bus circulation to reduce backup onto Main Street, a storm-shelter–capable gym required for new school construction, dedicated intervention and sensory spaces, larger kindergarten rooms (about 1,200 square feet), improved storage and staff collaboration rooms, and upgraded security with vestibules and double locking doors. Bowman said the new layout would reduce staff travel time between buildings and improve daily operational efficiency and student transitions.
On finance, district staff said selling 25‑year bonds for $23 million would raise the district tax-rate projection from about 2.97 to 3.46 (a staff projection), and they provided household impact examples: roughly $11/month for a $100,000 home, $25/month for a $200,000 home and $38/month for a $300,000 home under the bond scenario. The presenters noted alternate options if voters reject the referendum: health‑life‑safety nonreferendum bonds of roughly $11–$12 million with a 10‑year payback, or staged repairs that could cumulatively exceed $19 million over time.
The presentation included renderings, interior floor plans and a traffic‑flow diagram showing separate bus and car loops and additional parking; staff noted the project would re-use the middle‑school kitchen and connect the new LGS to the middle school cafeteria for food service efficiency. Menacian said the district has created a website with information and is offering tours and community nights so residents can see spaces and ask questions ahead of the vote.
Next steps: the district has community nights and sign‑up tours planned (staff cited March 13 as an upcoming event) and is preparing for the April 1 referendum; the district expects to return to the council for any necessary approvals tied to site and project coordination.
