WASHINGTON — Lake Washington School District is moving forward with a major expansion at Redmond High School, seeking contractors for a project designed to ease overcrowding at a campus that now enrolls nearly 1,900 students.

Bids are due April 7 for at least 16 contracts covering demolition, structural work, mechanical systems, and site improvements. The project is being managed by Absher Construction under a general contractor/construction manager arrangement, a delivery method the district has used to control costs and timelines during recent construction.

Redmond High, built in 1964 and renovated in the early 2000s, is operating near or above its design capacity. The expansion is part of a $2.07 billion bond measure voters approved in 2022, one of the largest school bonds in Washington history, to fund new schools and capacity additions across the district.

Lake Washington has been among the state's fastest-growing districts for over two decades, with enrollment climbing from 38,000 in 2000 to more than 54,000 today. Much of that growth has been concentrated in Redmond, home to Microsoft's headquarters and a major employment hub for the tech industry. Projections show continued enrollment increases through at least 2030, driven by ongoing residential development and tech-sector expansion.

The district is adding space at Redmond High rather than building an entirely new school, a faster and cheaper solution to demographic pressure that shows no sign of easing.

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for March 13 at the Redmond High campus. Contractors bidding on packages exceeding $300,000 must submit a 5% bid bond.