District Headlines

Ronald School building status update

As planning continues for the modernization/replacement of Shorewood High School, the Shoreline School District has been gathering important facts regarding the Ronald School building. This information provides our community with the background necessary to consider a variety of options with respect to the future of the Ronald School building and its current tenant, the Shoreline Historical Museum. The District recognizes the value of the Museum in our community and encourages all stakeholders to share in the problem-solving around this issue.

• Legal: The District’s legal counsel, Rich Hill, determined that in order for the District to validly lease or sell the Ronald School to the Shoreline Historical Museum, it must comply with the relevant laws of Washington and declare the property surplus (no longer needed for school district purposes), provide appropriate notice and hearing provisions, and receive fair market rental value and/or purchase price.

Ronald School Legal Analysis (pdf)

• Safety: An engineering report/seismic evaluation performed by the firm of Coughlin Porter Lundeen, dated June 30, 2009, determined that the Ronald School Building does not meet thestructural requirements to be seismically safe. Based upon the condition of the building, engineering professionals estimate that a new high school structure would have to be set back from an unretrofitted Ronald School at least 45 feet on all sides.

Engineering Report on Ronald School (pdf)

• Fair Market Value: An appraisal performed by McKee & Schalka, dated August 15, 2009, on the Ronald School Building (16,500 square feet) with an allocated lot site of 19,500 square feet (15 foot setback) determined the current market value to be $1,560,000. Based upon this appraisal, fair market rent/lease for this building, in its current condition, is estimated at $171,000 per year or $10.36 per square foot.

Ronald School Appraisal (pdf)

• Relocation: Nickel Bros has provided an estimate, dated September 18, 2009, for the cost of moving the Ronald School Building to a nearby site. Nickel Bros determined the building could be moved at a cost of $1.4 million.

Estimate for relocation of Ronald School (pdf)

With all of this information available, the school district has a number of options available for the future of the Ronald School Building.

1) The District could declare the building and property surplus, which would require the School District to determine that the property is no longer needed for school district purposes. Unfortunately, it has been determined that in order to have a comprehensive high school with all of the necessary academic, performance, athletic and support facilities, while at the same time complying with the environmental requirements related to the site, the property is considered essential for the new Shorewood High School. Although the Ronald School Building itself is not needed for school purposes, the land beneath it is.

2) The District primarily needs the space rather than the building itself. Therefore, District legal counsel believes that it would be appropriate for the District to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) accepting proposals to move the building to another site. This option would allow the Shoreline Historical Museum to remain in the Ronald School building indefinitely, if land and relocation costs were secured by the City and/or other non-school district funding source.

3) The District could trade the Ronald School Building and site for another comparable parcel of property directly adjacent to the Shorewood site, which would allow for the required 45-foot setbacks from the Ronald School, the essential property for school facilities and the necessary environmental improvements.

4) The District could incorporate the Ronald School Building into the Shorewood design, retrofit and remodel it, respecting its original character and landmark status, and rent a portion of the building to the Shoreline Historical Museum for fair market rent. This option is reflected in the current architectural plans for Shorewood.

5) The Shoreline Historical Museum could relocate to another facility/building in the community and the Shorewood plans could incorporate the entire Ronald School Building into the high school design, respecting its original character and landmark status.

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