Ocean Shores Elementary Tsunami Refuge Project Enters Bidding

A long-planned tsunami refuge project at Ocean Shores Elementary has reached the construction-bidding stage, giving North Beach School District a concrete milestone after years of planning and grant work.

The district updated its invitation to bid on July 21, 2026, for the Ocean Shores Elementary School Vertical Evacuation Structure. The notice confirms that the district is soliciting construction bids. It does not establish that a contractor has been selected or that construction has started.

What the project would provide

District bond materials describe a two-story classroom addition with eight new classrooms and a multi-use tsunami evacuation refuge at or above 50 feet in height. The elevated space is intended to provide a refuge option for students, staff and community members during a tsunami emergency.

The Ocean Shores project is part of the district’s broader Safety 4 Students construction-bond plan. District materials describe a 25-year, $110 million measure covering improvements at Ocean Shores Elementary, Pacific Beach Elementary and North Beach Middle/High School, including classroom additions and tsunami-refuge spaces.

Funding is identified, but bidding still comes first

North Beach School District meeting minutes from March 17, 2026, said the next phase of the Ocean Shores vertical-evacuation project was fully funded and moving into the bid phase. The minutes also record a School Seismic Phase 4 Construction grant of up to $8,178,000 for construction of the tsunami tower at Ocean Shores Elementary.

A Washington supplemental capital-budget document places the North Beach-Ocean Shores Vertical Evacuation Tower in the state’s 2025-27 School Seismic Safety Grant Program. That state grant is separate from the district’s voter-approved construction-bond program, which covers the broader school facilities plan.

The funding records explain why the district can now seek bids, but they do not mean a construction contract has been executed. The next steps are expected to include the bid deadline, review of proposals, contractor selection, contract execution and a construction schedule. The exact deadline and any pre-bid requirements should be confirmed in the district’s full solicitation documents.

Local coordination and public use

A city-district agreement provides additional context for how the refuge could serve Ocean Shores beyond normal school operations. The agreement addresses public use, evacuation drills, accessibility equipment, alternate access and future maintenance responsibilities. Those details will matter to residents who want to know when and how the facility could be used during an emergency.

What Ocean Shores residents should watch

Families and nearby residents should look for the district’s detailed bid documents, the eventual award decision and information about construction timing, school access and site impacts. Future public-use rules for the refuge will also matter because the space is intended to serve more than the school population during an emergency.

The project would add an elevated evacuation option at one Ocean Shores school, but it would not replace the need to follow official tsunami warnings and evacuation instructions. Until a contractor is selected and work begins, the project remains in the procurement phase.

Sources

• North Beach School District bid notice
• North Beach School District March 17 meeting minutes
• Washington School Seismic Safety Grant Program budget document