BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County’s largest school district could close some of its elementary schools in the face of declining enrollment.
Bellingham Public Schools says it’s projected to lose up to 1,000 students between 2018 and 2028 due to a drop in birth rates.
To adjust for the loss, the district says it could close at least one of its elementary schools, redraw attendance boundaries or postpone its plans to rebuild three elementary schools.
Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker tells My Bellingham Now the changes would have an effect on many schools throughout the district.
“We have a number of schools right now that have [seen] declining enrollment and they’re like ‘we don’t have as many kids, it’s harder to have enough staff to provide a robust program,'” Baker said. “So if we reduce the number of schools and re-boundary, then those schools get a little bit more full and have a more robust program, so it could impact numerous schools whether you’re shifting to a new school or you’re receiving kids from another school.”
Baker says it’s too early to tell which specific schools would be affected but says newer buildings would be more suitable to handle additional students.
The state funds its public school districts on a per-student basis, which means that a loss of 1,000 students would cause a significant drop in funding.
A task force group is currently reviewing the district’s finances and enrollment projections to make recommendations on how to consolidate the schools moving forward.
