Weve got to go with how can we keep the most certificated and classified staff?. Inslee: Install speed-enforcement cameras on WA highways. BELLEVUE, Wash. The last chance for the public to comment on the Bellevue School District's elementary school closure plan is Thursday evening. I became too quickly focused on the need for our school to stay open because I felt I needed to protect our students and prepare the best rationale for us to remain open to present to the closure committee. Beginning in the fall, students from Wilburton will attend Clyde Hill and Enatai and students from Eastgate will attend Spiritridge. 5. "As a system, we faced the impossible choice of . A series of sessions and open houses for the community will be held over the upcoming month. Live Feed . We also felt confused about the criteria that were being used to make the decision. every single school board member should be removed due to absolute incompetence. After meeting today, the Bellevue School District has chosen Ardmore, Eastgate, and Wilburton elementary schools as the three that it is recommending be consolidated with other schools. Bellevue School District proposes consolidating several elementary schools amid low enrollment By KIRO 7 News Staff January 13, 2023 at 6:35 pm PST NOW PLAYING ABOVE VIDEO: Some Bellevue. A final consolidation plan will need to be approved by the . In November, we shared the BSD Demographic and Enrollment Future Trends study which laid the foundation for understanding the varied factors that impacted the past and predict future levels of BSD enrollment. Downtown Bellevue Fitness Centers and Gyms, Bellevue Childrens Museum Presents KidsQuest Summer Nights with Animals, Science, & Live Music, Bellevue Towers Penthouse Back on Market after Additional $2M Reduction, Bellevue Collections Lincoln South Food Hall Reopens with New Restaurants, Final Beam Set & Signed on Top Floor of Luxury Condo Tower, MARI, Korean BBQ Restaurant, Seoul Bowl, Now Open in Bellevue. Parents are grappling with what deVita is saying. Paige Cornwell Seattle Times staff reporter The Bellevue School Board voted Thursday to approve the district's recommendations to move Eastgate and Wilburton elementary students to other. Principals of Bellevue Elementary School. As a part of this announcement, it was included that Ardmore would not be amongst the schools that are to be consolidated. Bellevue parents, students await district's decision on consolidating 3 Shes a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio. Other parents voiced their concerns in February. Public School Type. This K-6 school located in the west Bellevue area was also known for serving neuro-diverse and special needs students. Closing the two schools would provide approximately $6.2 million in savings, Jarvis said, which would save about 60 full-time staff from layoffs. The approximately 82,000-square-foot building cost $49 million to construct. The proposal will consider shifts to consolidate three of the seven elementary schools identified below to stabilize elementary enrollment. It is projected to continue declining for the next ten years. The schools that were up for discussion included Ardmore, Eastgate, Enatai, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest, Woodridge, and Wilburton. Hans Anderson is a producer on KUOWs Soundside, where he covers a diverse range of topics from conflicts over how to use busy streets to how the open spaces of the Palouse inspire modern musical compositions. Bellevue School District proposes consolidating several elementary There was no resistance because we trusted him. Sheri Y: Three things: One, the principals style was very supportive and welcoming. 260 | fax: 563.872.3216, Preschool + Elementary100 South 3rd Street, Bellevue, IA 52031563.872.4001 ext. In 1952, Clyde Hill Elementary was opened, making it the oldest elementary school. When they closed it, they couldnt do that anymore. In January 2022, the Bellevue School District Board of Directors announced that Dr. Kelly Aramaki was selected as the incoming superintendent, assuming the role in July 2023. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Example video title will go here for this video. Originally, seven elementary schools had been proposed as options for closure but in a final recommendation by Interim Superintendent Dr. Art Jarvis, two schools will close. Three of the School Boards five members voted yes and two abstained from Thursdays vote. "They're looking at data, but are they also looking at what it means for the community? After being established in 1942, the Overlake School District #405 was consolidated and renamed in 1952 as the Bellevue School District #405, approximately one year before the City of Bellevue was incorporated. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, cooking, frequenting the Bellevue Downtown Park with her family and searching for the perfect chocolate treat. Advanced Learning students at Spiritridge will move to Woodridge. Families push back on Bellevue Schools' consolidation plans Likewise, our children adjusted reasonably well to the consolidation and quickly formed new friendships. "We do not need 18 elementary schools at the moment, or . We do not need 18 elementary schools at the moment, or in the next decade, Jarvis said at Thursdays meeting at the districts Wilburton Instructional Service Center, across the street from Wilburton Elementary, one of the schools slated for consolidation. Copyright 2023 Downtown Bellevue Network. It is projected to continue declining for the next 10 years. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Bellevue parents say consolidating schools is an equity issue Citing shrinking enrollment, the school district may close some elementaries raising questions about who will bear the brunt of. So far, Census data indicates the city of Bellevue hasnt been losing K-12 aged kids. The Bellevue School Board has come to a decision as to which elementary schools will close as a result of declining enrollment in the district. King County has third-highest ratio of young men to young women in U.S. Scientists find worrisome lesions on endangered southern resident orcas, Just outside Seattle, residents endure a dangerous yet ordinary intersection, districts recommendations to move Eastgate and Wilburton elementary students, spurred criticism over the districts handling of the school consolidations, Bellevue School District revises consolidation proposal, because of a declining student population, Seattle may need to close schools to save money. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. There have been approximately 15 school consolidations from 1978 to the present, starting with Ashwood Elementary School in June of that year. If youre part of the receiving school, reach out to the new school community and find ways to collaborate to honor both schools traditions. The district said transition planning will now begin to get ready for the 2023-2024 school year. deVita says there are a lot of contributing factors: millennials arent having as many kids; fewer families are willing to pay sky-high Bellevue rents; and some Bellevue kids with parents on H1B visas have had to leave the country. On January 12, BSD will share some potential scenarios with the Directors of the Bellevue School Board at the study session of regularly scheduled Board Meeting which aim to address declining enrollment and share opportunities to engage all stakeholders in providing final recommendations. Some parents upset with Bellevue School District's recommended The School Board was presented with three options to reduce the shortfall: consolidating schools, postponing the decision by tapping into the districts reserve fund, or reducing staff. Which is the fate of this brand new school? Enrollment is projected to decline for the next 10 years to a low of 16,000 students, according to Melissa deVita, the districts deputy superintendent of finance and operations. School Name. BSDs long running and rich history includes several school closures and consolidations, which also come with stories of their impact on people and communities. This K-6 school located in the west Bellevue area was also known for serving neuro-diverse and special needs students. She added she had looked at housing developments being constructed throughout Bellevue, and wondered how the student population will continue to change. In 1923, Bellevue High School became the first accredited four-year high school, making it the oldest school in our district. At one table, there's a cluster of parents gathered around deVita, whos fielding rapid-fire questions. "I gave her just enough information so that if something came up on the playground, she wouldn't be blindsided.". Decision on Bellevue elementary school closures expected Thursday Organizers said they hoped district officials would see the rally while they met in the building and prepared for Thursdays school board meeting. The district will hold hearings for affected schools the week of Feb. 27. Public High Schools. Morons have ruined this city. Sherrie M: I wish I had initially held more space in my mind about the possible rationale for closure. Nearby, Northshore, Shoreline, and Lake Washington School Districts have all seen drops of 2 % to 5% since the pandemic began. Bellevue school leaders say the move is needed due to declining enrollment. It was the first Bellevue school with a geothermal heating system to save on heating bills. In retrospect, what would you change about your response to the news and/or process? Wilburton opened in 2018 and was built to relieve overcrowding at other schools, including the ones the district is now planning to send Wilburton students to. Kara is the editor-in-chief at Downtown Bellevue Network. . When the initial consolidation plan was announced in February, Deputy Superintendent for Financial Services and Operations Melissa DeVita said there could be district-wide layoffs if the consolidations didnt happen. seattletimes.com - Paige Cornwell 5h. Bellevue School Board votes to consolidate 2 schools | king5.com Former BSD families recently shared their school consolidation and closure experiences with the BSD Communications Department, expressing their viewpoints, vivid memories, and advice our school community today. Bellevue may consolidate some elementary schools They recall the experience of sending their students to a new school after managing the impact of the consolidation and the transition planning their children experienced at the time. The four other elementary schools also up for consideration were Enatai, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest and Woodridge. Bellevue School Board votes to consolidate 2 elementary schools Seattle has 106 public schools with ~50,000 students, and Bellevue has 30 public schools with ~18,000 students.Both districts have seen big enrollment declines in recent years due to factors like the pandemic, which led some parents to home-school their children or enroll them in private schools. I also wondered if the school district had done enough to explain the options that were considered to address the budget deficit and the criteria for identifying the schools to be considered for closure. For the first time, she said through tears, her daughter has progressed academically, socially and emotionally. The Bellevue School District recently updated their proposed consolidation plan, which had previously included seven schools and was narrowed down to Ardmore, Eastgate and Wilburton Elementary. Its a learning experience; they watched what we said and did. Similar situations would play out at schools now if there were additional cuts, she said. Parents, staff push back on proposed plan to consolidate 3 Bellevue elementary schools, 'Day on the Hill' offers public school leaders chance to push for support in Olympia, Vaping marijuana becoming more prevalent than nicotine in schools. Bellevue parents say they were caught off guard when told of a plan to consolidate several of its elementary schools.