The Northshore School District is considering closing several elementary schools and changing school boundaries as it responds to declining and uneven enrollment across the district.
The district says it has lost approximately 1,400 students since 2020, which it says is the equivalent of a few elementary schools. Superintendent Dr. Justin Irish said in a letter to families that the decline is primarily tied to lower birthrates, the local housing market, and other factors.
At the same time, the district says students are increasingly unevenly distributed among its schools, creating challenges with staffing, resources, and providing consistent educational opportunities.
“Unfortunately, we have exhausted these less impactful options,” Irish wrote, referring to previous steps such as smaller boundary adjustments, limiting waivers into certain schools and placing programs at schools with lower enrollment.
On Monday, Oct. 26, the district’s Enrollment Demographics Advisory Committee will present recommendations to the School Board during a public study session beginning at 5 p.m. The recommendations include possible changes to elementary, middle, and high school boundaries, along with the potential closure of a few elementary schools.
No decisions will be made at Monday’s meeting. The district says the session will give board members their first opportunity to review the recommendations, ask questions, and provide guidance.
Northshore School District serves more than 22,000 students across 36 schools in parts of North King and Snohomish counties.