Bellingham and Olympia weigh closing elementary schools as enrollment falls. Marysville already did.
Connection 16 · MoneyNov. 7The connection: In each district below, enrollment fell, and state school money, which follows students, fell with it. Each looked at closing buildings to save money.
- BellinghamClose 2 of 14 elementary schools. Savings about $2.2 million, the district says. The district expects about 1,000 fewer elementary students from 2018 to 2028.
- OlympiaClose 3 of 11 elementary schools, starting fall 2027. Savings about $3.1 million a year, the district told KOMO. About 900 fewer K-5 students than in 2019-20, KOMO reported.
- MarysvilleClosed 1 elementary and 1 middle school in fall 2025. Savings about $2.4 million a year, the Everett Herald reported. Enrollment fell nearly 20% from 2011, the Herald reported.
Olympia says the state formula assumes about 400 students per elementary school. It says a school needs about 450 to pay for a full-time administrator.
What's next: Olympia's board is expected to vote Nov. 12, KOMO reported. Bellingham's board could vote the same day, KGMI reported.
Built from: Bellingham Public Schools, Sept. 29, 2026 · KGMI, Nov. 5, 2026 · KOMO News, Oct. 22, 2026 · The Everett Herald, January 2025