Bellevue recommends 3 schools to close, starting next school year

Bellevue School District administrators have recommended Ardmore, Eastgate, and Wilburton elementary schools for closure under a potential consolidation plan presented to the school board Thursday.

Enrollment in Bellevue schools has declined by nearly 2,000 students over the last three years, as an increasing number of parents nationwide choose to send their children to private or virtual schools in the midst of the pandemic.

Thursday’s proposal comes a month after the district unveiled a list of seven elementary schools it would consider for closure that included Ardmore, Eastgate, Enatai, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest, Woodridge, and Wilburton. The proposed consolidation has drawn criticism from some parents and community members who bemoan the district’s fast-paced timeline for closures and complain officials haven't involved the community enough.

RELATED: Families push back on Bellevue Schools' consolidation plans

Starting next school year, Ardmore Elementary students would be consolidated within Bennett, Cherry Crest, and Sherwood Forest elementary schools, according to the plan. Eastgate Elementary students would be sent to Spiritridge or Somerset elementary schools, and Spiritridge’s advanced learning program would be relocated to Woodridge Elementary. Wilburton Elementary students would be combined at Clyde Hill and Enatai elementary schools.

District administrators say they don't plan to sell any of the school buildings recommended for closure and they anticipate all staff at the affected schools will be retained.

Speaking to the board and a crowd of about 50 parents gathered for the announcement, interim Superintendent Art Jarvis pointed to declining enrollment as the main reason the district must shutter schools. Jarvis said the decline will lead to a $20 million revenue decline when the state stops basing district per-pupil funding on pre-pandemic student counts next year. And the situation is only expected to get worse: Administrators project enrollment will shrink by 8% over the next decade.

While Jarvis understands the idea of closing schools is stressful and difficult for families, “to do nothing in response is not a professionally responsible option,” he said.

The consolidation plan presented Thursday is not yet set in stone. Jarvis emphasized that the plan is only a recommendation at this point. Later this month, the district will gather more community feedback on the recommendation by forming community focus groups and hosting hearings at each of the affected schools. The district has not yet announced when the board will vote.