A Washington district is planning to “right-size” its elementary offerings for the next decade after years of declining enrollment – forecast to continue as birth rates keep falling.
“State data shows that Whatcom County’s birth rate now sits at 8.48 births per 1,000, a decline from about 11 births per 1,000 people 20 years ago,” writes the Cascadia Daily News about Bellingham Public Schools.
“There’s long been a ‘consistent relationship’ between birth rates and kindergarten enrollment in Bellingham, said Jessica Sankey, the district’s chief operations officer.”
Enrollment is expected to continue falling through 2035, with the district forming a new committee to “draft recommendations on elementary school use for the years 2026-36,” according to the article.
“Options on the table include adjusting attendance boundaries, consolidating programs and closing ‘one or more elementary schools.’”
