On Thursday, February 16, a special meeting of the Board of Directors was held for the purpose of discussion with the Community Committee and School Committee, who reviewed the school consolidation recommendation made at the February 9 Board meeting. The formation of the committees represents two of the varied opportunities for ongoing community engagement established since the recommendation. The Community Committee received the data for review on Friday, February 10, and had an opportunity to meet with district staff on Tuesday, February 14.
The community representatives on the Community Committee include Michael Chen, Renuka Getchell, Steve McConnell, Heija Nunn, Marta Trilles Ramos and Monica Webster.
The representatives on the School Committee are Beth Abraham (Eastgate staff), Anne Villari (Eastgate parent), Bev Doleac (Ardmore staff), Ludwin De Leon (Ardmore parent), Shane Monroe (Wilburton staff), and Lindsay Dugan (Wilburton parent).
An abbreviated timeline of next steps community members can expect are as follows:
- Monday, February 27, 4:30 p.m. – Hearing for the purpose of taking public testimony regarding the recommendation to consolidate Ardmore Elementary School with Bennett, Cherry Crest, and Sherwood Forest Elementary Schools.
- Tuesday, February 28, 4:30 p.m. – Hearing for the purpose of taking public testimony regarding the recommendation to consolidate Eastgate Elementary School with Spiritridge and Somerset Elementary Schools and to relocate Advanced Learning from Spiritridge to Woodridge Elementary School.
- Thursday, March 2, 4:30 p.m. – Hearing for the purpose of taking public testimony regarding the recommendation to consolidate Wilburton Elementary School with Clyde Hill and Enatai Elementary Schools.
- Thursday, March 9, 4:30 p.m. – School Board Regular Meeting, final public comment opportunity, recommendation update.
- Thursday, March 16, 4:30 p.m.– (Tentative) School Board Special Meeting to take action on recommendation.
A full timeline can be found on the Planning for the Future – Process Timeline webpage and will be updated as information becomes available to support the transition of impacted members of our learning community.
Planning for the Future – Prior Steps
On February 9, 2023, Interim Superintendent Dr. Art Jarvis, proposed a recommendation to the Bellevue School Board regarding the consolidation of three elementary schools. As proposed for the 2023-2024 school year, the recommendation is as follows:
- North Area: Combine Ardmore Elementary at Bennett Elementary, Cherry Crest Elementary, and Sherwood Forest Elementary.
- South Area: Combine Eastgate Elementary at Spiritridge Elementary and Somerset Elementary. Move Spiritridge Advanced Learning to Woodridge Elementary.
- Midwest Area:Combine Wilburton Elementary at Clyde Hill Elementary and Enatai Elementary.
Dr. Jarvis’s complete recommendation along with supporting documents, are available for the community to review. The recommendation is also currently available in Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Japanese and Vietnamese.
View Dr. Jarvis’s answers to local media inquiries about his recommendations.
District Updates for Proposed Recommendation
The Bellevue School District recognizes that there are many impacts to our learning community resulting from the recommendation put forth to the school board. Although the Board has not yet come to a final decision on the recommendation, the district updates page serves as a resource for families as we continue to plan for the future. This page will contain updates for impacted schools regarding transportation, early learning, open transfer, special education and advanced learning among others. Please check back regularly, as updates will be made to the page as they become available.