Fewer students in elementary leads to an eventual decline in secondary schools.
The School Board is proposing a $676.9 million, 6-year construction levy this year. If passed, 2 elementary schools and 2 middle schools will be rebuilt and enlarged.
"WHY IS ENROLLMENT DECLINING in our schools even with so much construction going on in the district?
ANSWER: "The district is tracking over 9,500 residential units opening within the next 10 years. The majority of the new construction is now multi-family housing (apartments, condominiums, townhomes) rather than single-family. Multi-family housing units do not generate as many students as single family homes do. Multi-family housing generates about seven students for every 100 units vs. a single-family development that generates about 60 students for every 100 homes. This housing growth is certainly offsetting what could be larger enrollment declines. The other reason for the decline is a decline in birth rates. Birth rates are down for Lake Washington area, King County, and across the country. This results in lower kindergarten enrollment and fewer students enrolling at the elementary level. Fewer students in elementary leads to an eventual decline in secondary, even though secondary school enrollment is currently not declining in the same way."
Source: LWSD Demographics, FAQ
Posted by Bob Yoder, 6/3/2024
3 comments:
The levy amount is $676.9 million.
I believe you are aware that I work diligently to get our community the information they require to make informed decisions. We have spoken extensively in live broadcast/recorded meetings as well as making all our presentation materials available to the public regarding the projects and costs for the next phase of construction planning in Lake Washington. I did not go into those details last night as this was a 2nd reading of the formal resolution. I referenced the projects but did not speak to the costs or timelines as those were (1) provided to the public in an extremely detailed presentation at the May 20, 2024 board meeting and (2) the resolution and ballot language is publicly available as part of the Board’s materials and it breaks it down by total cost but also the annual collection.
If you need any additional information please let me know and I can send you links to the information that has been provided. I would recommend watching the May 20, 2024 presentation that Associate Superintendent Posthumus, Executive Director Buck and I provided as it does a nice job of walking through the thinking, considerations and the pre-designs for each of the rebuild/enlarge projects.
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