Districtwide Community Forum Feedback Summary

The Bellevue School District — like many statewide — is experiencing an enrollment decline. One that demographers expect to continue for the next several years. Because the state funds education through a per-pupil allocation, declining enrollment has resulted in a budget shortfall. Both the enrollment decline, and the financial impacts were identified last school year when the district responded by making budget cuts and consolidating elementary schools. This year, the district is studying the possibility of consolidating middle schools along with other options. No decision has been made.

To gather input from the community, forums were held at each of the five middle schools, there were six online forums, including in Spanish, Mandarin and Korean, a district-wide survey was conducted, and middle school staff met to provide feedback. Additional outreach is ongoing as the district seeks to ensure that all voices are heard, and that those furthest from educational justice are well-represented in the feedback. Approximately 750 participants attended the community forums and approximately 1,300 completed a survey.

Though every school community had feedback specific to their community, the district-wide feedback was aligned on several themes. This summary documents the themes of the community feedback. Summaries from each meeting and raw notes are linked below.

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Themes

A Sense of Belonging and Community

Throughout the district, parents, students, and teachers prioritized their specific school community. This prioritization had practical and social/emotional roots. Parents do not want their students to have long commute times. They are concerned because there have been recent disruptions to transportation due to a shortage of bus drivers and wonder how the district will ensure that students are able to get to school. Many rely on the fact that their students can walk to and from school. Additionally, respondents reported that their peer friendships and relationships with school staff have created an inclusive, community connection that they do not want their students to lose. They worry about the social emotional health of this age-group in dealing with the possibility of changing schools just as the students are feeling “back to normal” after COVID.

Because of programs specific to their school community, parents and students were concerned that they would lose out on these site-based programs or that they would be diluted. These included the various language programs, special education services, health services, and Advanced Learning.

This sense of community created a nearly unanimous response to middle school consolidation: If you must consolidate, do not close my school.

• “Ensure that students have the support in these critical foundational years. Social emotional, academics.”
• “Kids traveling longer distances is a concern and the transportation shortage is not good in this regard.”

 
Educational Rigor and Quality

The Bellevue community was also consistent in their expectation of educational rigor and quality. For many, the seven-period day is especially important to the quality of education as it provides more options for students. High quality instruction and small class size also contribute to the perception of quality. Several parents expressed that the quality of Bellevue schools is what drove them to move here. They do not want to lose or reduce the quality of education, no matter what decision is made. Many expressed quality as being specific to their school.

Relatedly, there were many questions about how staffing decisions would be made and concerns were expressed about basing decisions solely on seniority. Some prioritized maintaining a diverse staff and having the right certifications/licenses for the courses and programs offered.

School size was also attached to concerns over safety. Many perceive that larger schools are less safe.

Many participants asked for Advanced Learning services to be dispersed to their community schools and want access to the program without having to drive their students to school. Many participants at Odle wanted the Advanced Learning program centered at Odle and serving multiple communities to remain in place at Odle as the program has been successful for many years.

“Student to teacher ratio affects the quality of learning — and the access that students have in school. “

“Education quality in terms of teacher to student ratio, program, electives.”

Questions About How Decisions Will Be Made

Questions about the decision-making process were asked consistently throughout the district. Participants asked what other options are being considered. They asked whether it is possible to reduce programs and services rather than close a school. The lack of alternatives made it seem to some as though the decision has already been made. Many participants recalled the process from the elementary school consolidation last year and expressed frustration and pessimism about the decision-making process. “If the decision has already been made, just tell us,” was a common theme.

Many expressed skepticisms about the data being used to make decisions and reported that they do not trust the demographers’ reports. Community members asked how building utilization is being calculated and whether specific populations or programs were being considered as they require more space. Some asked how the non-resident transfers were being accounted for in the calculations.

In every forum the participants asked why the two choice schools (Big Picture and International) are not part of the process. They tied these questions back to their concerns for their community schools and drawing students away from their home schools.

Some participants suggested using student outcomes should be considered in the decision.

• “Does the school district really care about your kids and what parents have to say or is this decision already done?”
• “How are community inputs being considered and impacting the final decisions and decision-making process?”

Equity

Some of those who were able to participate wondered what and how much was being done to reach out to marginalized communities. The participants wanted to know what outreach was being done with students and how their voices were being considered. Participants consistently requested that if a middle school is consolidated that it not affect those who were impacted by last year’s elementary school consolidations.

As the district’s only Title 1 middle school, Highland was mentioned by some participants as a school that should not be closed.

• “Diversity, equity and belonging is essential for a middle school experience.”
• “Diversity gives people perspective.”

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