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Presenter thanks levy supporters, cites enrollment decline and plans for new high school
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Summary
A presenter at an Issaquah School District meeting thanked voters for February levies, said enrollment forecasts show a decline that affects budgeting, and announced the district will break ground soon on a new high school to ease overcrowding.
A presenter at an Issaquah School District meeting thanked voters for their support of levies that were on the February ballot, said the district is forecasting an enrollment decline that will shape next year’s budget, and announced the district will break ground soon on a new high school to relieve overcrowding.
The presenter said the levies “support our everyday work” and provide a predictable level of funding over the next few years, helping the district sustain its current budget priorities. The presenter added the district had been honored by the state as one of 25 districts recognized for academic achievement and thanked students, staff and families for that recognition.
On budgeting, the presenter said enrollment projections are a “huge driver” of how the district constructs next year’s budget. The presenter said the district has been “incredibly strong at predicting and forecasting enrollment within about 1% over or under over the past decade,” calling that accuracy an important input for fiscal planning and staffing decisions.
The presenter noted broader trends: “Enrollment is down across the state. It is down in King County and in particular the East Side has a higher barrier to entry for houses and for younger families because they just cannot afford that average home price in this area.” The presenter said lower cohorts emerging after COVID have been taken into account in five- and ten-year enrollment projections.
The presenter recalled that the district projected “over 5,000 students … in our high schools” in 2015 and said that same number is projected again for 2030, a level the presenter described as still producing an “overcrowded experience” for students. To address that, the presenter said the district will break ground very soon on a new high school to ease overcrowding and expand program and career-relevant learning opportunities.
The presenter closed by urging staff and the community to finish the school year strong, noting that budget work and preparation for next year will continue and that the presenter will see attendees next month.
