Everett School District projects steady enrollment growth and moves to secure land for new elementary school

The Everett School District board heard a 10-year enrollment outlook on March 10 that projects steady student population growth and outlines near-term facility needs tied to recent voter-approved construction funding.

District facilities planner Les Fleckenstein told the board the district recorded 19,740 students in last October's count and that the medium-range projection — the model the district uses for budgeting — forecasts about 1,520 additional students by 2035, with a six-year gain around 957 students. He said those increases will affect elementary, middle and high school capacity differently and could require continued use of portable classrooms until permanent construction is completed.

Why it matters: enrollment drives state funding, staffing and capital planning. Superintendent Dr. Salzman told the board that passage of the 2026 school construction bond and the education levy (approved by voters at about 63.8% and 64.4%, respectively) creates capacity to pursue construction, but that continued residential development in parts of the district — including multiple large projects north of the Boeing Freeway and a proposed Mill Creek South town center — will increase demand for seats.

Fleckenstein said his team uses forecasts from Education Data Solutions (researcher Les Kendrick) and OSPI roll-up projections, weighing birth rates, housing development permits and historical trends. He described one-year projections as the most accurate and cautioned that longer-range forecasts require frequent updates and noted that kindergarten numbers are especially volatile.

Board reaction and next steps: Directors praised the transparency of the presentation and asked staff to continue coordinating with municipal partners to track permitted residential units. Superintendent Salzman said the consent agenda includes a resolution to purchase three properties on Strumley Road, adjacent to district-owned land, using capital levy funds; those parcels are intended to support planning for Elementary 19 approved in the construction bond. The consent agenda was adopted by general consent.

Legislative context: Director Lawrence summarized several state budget and bill actions that could affect district funding, including proposed reductions to transition-to-kindergarten funding and cuts to Running Start support that would reduce the dual-credit enrollment cap from 1.4 FTE to 1.2 FTE. Lawrence also noted proposed changes to the bus replacement funding schedule and described several K–12 bills that had passed both houses or were moving forward in the session.

What to watch: staff will finalize enrollment projections in October and use those counts to adjust staffing and allocations; facilities planning will proceed on Elementary 19 while the district monitors building permits and housing developments that could alter capacity needs.