Issaquah School District thanks voters for levy support, cites enrollment decline and plans new high school

District staff thanked voters for community support of levies on the February ballot, saying the levies "support our everyday work" and provide a predictable level of funding that sustains the district's current budget and services.

The remarks framed next year's budget work around enrollment projections. "I want to be really clear: our district has been incredibly strong at predicting and forecasting enrollment within a 1% over/under over the past decade," the staff member said, noting that projection accuracy is a major input for fiscal planning and staffing decisions.

The speaker said enrollment is falling across the state and in King County and that higher housing costs on the east side are a barrier for younger families. The district described historical projections that showed "over 5,000 students projected to be in our high schools" in 2015 and said roughly that same level is projected again for 2030; the staff member called more than 5,000 high school students "an overcrowded experience."

To address capacity, the district said it will break ground soon on a new high school. The staff member said the new campus is intended both to ease overcrowding and to expand programmatic choices that connect students to careers and relevant learning.

The remarks also noted that the district was recently honored by the state as one of 25 school districts recognized for academic achievement, a point the speaker used to thank students, staff and families and to argue the district can attract and retain employees because of "that amazing work."

No formal motion, vote, or decision was recorded in these remarks. The staff member closed by urging a strong finish to the school year and saying the district will continue budget and enrollment planning ahead of next year; no dates for the groundbreaking were provided.