BELLEVUE, Wash. — The Bellevue School District has paused plans to consolidate middle schools as it grapples with a budget shortfall.
Bellevue Superintendent Kelly Aramaki announced the decision during a school board meeting Thursday, saying the district would not consolidate any middle schools for the next two years.
The district consolidated two elementary schools – Wilburton and Eastgate – earlier this year as it faced a $30 million deficit, and was considering closing more.
During the community engagement process, students and families spoke out against the proposed closures, urging the district to look at alternatives to cut costs.
In a statement, Aramaki said he received letters and emails from students expressing love for their schools and teachers and shared how they provide a “supportive, nurturing environment in an increasingly uncertain world.”
“You have shown more agency and ability to advocate than I ever had as a student here in Bellevue,” Aramaki said.
The district said several factors will allow it to leave middle schools as they are until 2025.
Bellevue schools reduced spending by $24 million, leading to an expected shortfall of $9.8 million for the 2024-2025 school year. The district said middle schools are not yet the primary driver of this shortfall, and cost-cutting across the system outweighs the benefits of consolidating a middle school, which would save about $4 million.
Enrollment also increased slightly this year, largely driven by non-resident students and the return of students from private school or homeschool.
During the next legislative session, Bellevue schools will ask lawmakers to change how the district collects levy dollars, which could generate more revenue. The change would apply the cost-of-living factor to the local enrichment levy to bring in an additional $10 million per year. This would be up from about $4 million this year, according to the district.
The district said it would engage the community on budget prioritization in February and March before finalizing a budget plan in April. In October 2025, the district will determine whether it needs to reconsider consolidating schools.