REDMOND, Wash. — As dozens of families gathered for a Halloween parade in Redmond's English Hill neighborhood Saturday morning, parents said the scariest thing was the looming threat of their beloved elementary school being closed.
Like many districts across the state, the Northshore School District (NSD) is considering several different restructuring plans that include possible closures of Sunrise Elementary School, Cottage Lake Elementary School, Moorlands Elementary School, and Hollywood Hill Elementary School in the fall of 2028.
"It's not just the students who are there now, but it's the students who will be there, and it's also the role a school can serve as an anchor for the broader neighborhood and city," said Emma Schmidgal, a parent at Sunrise.
Moorlands Elementary is at risk of closure under all three possible scenarios. District leaders confirmed the school needs a "rebuild."
NSD cited declining enrollment, tied to declining birth rates in King and Snohomish Counties, as a reason for considering closures.
School districts' total student enrollment directly correlates to the amount of state funding they receive for each academic year.
From 2020 to now, the district has lost roughly 1,400 elementary-aged students, NSD said. Many campuses at risk of closure are operating below the district's targeted enrollment goal of at least 400 students per elementary school.
"It's a challenge for us to be able to offer the same kind of programs, same kind of enrichment, same quality of education that we can offer in around a 400 [students] or more school," Superintendent Dr. Justin Irish said in a school board study session on Oct. 26.
At their Halloween parade, several Sunrise parents said they felt blindsided by the district's proposals and wish to be better included in restructuring talks.
"The biggest sticking point right now for the community is being informed and aware, understanding the background behind those details, understanding the numbers," said Vijay Paruchuru, parent to a Sunrise 5th grader.
Sunrise is the highest performing elementary school in the Northshore School District, and it ranks third overall academically in Washington state.
It's why some families, like Emma Schmidgal's, pulled their children out of private school to attend the public school.
"Leo started at Sunrise and within a couple of weeks, we find out about this," Schmidgal said. "It really, really was a shock, especially, given how well the school's doing."
But while performing well academically, Sunrise is one of the smallest schools in its district with just over 200 students.
NSD aims to have between 400 and 700 students per elementary school, according to a district presentation.
400 students is the elementary size the state funding model assumes.
NSD is planning several open houses, school meetings, and other engagement opportunities between November and February to hear feedback from families on the closure proposals.
The school board is expected to vote on a final recommendation on March 8.
Sunrise families are urging district leaders to take all feedback into consideration before making a final decision.
"I'm hopeful; nothing's set in stone," Paruchuru said. "I have never seen so many people, our community, this strong."