A Message from Superintendent Greg Baker

Dear staff, families, students and community,

Over the past several weeks, many of you have shown up in meetings, in conversations and in your neighborhoods to engage in the work of the Facilities Planning Task Force. Others have watched videos, explored the resources posted on our website and/or offered input via our feedback form and email.

I want to begin by acknowledging and thanking you.

It is evident how deeply we all care about our children, our schools and our communities. Our care is a strength and a foundational value of our district.

I want to call out a theme we are hearing clearly: some are feeling uncertain about this process. There are wonders about transparency, whether decisions have already been made, and the pace of the work.

We have also been asked whether we would close a school for next school year (2026-27), and the reality is we haven’t gotten to a point in our process of deciding to close any schools, let alone a timeline.

As we have examined variables, the complexity of this work, the time of year and our interest in engaging further with our community, it’s clear that we do not want to rush this work.

Therefore, I have shared with the task force that they should not recommend any fall 2026 elementary school closures.

The Facilities Planning Task Force will continue its work this spring reviewing data, exploring scenarios and developing recommendations, but we are intentionally taking off the table the option of a school closure at the end of this school year.

This means:

• The task force will continue to study enrollment trends, financial realities and facility use.
• It is still possible that recommendations will include the potential closure of one or more elementary schools.
• I expect to receive a recommendation this spring that includes ideas about next steps and timelines.
• Next summer (summer 2027, ahead of the 2027-28 school year) is the earliest an elementary school closure would occur.

We are making this decision because the work in front of us is significant and deserves both careful analysis and meaningful community understanding. Removing the option for a school closure this summer allows both.

At the same time, I want to continue to be transparent about the realities we are facing as a district.

As we have shared recently, enrollment in Bellingham Public Schools is declining. This is driven by lower birth rates and home prices and is reflected in the number of students currently in our system—not just future projections. Along with this, our community understands that we are facing ongoing financial pressures that require us to make difficult decisions about how to use our resources responsibly.

I recognize that understanding these factors isn’t always straightforward.

In response, we will be hosting a series of community learning sessions where families and community members can review data alongside district and school staff, ask questions and build a shared understanding of the challenges and tradeoffs in front of us.

Please fill out this form to let us know if you can attend any of the following learning sessions:

• Monday, April 13: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 15:  12 – 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 21: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

These meetings will be held at the District Office, 1985 Barkley Boulevard.

We are committed to continuing this work in a way that is transparent, grounded in data, and reflective of the values of this community.

Thank you for your continued engagement,

Greg Baker

Reply to greg.baker@bellinghamschools.org