In KING 5's continued coverage of the Bellevue School District's plan to close and consolidate three elementary schools - requests for comment have been sent to Gov. Jay Inslee and Washington state representatives who serve the potentially impacted neighborhoods. Currently, the district has identified seven elementary schools with "declining enrollment" that are under consideration for the consolidation plan. The seven BSD elementary schools under consideration for the plan include Ardmore, Eastgate, Enatai, Phantom Lake, Sherwood Forest, Woodridge, and Wilburton Parents in the district expect a recommendation on the three selected schools to be announced during the Feb. 9 school board meeting. KING 5 received the official statement from Gov. Jay Inslee's office on this school district matter. While the governor cannot comment specifically or subjectivelly on the BSD consolidation plan because his office deems it "a local matter," spokesperson Jim Kopriva said the following: "Many districts are indeed confronting reduced enrollment and locally-elected school boards are tasked to determine how to manage that. But even if head counts are down, state K-12 investments are up. The governor's recent budget proposals (2022, 2023) have supported student nutrition, emotional health, and curriculum and teacher compensation and recruitment. This year the governor has proposed spending an additional $3 billion in K-12 investment to support educator compensation, special ed and educator workforce initiatives." Although the BSD is citing both declining enrollment and funding concerns as the main reasons for the consolidation proposal - senior communications associate for the governor, Jim Kopriva, said, "It is safe to say that state funding is no catalyst to consolidation. State investments in K-12 are increasing, not decreasing." A spokesperson for Rep. Vandana Slatter (D-48th District) said an official statement is forthcoming but currently, she is "actively working with the school district to communicate parental concerns her office has received." READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/education/representatives-bellevue-school-districts-consolidation-plan/281-c42447e2-986e-48e2-8c0e-91ff5bf6b009