Boston Harbor Elementary ranked fifth on Olympia district's closure scoring list but not proposed for closure; board votes Nov. 12

Boston Harbor Elementary School scored fifth of seven schools in the Olympia School District's closure analysis, but it is not one of the three elementary schools the district has proposed closing, according to the district's long-term planning materials.

The Olympia School Board is scheduled to vote Nov. 12 on the superintendent's recommendation to close and consolidate McKenny, Madison and LP Brown elementary schools. The last of three required public hearings, at Madison Elementary, was scheduled for Monday night.

Where Boston Harbor landed

The district scored its elementary and middle schools on weighted criteria including building use, school size, socioeconomic factors, the ability to combine attendance areas, facility condition, past capital investment, future development potential and walkability. A lower score marks a stronger closure candidate.

McKenny Elementary scored lowest at 48, followed by Reeves Middle School at 53, Madison Elementary at 54 and Pioneer Elementary at 56. Boston Harbor Elementary scored 57, one point ahead of LP Brown Elementary at 58. Jefferson Middle School scored 65.

The district said it recommended LP Brown despite its higher score because declining elementary enrollment "is not limited to the east side of the district." McKenny and Madison were the lowest-scoring east-side candidates, and LP Brown was the lowest-scoring candidate on the west side.

A small school by district standards

Boston Harbor Elementary, at 7300 Zangle Road NE, had 166 students in September, according to district figures. Only Madison, at 160, was smaller among the district's neighborhood elementary schools. The district's 11 elementary schools average about 319 students.

The school has seven general-education classroom teachers this year under the district's staffing formula. About 88 of its students, or 53%, are estimated to ride the bus.

District-wide, Olympia's K-12 headcount fell from 10,014 in 2019-20 to 9,448 in 2025-26. A consultant projects it will drop to 8,483 by 2033-34, with the steepest losses in grades K-5. The district has cut more than $12 million from its budgets since 2022, and it projects $3.14 million a year in savings from the three proposed closures.

What comes next

State law requires the board's hearings to take place within 90 days before its final vote, with a separate hearing for each school proposed for closure. Boston Harbor is not on the list, so this round has no hearing for it.

Residents may comment at regular school board meetings or email district leaders. Materials are posted on the district's Long-Term Planning page.