[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6132179,"mediaKeyId","5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740","parentId",5723875,"title","Olympia School District presents 2025–26 enrollment projections; board presses on boundaries and transfer process","audioSeconds",805,"startMs",2296000,"endMs",3101000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740&start=2296&end=3101","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740/thumbnail_2296000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6132179/Washington/Olympia-School-District-presents-202526-enrollment-projections-board-presses-on-boundaries-and-transfer-process","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6132179-10d9301ea6cfa164fe9aeebcec207552/orig.mp4?Expires=1770409254&Signature=LXvNk2NOx~RiF~xuoc97ci7QGLRrr-lXPABfT90Y9zR9t1DSKyuGaKIAvF6asksC8OfaVVK9m0y-TBCSOZomo3PcoICH4I557YwAc7--guO67HXMrS4fUkzCz89S9cVcWxP63DjKTxV4fVaJZjrvPddPTlimGHzsPhZvO9zPk1zcKNvDrqglVJOtr~AwyHjnVVVGOXZncQD-BX14q0zF6o8rzgRfbbjTwIWR5ZJWAN6U8P14dTldclYDn~Fqfk~sMmFfUim1AlWTJYxggVp5dFA58aflDF1DzcnLXjkir-a8pXvfijOc~WtQm290R-yjKDJAoiROeKbISb1FUFkqJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Olympia School District, WA","date","2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","article","Superintendent Murphy told the Olympia School District Board at its August meeting that the single largest driver of district revenue is student enrollment and that the district’s current numbers are still projections until students are counted after the start of school. “We really don't know what the enrollment is going to be. We got a pretty good guess,” Superintendent Murphy said, adding that the official beginning-of-year count is the fourth day of school.

The presentation, led by the superintendent with Executive Director Kate Davis and Assistant Superintendent Whitehead, summarized how last year’s projection errors affected staffing and how enrollment typically shifts in the first weeks of school. Superintendent Murphy noted that the district had projected a decline of about 100 students for 2024–25 but ended up about 77 full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) students higher than projected. He also said kindergarten last year arrived about 35 FTE below projections, and the district will not know final numbers until early September when attendance stabilizes.

Executive Director Kate Davis told the board that elementary enrollment often grows after August by “about a 100 students from where we're at right now,” while high schools typically lose students over the first weeks as students take Running Start or other programs. Davis projected that high schools could decline 100 to 150 students districtwide, with Capital High School likely to fall by 70–80 and Olympia High School by 30–40. Middle schools generally shift less, “plus or minus 20 students,” she added.

Board members pressed staff on how local housing patterns and school boundaries affect enrollment volatility. Director Maria asked whether neighborhoods with more rental housing and apartments (for example, the area feeding LP Brown Elementary) have higher mobility and therefore more variable enrollment; Executive Director Davis said those neighborhood patterns often produce midyear enrollment changes and that principals and staff are noting different “personalities” for each school.

Several directors asked staff to bring follow-up analysis. Director Hillary asked for the enrollment math behind assumptions that cohorts would regain students as they progress through grades and whether consultants’ long-range projections were assuming recurring cohort gains. Superintendent Murphy said staff would return with more detail and that the district would request follow-up from the external consultant who produced draft projections.

Board members also discussed the operational tension between not wanting to overenroll (which strains staffing) and not leaving families waiting on out‑of‑district transfer lists. Superintendent Murphy said the district begins taking out-of-district transfer requests in February and that earlier commitments help staffing decisions, but that many names currently on rosters will be absent when school begins and other families may arrive late. “The sooner we can get that commitment, the better,” he said.

Directors sought clearer, earlier communication for families about transfer and wait‑list status. Director Darcy said she had not received a reminder as a parent and asked staff to outline the transfer process and timing. Executive Director Davis and Assistant Superintendent Whitehead said they would collect and share current communications practices with the board and consider policy or procedure changes to encourage earlier commitments.

The board agreed that boundary review should be part of future planning. Vice President Turtilat Palumbo and others noted the district has traditionally addressed boundaries during periods of growth; with enrollment shifts, directors said they want a discussion of how reboundering might balance building populations even if it does not change the total number of students districtwide.

Actions and immediate procedural items at the meeting included approval of the meeting agenda, previous minutes and the consent agenda; the consent agenda vote passed on a voice vote of “ayes.” Directors asked staff to post an updated board planning calendar and to schedule a fall work session that will revisit the district’s equity allocation and the enrollment and boundary questions.

The district will report final enrollment figures at the first board meeting in September after the district’s fourth‑day count and will return with more detailed cohort math, consultant follow-up and recommended next steps on boundaries and transfer procedures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Olympia School District Board Meeting 08-29-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Murphy told the Olympia School District Board at its August meeting that the single largest driver of district revenue is student enrollment and that the district’s current numbers are still projections until students are counted after the start of school.","taxTitle","Olympia School District, School Districts, Washington","taxId",70511,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6132170,"Parents and community members criticize district resource allocation and policy delays during public comment",0,1060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740&start=1060&end=1060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740/thumbnail_1060000.jpg","/articles/6132170/Washington/Parents-and-community-members-criticize-district-resource-allocation-and-policy-delays-during-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6132170-9fe3d9a548e0e21cf5cae949039550da/orig.mp4?Expires=1770409254&Signature=Z4Rje6l545R7T98RV-3ZuZCnk2YDGTwlakBGk-uVpkJBPCwdvgafn5fB8xRCtI15TD8RmrjPL3ER6X3Xr4f06-pewEIg8mqHWhvyi0e4Ive8Vgcpa5QNwOtz38y8xlx~Sm-4bh3e00qZZ8ks6j7DU-d3unhTz1wlJBkwxEgDrV2TJVE5k3qwMMrWk7EsmMSjdquCTuDCoJ9bS71WRbNAqVtgGaGiXW0YWtk9MX0Hkyr3ULBQte5J7e4WzL7GySZUkWoPbfNDUdMYRyls-KsZdSXAmB4lX0GfbcbyLdVOb2SS8vcxOmKNTUjr2MwQuq~MjeWWLMq66qOuoz8G5tjjxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Three public commenters at the August Olympia School District board meeting urged greater transparency on budget and staffing decisions and questioned the timing and process of policy approvals.

Erica Larry, who identified herself as an OSD parent and Southeast resident, focused on how the district allocates building-level staff and whether preschool and transitional kindergarten enrollments are counted in site allocations. She criticized fractional principal allocations at schools she named and said the equity allocation in the budget book (she referenced page 63) lacked clear data on how sites were chosen. “When we urged the public to advocate for K through 12 funding, we assumed positive intent by the board and superintendent,” Larry said. “You should be questioning every piece of data provided by superintendent Murphy, and there should be no guardrails to meeting all of our students and this community where they are at.”

Colette Paulson, an OSD parent, said the community consistently prioritizes classroom resources and criticized what she described as a pattern of approving central‑office raises before securing a balanced budget. “This community has consistently shown its generosity and its commitment to public education, but you're treating that generosity like a blank check for bloated administrative salaries,” Paulson said. She urged the board to “show up for” students and to align budget decisions with community priorities.

Mike Taylor, another commenter, focused on board process and a year‑long delay he said occurred in approving what he called an “essential policy regarding suicide.” He asked the board to explain why the policy did not receive a second reading for more than a year after a first reading in September 2023 and raised related concerns about a separate policy (he referenced “Policy 43.11 regarding police and schools”) and the board’s responsiveness to public questions. Taylor said he had asked the board repeatedly for an explanation. “All I ask is that someone tell me honestly why the policy took over a year to approve,” he said.

Board members did not take action on the public comments during the meeting but noted the concerns. Director Hillary referenced prior policy review work around inter‑district transfers and said staff should clarify whether procedures need updating. Several directors asked staff to gather information on transfer and wait‑list communication and to consider placing OSEQ (an interdistrict special‑education group) and other community requests on a future agenda for a fuller discussion.

No formal board votes or changes to policy were made during the public-comment period; directors said staff would follow up on procedural clarifications and work-session scheduling.","Three members of the public told the board at the August meeting they are concerned about staffing allocations, central administration compensation, transparency on policy approvals and timing for transfers and wait lists. Speakers urged the board to prioritize classroom resources and to explain delayed policy reviews.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6132174,"Olympia School District introduces principals and directors before new school year",757,164000,921000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740&start=164&end=921","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5723875-22c938c8ced2e5e695531a7f0345f740/thumbnail_164000.jpg","/articles/6132174/Washington/Olympia-School-District-introduces-principals-and-directors-before-new-school-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6132174-082900c0208f38e1da8feb2b6103dde4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770409254&Signature=nITtNcKvcnEnMXyCXG-lbnQJmC2INbKWeEoMNWbDCtcsRHnG3q3CPw7WqE9o9gEMCCIfoTExyJ9AXRE68Es3BD9qACgpo64qUIfXpTVut-3v6xKx9TLIVbi0T7X86e3vFcH6v3CnyalC7RBiOeD3LU2i2sEEJjbHtoQ81ehIUEC7WXupql21zB~cCW7zUh7V~tyjxAw5ysfvFKW6ogwDaC47ESoO0SGDj1Nf8q~KofASOKj8MXJzuxCFo-AlcuE7XoseVCiMaB1MqrT029o03QDjfZicJ~4C00boDbD557ECPSrkaVPQFkVKlhVTFANdPfDq1G71ExcdNChpI9Lhpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Olympia School District Board on Thursday heard introductions of multiple new and interim leaders the district said will take roles for the 2025–26 school year.

Assistant Superintendent Whitehead introduced new secondary leaders and interim principals, naming Bonnie Hauschka (from Washington Middle School assistant principal to a head principal role), Tyler Steiner (joining Washington Middle School with two decades of experience), and Mick Hart (named interim head principal at Jefferson Middle School). Superintendent Murphy noted long public service and welcomed the hires.

Karen Zarate was announced to continue as interim head principal at Reeves; Zarate said she will begin the year after 11 years at the school and reported that Reeves enrollment was about 438 students during a recent count. Whitehead also introduced Janet Hubbard as the interim assistant principal at Reeves; Hubbard joined the district after leading NOVA and doing district internship work.

In central office and facility leadership, Frank Wilson introduced Bo Neilson as the new director of capital planning and projects following the 2025 passing of Kurt Cross. Neilson thanked colleagues for the opportunity and said he hopes to continue district projects.

Executive Director Turcotte introduced April Goodman as director of secondary student support; Goodman previously served as an occupational therapist in the district and as interim director, and district leaders praised her collaborative approach to services for students with disabilities.

Newly introduced leaders and interim appointees each offered brief remarks of thanks and said they were looking forward to joining their schools this year. Superintendent Murphy and board members thanked the group and invited the community to visit school sites in coming weeks.

There were no formal votes associated with these introductions; they were presented as personnel announcements and staff said follow-up orientation and school‑level introductions will proceed as schools prepare for the start of the year.","At the August meeting the district introduced several leadership appointments and interim placements for middle and secondary schools and central services, including new principals and directors who will lead schools and capital projects in 2025–26.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Olympia School District presents 2025–26 enrollment projections; board presses on boundaries and transfer process

Parents and community members criticize district resource allocation and policy delays during public comment

Olympia School District introduces principals and directors before new school year