Elementary school closures and a potential bond vote are on the Olympia School District board's horizon when it convenes a work session at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at City Hall.
The session comes as Superintendent Patrick Murphy's proposal to close small elementary schools and pursue a bond measure moves through the district's planning process.
It also falls one day before the Friday, July 31, deadline to apply for the district's new Bond Planning Committee.
How to attend
The work session will be held in person at City Hall, 601 4th Ave East, Olympia. Families can also watch virtually through the City of Olympia's Legistar calendar page. The agenda is posted on BoardDocs.
The board does not accept public comment during work sessions. Families who want to speak to the board will need to wait for a regular meeting.
What the board is weighing
The specific agenda items for Thursday's session have not been confirmed, but the district is in the middle of several consequential decisions.
Murphy proposed closing small elementary schools and pursuing a bond vote that The Olympian reported would target Tuesday, February 9, 2027, to fund facility upgrades and safety improvements.
Murphy told families on June 17 that declining enrollment remains "one of the most significant challenges" facing the district and that the 2026-27 school year would not be the last year of reductions.
The district's 2026-27 budget shows a beginning general fund balance of $7.69 million and a projected ending balance of $8.41 million, a figure the budget book says requires continued expenditure reductions and fiscal discipline in future years.
"While we appreciate the investments the Legislature has made over the last several years, those investments have not kept pace with the actual costs of operating schools," Murphy said in a June 17 message to the community accompanying the budget's first reading.
The district serves more than 9,000 students across Olympia.
Bond Planning Committee deadline: Friday, July 31
The district is recruiting community members with experience in K-12 construction, engineering, architecture, public finance, or facilities planning to serve on a Bond Planning Committee.
The group will meet three times between August and September to evaluate and prioritize potential capital improvement projects for a future bond measure.
Proposed meeting dates land on all Thursdays: August 20, September 17, and September 24, all from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Applicants who served on the district's Long Range Planning Committee will receive additional consideration.
The application deadline is Friday, July 31. The interest form is available on the district's website.
What's next
The July 30 work session is the board's first public gathering since its Thursday, July 16, regular meeting, which Board Director Renee Fullerton (District 3) recapped in a video posted the following day. The Bond Planning Committee is scheduled to complete its work by late September, with meetings wrapping up September 24.
