Thursday, October 1, 2026
Three schools are being considered for closure in the Olympia School District (OSD), as a means to produce roughly $3.1 million in recurring annual savings.
OSD Superintendent Patrick Murphy addressed the issue in a letter posted on the district's website that proposes closing Madison, McKenny and LP Brown elementary schools.
The letter was released ahead of an OSD Board of Directors work session on Sept. 17, at which time a state-required closure and consolidation written analysis is scheduled to be discussed.
“Our analysis estimates that the three proposed closures/consolidations could produce approximately $3.1 million in recurring annual savings, funds that can be better directed toward classrooms, student services, and the educational experiences our community expects,” the letter states.
First-year savings may be lower than the anticipated $3.1 million due to the district investing in staff and support expenses needed for a transition, should the closures move ahead.
The proposal also cuts the schools off from the long-range capital plan to “avoid roughly $137 million in projected facility investments.”
The declining enrollment trend in the district, according to Murphy, was not reversed even after various efforts were pursued — monitoring enrollment, pursuing new revenue, expanding early-learning options, and increasing the number of students transferring inside.
“I recognize that for students, families, and staff at Madison, McKenny, and LP Brown, this proposal is about far more than buildings, enrollment, or budgets. These schools are communities built on relationships, shared experiences, and years of commitment, and I understand why the prospect of closure brings frustration and worry,” the letter states.
Murphy proposed that students from McKenny be moved to Pioneer and Centennial elementary schools. Madison students would be moved to Roosevelt, with LP Brown students to Hansen and Garfield elementary schools
“Those schools are every bit as beloved by their own families and staff. Our responsibility is to intentionally bring these communities together, honoring the histories and traditions of the schools that close while creating a shared identity at each receiving school,” Murphy wrote.
Murphy is schedueled to discuss the School Closures and Consolidations OSD Policy 6883 Analysis at the Sept. 17 meeting, which state law and district policy require before being able to hold public hearings and a board vote. The board could vote on the school closures at a meeting on Nov. 12.
State law requires the school board to hold separate public hearings for the different schools up for closure. The district will hold the hearings in October.
|
School |
Date |
Time |
|
McKenny Elementary School |
Monday, Oct. 12 |
6 p.m. |
|
LP Brown Elementary School |
Thursday, Oct. 15 |
6 p.m. |
|
Madison Elementary School |
Monday, Oct. 19 |
6 p.m. |
At a Sept. 10 meeting, more than a dozen parents, staff, students and community members attended to comment on the school closure process.
Local resident Casey Allan said the closure would be difficult for parents, who do not have the capacity to transfer students.
“Consolidation process 2.0 is underway, and families who could move to a safe school did or left the district or never enrolled in the district at all. What about the families who cannot? These are their guaranteed schools, and they're being torn down little by little,” Allan said.
Parent Melissa Kerson got emotional in saying how the closures would affect children with special needs.
“My son receives special education services, and the district has chosen to consolidate children with high support needs into just a few specific schools. This means that my son cannot attend our local school … instead he is bused to other schools,” Kerson said.
Student parent Julie Garver criticized the impact of larger class sizes and teacher shortages on the teaching and learning environment.
Student parent Curt Gavigan said the district distinguishes itself from other districts based on statistics. Gavigan said the district has robust optional programs and neighborhood schools where staff and students get to know each other.
The recorded materials from the latest regular board meeting are available on the district's website. There will be no public comment portion at the board's work session on Sept. 17.
9 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
TheVirtualOne
Hurrah to the superintendent for having the backbone and foresight to do the right thing. It takes guts and leadership to be the bearer of bad news and bring reality into focus for those who are struggling to face it, however unpleasant it may be.
Tuesday, September 15 Report this
jimlazar
Student populations are in decline. The forecast for the Olympia School District is that it will not regain 2020 student counts until 2045.
Closing a neighborhood school is traumatic to the students and their parents.
But we have excess school capacity. What's the right solution?
What is interesting is that 9 years ago, when the Trillium development was proposed across Morse-Merryman Street from Margaret McKenny Elementary, the district testified to the Olympia Hearing Examiner that there was no capacity in the local schools, and students in the new development would be bussed across town to Garfield. Now there is so much excess capacity that the school may be closing.
We live in dynamic times.
Tuesday, September 15 Report this
JnNwmn
Past School Board Members have said that this analysis is not accurate. And that closing certain schools DO NOT
result in the claimed savings that is stated. Hold their feet to fire and DEMAND to see the numbers.
Tuesday, September 15 Report this
wellnow77
How about selling the land that the district office now occupies?? (The old Olympian building). It's prime real estate and could provide some relief. Why does the district office need that much space?? They could work remotely, or in empty rooms that the three schools they are proposing to close would have. Or in space in the old Washington Junior High. What is the budget for the district office space and salaries. With some fine tuning, I am sure it could be cut! It is important to me that all three schools mentioned remain open!
Tuesday, September 15 Report this
JW
Shut down schools and start reducing staff. The student pipeline is declining. Time to return some of the onerous tax burden back to the property owners
Tuesday, September 15 Report this
JohnGear
Good big picture view on school closures and declining enrollments nationwide here:
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/09/15/repub/fewer-students-too-many-schools-communities-confront-closures-and-consolidations
Wednesday, September 16 Report this
Curious
First, how much money are we actually going to save with this plan? The school still owns the land from the last school it closed decades ago. It still owns the old headquarters. If they needed money and more students, how about they sell that lens to build family housing on?
Second, enrollment may be down, but there isn't enough room at the remaining schools to fit this many students. Right now, Roosevelt may have empty classrooms, but that's because the classes they have are stuffed to the gills.
Thursday, September 17 Report this
OlyBlues
Kudos to Superintendent Murphy for having the courage to make the right decision to strategically close these schools based on low enrollment numbers. The school system operates as a business, and if the numbers aren't there, there is no need for so much excess space. These parents seems to forget that taxpayers in the district are all paying to keep these buildings operational and excess staff paid. Taxpayers should not be paying for unnecessary space. It is past due time for consolidation and closures. Next up, time to sell some of these buildings so taxpayers do not have to pay to maintain them.
Friday, September 18 Report this
SilenceD
We have three kids in OSD schools, so we take an active interest in how our local schools are managed. There's no doubt enrollment rates are trending down, due to declining birth rates and families opting out of the full-time public school program. But I don't think OSD's analysis fully explored all alternatives. First, why do we need to view declining enrollment as a problem at all? I've always been told one of the main goals of public education policy is to reduce class sizes. Shouldn't we use our excess building capacity to establish more, smaller classes, rather than jamming kids into one classroom? Second, were changes to our alternative school offerings considered at all? Why does one family that sends their kid to a "traditional" school need to have their school closed, but a family that opts-in to an alternative program sees no change in services? Finally, OSD's analysis contains no concrete plan for what to do with the land/buildings for the closed schools. There are vague references to engaging local governments and nonprofits (all of which are also cash-strapped and likely unable to afford the purchase/lease costs for the space), but this is not a strategy. Many districts that close schools do not realize the projected savings, even if they have a viable "exit strategy" for the school properties. So at this point, I'm pretty skeptical about OSD's approach to closing neighborhood schools.
Friday, September 18 Report this