MARYSVILLE—Roughly 75 community members attended the first of three Information Gathering Sessions hosted by newly appointed Marysville School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Dave Burgess on October 22, to learn and share concerns about school closures.
“The Board is absolutely committed to getting stakeholder participation in this,” Dr. Burgess told the Lynnwood Times at Tuesday’s Information Gathering Session, “to do anything less than that would be unconscionable.”
Burgess emphasized to the Lynnwood Times that “absolutely” no decision has been made on which schools or how many to close. This was also confirmed by Jodi Runyon, Director of Communications for Marysville Schools.
Last year, an email to families and staff identified three schools—Cascade Elementary School, Liberty Elementary School and Totem Middle School—to potentially close for the 2025-26 school year. In its 2024-25 Comprehensive Financial Plan released to the state in April, the district mentioned it would need to close at least two schools to remain solvent.
Runyon shared that the three schools were only mentioned because of age and condition, but that the School Board did not, and has not, made any official decision on which schools to close nor how many.
Burgess further confirmed with the Lynnwood Times that the “list from last year” is no more and that it is critical to have community feedback telling us that “any decision made” will have “community input.”
“I speak from the heart, and I am not going to lie to anybody,” Burgess emphasized.
At Tuesday’s Information Gathering Session, community members split into three rotating groups addressing student disruption, impacts, and transitional support. Each table focused on a decision-making element: capacity, building condition, and boundary impact to families.
Each of the participants provided ideas and what additional information was still needed to help facilitate a proper decision. At the end of the exercise, participants provided input on what three schools they would recommend closing and why.
Burgess shared that he hopes this process will lead to a $1 to $2 million recurring savings for his budget reduction efforts. He will be using a process called “Strategic Abandonment” to identify and keep critical core functional processes. With this, he understands that some “good things” may have to go to “properly focus on things that are critical.”
Based on initial calculations by the Finance Department, the district will reduce costs $500,000 for each elementary school closed, inching closer to Burgess’ overall budget reduction goal of $2 million.
When a school closes the district will avoid costs of an administrator, a building secretary, and ongoing maintenance costs, Burgess told the Lynnwood Times.
Currently there are no plans to sell any of the properties where school closures may occur, to facilitate any possible future increase in enrollment. However, Burgess shared with attendees that state law—RCW 28A.335.130—restricts proceeds from the sale of property owned by school districts to be used only for a district’s debt service fund and/or capital projects fund, and not operating costs. He added that this may be an opportunity for legislators in the upcoming session to amend the law by offering a temporary waiver when districts face a financial crisis, such as in the case with the Marysville School District.
Since the 2015-16 school year, Marysville School District has seen an enrollment drop from 11,398 to a 2025-26 projection of 9,119 (2024-25 Comprehensive Financial Plan)—an enrollment loss of 2,279 students or 20 percent.
The data collected in this and the two other Information Sessions will be compiled by the School Closure Committee who will present the results and completed feedback forms to the School Board, families, and staff. The School Board will then provide a decision and direction regarding school closures Dr. Burgess and the School Closure Committee.
The School Closure Committee is still seeking members and has yet to host an official meeting. It will be comprised of community members from Marysville and Tulalip, Marysville School District staff, and potentially students, the district told the Lynnwood Times. Anyone interested in being considered for the School Closure Committee is to attend one of the Information Gathering Sessions on October 23, from 6 – 7 p.m. at Marysville Pilchuck High School Commons, or on October 28, from 6 – 7 p.m. at Marysville Middle School Gym.
Despite this being a difficult time for students, families, staff and the community, Jodi Runyon, Director of Communications for Marysville Schools, shared with the Lynnwood Times that she is hopeful the efforts by everyone will lead to an eventual success.
“We have someone [Dr. Burgess] with experience who lives in the community, so he has the best chance of making this successful,” Runyon said.
She added that the district will also be integrating equity, diversity, inclusivity, and balance into the process to ensure those with special needs aren’t overlooked.
“We have to take into consideration all of our students with different backgrounds, different ethnicities, including those with different abilities,” Runyon added.
Donna Busk, a Music Teacher at Cascade Elementary School shared with the Lynnwood Times that at her school, she and the other teachers work as a team and are feeling a bit anxious awaiting a decision if their school is selected for closure.
“It is not these 25 kids [in a class] are my kids, its these school kids are my kids,” she said. “So, if a kid is having a bad day and I had him in second grade and he is now in fourth grade, I can still talk with him. We problem solve with each other.”
A positive outcome from the district’s current financial predicaments, Busk added, has been more parent and PTA engagement to finding solutions that will make Marysville School District succeed.
Author: Mario Lotmore
