School district in Washington, U.S.
Bellingham School District No. 501 (branded as Bellingham Public Schools) is a public school district in Whatcom County, Washington, United States that serves the city of Bellingham. As of the 2022–2023 school year[update], the district has an enrollment of 11,623 students.[3]
In 2006, the Center for Digital Education, along with the National School Boards Association, named the Bellingham School District 6th in the nation for districts with 2501-15000 students.[4][5] They were also awarded an "excellence in equity" award in 2019, from the Washington State School Directors' Association,[6] and a green ribbon for sustainability from the U.S. Department of Education in 2022.[7]
The strategic plan of Bellingham Public Schools is known as "The Bellingham Promise".[8]
Schools
High schools
Grades 9–12
- Bellingham High School (BHS)
- Bellingham's attendance area is a strip, with Squalicum's area to the north and Sehome's to the south.[9]
- Options High School (OHS)
- Options High School is directly adjacent to Bellingham High, and does not have its own attendance area.[9] It provides an alternative education experience.[10] It has lower class sizes for more accessible learning.[11]
- Sehome High School (SHS)
- The southernmost of the district's high schools.[9]
- Squalicum High School (SqHS)
- The northernmost of the district's high schools.[9]
Middle schools
Grades 6–8
- Fairhaven Middle School
- This school was originally Fairhaven High School, but it burned down New Year's Eve of 1935, reopening as a junior high in 1937 and a middle school in 1967.[12]
- Kulshan Middle School
- Shuksan Middle School
- Whatcom Middle School
- The school was originally build in 1903,[13] and named North Side High School, later named Whatcom High School, all before becoming a middle school.[14] Whatcom Middle School burned down on November 5, 2009, and classes were originally closed until the 12th, but due to rebuilding, the school was eventually reopened in 2011.[15]
Elementary schools
Grades K–5
- Alderwood Elementary School
- Birchwood Elementary School
- Carl Cozier Elementary School
- Columbia Elementary School
- Cordata Elementary School
- Geneva Elementary School
- Happy Valley Elementary School
- The entirety of Happy Valley's attendance area feeds into Fairhaven Middle School.[9]
- Lowell Elementary School
- The entirety of Lowell's attendance area feeds into Fairhaven Middle School.[9]
- Northern Heights Elementary School
- Parkview Elementary School
- Roosevelt Elementary School
- Silver Beach Elementary School
- Sunnyland Elementary School
- Wade King Elementary School
- The majority of the school's attendance area feeds into Fairhaven, with some feeding into Kulshan.[9]
Other programs
References
- ^ "Early Childhood Education". Bellingham Public Schools. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Bellingham School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- ^ "Bellingham School District". Washington State Report Card. OSPI. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "Digital School Boards Survey". Center for Digital Education. Archived from the original on November 30, 2006. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Rowe, Tanya Kerstiens. "Bellingham School Board Honored as Tech-Savvy" (Press release). Bellingham Public Schools. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Teehan, Joe (November 25, 2019). "Bellingham Schools Board of Directors honored". 790 KGMI. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ Hoffman, Hailey (April 23, 2022). "Bellingham Public Schools awarded Green Ribbon for sustainability". Cascadia Daily News. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "The Bellingham Promise". Bellingham Public Schools. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Attendance Areas". Bellingham Public Schools. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "Options High School" (PDF). AIA Seattle.
- ^ Mittan, Kyle (June 6, 2016). "What to know as new Options High School gets built in Bellingham". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Gallagher, Mary Lane (March 15, 2012) [November 10, 2007]. "Milestones: Bellingham students still walk historic hallways". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ "Historic Bellingham middle school destroyed by fire". king5.com. November 5, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ^ "Whatcom Middle School history". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Cox, Kira M. (August 30, 2011) [February 9, 2011]. "Whatcom Middle School to reopen in fall 2011, one year early". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Bellingham Public Schools Foundation