School Consolidation

Background on School Consolidation Process

In February 2020, following a four-month stakeholder engagement process, the Evergreen School District’s Board of Education approved the consolidation of Laurelwood and Dove Hill Elementary Schools at the end of the 2019-20 school year, and the consolidation of a third school, at  the end of the 2020-21 school year. These consolidations were both necessary and required as part of our district’s fiscal stabilization plan to close a $12 million budget shortfall, due in large part to declining enrollment.

Staff and community members who followed the school consolidation discussions in 2018-2020 are also aware that OB Whaley School was referred to as the third school to consider for closure after the first two schools, Dove Hill and Laurelwood closed.

The Evergreen School District Board subsequently determined that closing a third school during the COVID-19 Pandemic would put an immense strain not only on staff and resources, but also would disrupt communities at a critical time when so much anguish and anxiety about school already existed.