BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Students took to the streets and parents took to public meetings over proposed elementary school closures in Bellingham.

Dozens of students walked out at lunchtime on Monday, Nov. 2 to protest outside of the Bellingham Public Schools’ district office.

Some of them were later present at a public hearing regarding the potential closures, including BPS Student Activism organizer Mick O’Shaughnessy:

“Our schools and students are not pawns for you and your board to remove and displace as you please and to please the budget. It shows a severe lack of accountability to blatantly disregard all public concern and comments surrounding the school closures, only to respond by acknowledging our frustration and not addressing the real issues.”

Parents, current and former students who spoke touched on a variety of frustrations, including a lack of transparency over how a voter-approved bond from 2022 was spent.

“Public trust in the school district and board has taken a real hit in the past months. If you push ahead on this plan without making similarly deep cuts on the administrative side and taking accountability for the use of the 2022 bond dollars, it will do lasting damage to the relationship with the public.”

My Bellingham Now previously reported that part of the bond funded the relocation of the district office, while the rest was initially meant to renovate Carl Cozier, Columbia and Roosevelt elementary schools.

In a statement to MBN, Bellingham Public Schools emphasized that a lack of adequate state funding and declining enrollment was a major driver into the closure considerations.

They also supported student activists’ rights to safely express themselves during Monday’s walkout.

A final vote on the school closures could be held at the board’s next meeting on Nov. 12.