Bellingham School District

Bellingham School District No. 501 (operating as Bellingham Public Schools) is a public school district serving Bellingham, Washington. The district enrolls nearly 12,000 students across its schools and programs,^[3][4] and is the fourth-largest employer in Whatcom County.^[5] The strategic plan of Bellingham Public Schools is known as "The Bellingham Promise".^[6]

Bellingham Public Schools
Address
1985 Barkley Boulevard Bellingham , Washington, 98225 United States
Coordinates	48.7714°N 122.4477°W / 48.7714; -122.4477
District information
Motto	A Collective Commitment
Grades	K–12, with preschool and pre-K offered for certain students.[1]
Superintendent	Greg Baker
Schools	14 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high
NCES District ID	5300420[2]
Students and staff
Students	11,614 (2022–2023)
Teachers	705.48 (FTE; 2022–2023)
Student–teacher ratio	16.46 (2022–2023)
Other information
Website	bellinghamschools.org

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.^[7][8] They were also awarded an "excellence in equity" award in 2019, from the Washington State School Directors' Association,^[9] and a green ribbon for sustainability from the U.S. Department of Education in 2022.^[10]

The district includes the vast majority of the Bellingham city limits, as well as the unincorporated areas of Geneva and Sudden Valley and most of Marietta-Alderwood. A small piece of Ferndale extends into the district.^[11]

Schools

High schools

Bellingham Public Schools includes four high schools, all serving grades 9–12.^[12]

School	Mascot	Enrollment (2022–2023)	WIAA[13]	Notes
Bellingham High School (BHS)	Bayhawks	1,218[14]	Northwest Conference (2A)	Located in the Sunnyland neighborhood, Bellingham's attendance area includes most of Bellingham's city center, and is bound by Squalicum's area to the north and Sehome's to the south.[15]
Options High School (OHS)	Armadillos	188[16]	None	Located directly adjacent to Bellingham High School, Options is a "school of choice" and does not have its own attendance area.[17][15] Options provides an alternative education experience, with smaller class sizes for more accessible learning.[18][19]
Sehome High School (SHS)	Mariners	1,163[20]	Northwest Conference (2A)	Located in the Happy Valley neighborhood, Sehome is the southernmost of the district's high schools.[15]
Squalicum High School (SqHS)	Storm	1,280[21]	Northwest Conference (2A)	Located in the Barkley neighborhood, Squalicum is the northernmost of the district's high schools.[15]

Middle schools

The district includes four grade 6–8 middle schools.^[12]

School	Mascot	Feeds to[15]	Notes
Fairhaven Middle School	Grizzly Bears[22]	Sehome	Fairhaven is located in the Edgemoor neighborhood. The 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.[23]
Kulshan Middle School	Thunderbirds[24]	Bellingham, Sehome, and Squalicum	Kulshan is located in the Whatcom Falls neighborhood. The school was opened in 1994.
Shuksan Middle School	Cougars[25]	Bellingham and Squalicum	Shuksan is located in the Birchwood neighborhood.
Whatcom Middle School	Wildcats[26]	Bellingham and Squalicum	Whatcom is located in the Lettered Streets neighborhood. The school was originally built in 1903 and named North Side High School. It was also named Whatcom High School before becoming a middle school.[27][28] Whatcom Middle School burned down on November 5, 2009; due to rebuilding, the school reopened in 2011.[29]

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.^[15]
• Lowell Elementary School
  • The entirety of Lowell's attendance area feeds into Fairhaven Middle School.^[15]
• 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.^[15]

Other programs

• Family Partnership Program

Neighborhood references: City of Bellingham.^[30][31]