OAK HARBOR: Continued enrollment declines projected for school

Allyson Ballard reports from the Oak Harbor School District board meeting of Mon., Aug. 11, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.

Continued declines in student enrollment could impact the Oak Harbor School District’s budget this school year and the next several.

The school board and staff discussed the issue during a school board meeting last week. According to details provided to the board, estimates show declines in enrollment until at least the 2030-31 school year for students in traditional K-12 education, or basic education, and those in alternate learning environments, like HomeConnection and the Oak Harbor Virtual Academy.

As a result, 175 fewer full-time equivalent students are enrolled ahead of the upcoming school year compared to the last which, based on 2024-25 formulas, means a projected associated revenue loss north of $2.1 million, according to the presentation. The current draft sets the budget at about $118 million.

On the Ballot in November 2025