Parents pack Edmonds School Board meeting to oppose 7:20 a.m. elementary start times

The Edmonds School District Board of Directors faced a packed boardroom June 9, as dozens of parents and students pushed back against a proposed 7:20 a.m. start time for select elementary schools. 

Following a two-hour public comment period, the Board approved over $300 million in construction contracts to build new schools and a resolution authorizing the District to adopt updated high school health, social studies and science curricula. 

Parents speak out against proposed early start times

With parents filling the boardroom and pouring into the halls, the Board voted to extend the public comment period from its standard 30 minutes to two hours. The overwhelming majority of speakers expressed opposition to a proposed schedule change for the 2027-28 school year that would require many elementary schools to begin at 7:20 a.m. and dismiss at 1:50 p.m.

Under the proposal, the following schools are set to adopt the 7:20 a.m. start time: 

• Beverly Elementary
• Cedar Valley Elementary
• Cedar Way Elementary
• Chase Lake Elementary
• College Place Elementary
• Hilltop Elementary
• Martha Lake Elementary
• Meadowdale Elementary
• Mountlake Terrace Elementary
• Oak Heights Elementary
• Terrace Park Elementary
• Westgate Elementary

The District proposed the change to accommodate later start times for middle and high school students, but parents argued it simply shifts the burden to the District’s youngest and most vulnerable children.

Tom Kozaczynski, a parent of two Westgate Elementary students, told the Board that no other elementary school in neighboring districts start before 7:55 a.m.

“This proposal is not just a regional outlier. It would be a national one,” Kozaczynski said, adding that the burden falls disproportionately on lower-income families. “Ten of the District’s 14 Title One elementary schools have been assigned to the 7:20 a.m. tier. That is over 71% of our highest-need schools.”

Parents cited safety concerns for 5- and 6-year-olds waiting for buses in the dark during winter months, a lack of sidewalks in some neighborhoods, and the heavy financial burden of securing after-school child care for a 1:50 p.m. dismissal. 

Students also voiced their concerns. A third-grader at Terrace Park Elementary spoke on how the early start times would impact her family. 

“My parents get home around 7 p.m.,” she said. “We finish dinner around 7:30 p.m., and that makes it impossible to fall asleep before 7:30 p.m. unless I cook dinner for everyone.”

As of Thursday, a parent-led petition asking the District to withdraw the proposal had more than 1,700 signatures.  

Learn more about the proposed time changes at the District’s website. 

Bond sale planning and financial reports

District Executive Director of Business and Finance Lydia Sellie presented the April 2026 financial report. April is typically the District’s highest fund balance month due to spring property tax collections, resulting in $14.1 million more in revenues than expenditures for the month, she said. Overall, April’s numbers were consistent with projections. 

Mark Prussing, the District’s financial advisor, presented the plan for the District’s upcoming bond sale. Plans for the sale – anticipated for mid-August – include issuing a second $200 million installment of the $594 million bond authorization approved by voters in February 2024.

Prussing also detailed the District’s plans to refinance outstanding bonds from 2015-16 after interest rates dropped from 5% to 3.3% in 2026. 

“In today’s interest rates… we could save about $1.8 million for taxpayers,” he said. 

The Board is set to vote on a resolution at its next meeting to formally authorize the 2024 bonds and up to $50 million in refunding bonds. 

School construction contract approvals 

The Board also unanimously approved three resolutions authorizing school construction and design contracts funded by the 2024 bond measure. 

Salish Middle School: The Board approved Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) Amendment 2 with Spee West Construction for $102,477,252, to construct a new 1,000-student middle school on the former Alderwood Middle School site. The Board also established a total budget authorization of $170 million for the project, which includes all related construction, design and permitting costs. Completion is scheduled for July 2028. 

College Place replacements: Further, the Board approved a $139,046,441 GMP amendment with Cornerstone Construction to demolish and replace College Place Elementary and Middle schools. The Board authorized a total project budget of $214 million. Substantial completion of the new buildings is targeted for July 2028, with the demolition of the old middle school slated for early 2029. 

Westgate Elementary Architect: The Board also authorized the District to execute a $5,303,476 architectural and construction administration contract with Mithun Inc. for the Westgate Elementary School replacement project. The firm was selected from a pool of 10 submissions based on their alignment with District standards. 

High school curriculum updates

After years of review and classroom piloting, the Board unanimously approved three major curriculum adoptions for high school students, bringing instructional materials into alignment with modern state standards. 

The District in previous years delayed adopting the new curriculum to save money during budget shortfalls. District Superintendent Rebecca Miner said this is to keep budget reductions “as far away from” staffing and classrooms as possible. 

The Board adopted the following curricula: 

Health: “Live Well: Comprehensive High School Health,” replacing curricula in place since 1999. 

Social Studies: Savvas Learning Company curriculum for World History, U.S. History, and Civics, replacing materials from 2007. The District will also purchase a collection of supplemental books to support Ethnic Studies, as the committee found no comprehensive textbooks available from major publishers. 

Science: Replacing materials last updated in 2004 and 2006, the Board adopted PEER Physics and New Visions Earth Space Science as core frameworks.

Director Keith Smith expressed his support for the updates before voting. 

“I was shocked when I found out that they’re still using the same textbook that I was using when I was here [as a student], especially in a subject such as health where everything changes so quickly,” he said. 

Celebrations

The meeting began with several celebrations recognizing staff, students and schools for their accomplishments. 

The first celebration highlighted six elementary schools that received recognition from the Washington State Board of Education for their work in closing opportunity gaps and supporting academic growth.

• Lynndale Elementary: Recognized for growth for students in one or more racial or ethnic groups.
• Meadowdale Elementary: Recognized for growth for students in one or more racial or ethnic groups.
• Mountlake Terrace Elementary: Recognized for growth for low-income students.
• Sherwood Elementary: Recognized for growth for students in one or more racial or ethnic groups.
• Terrace Park Elementary (Challenge Program): Recognized for achievement in English language arts, math and attendance.
• Westgate Elementary: Recognized for growth for students in one or more racial or ethnic groups.

The Board also celebrated and thanked the 2025-26 Student Board Advisors for their dedication to representing student voices throughout the school year: 

• Ismail Elbibary (Lynnwood High School).
• Tatiana Lindberg (Edmonds Heights K-12).
• Scarlett Luo (Edmonds-Woodway High School).
• Sam Mabeza (Mountlake Terrace High School).
• Bitanya Tesfaye (Meadowdale High School).

This was followed by a celebration recognizing outstanding spring senior athletes for their athletic accomplishments: 

• Edmonds-Woodway High School: Kaydence Hansen, Aliah Karl (track & field) and Cruz Escandon (baseball). 
• Lynnwood High School: Monet Winfield-Sullers, Ena Dodik (track & field), and Henry Torres-Hernandez (soccer). 
• Meadowdale High School: Madison Mitchell (fastpitch) and Kealoha Kepo’o-Sabate (baseball). 
• Mountlake Terrace High School: Sadie Parker (golf) and Owen Meek (baseball).

In addition, the Board celebrated the Lynnwood High School FIRST Robotics team – which also includes students from Edmonds-Woodway High and Edmonds Heights K-12 – for attending the National Championship and earning multiple awards at District competitions. 

The following teammates were recognized Tuesday: Nate Black, Fiona Black, Evelyn Cole, Prachi Garnayak, Sai Gunti, Nikola Hendon, Joshua Lin, Minh Ngo, Elizabeth Raynes, Allyson Roseburg, Weston Yan and Caroline Zurybida. 

The meeting recording and agenda are available on the District’s website.

— Contact Ashley at [email protected].