Location is Important in Eastside’s Northshore School District

Every few years, it feels like the Northshore School District, one of the top school districts on the Eastside which encompasses Woodinville and Bothell, is discussing some kind of change to the district. Ten years ago, the controversy was all about redistricting due to an excess of students in certain elementary school areas. Boy how things have changed–now, the situation is entirely reversed and  based on dimishing student population and diminishing state and federal revenues, Northshore has had to reduce staff and take other measures. Recently the district proposed closing an elementary school to address current economic deficiencies. However, when the demise of Woodin Elementary School was announced, it was not surprisingly met with opposition from local parents and students. Thus, the NSD school board revised its proposal and the school survived. Budget cuts will now be made by eliminating extra busing routes to special programs and after school activities.

In particular, NSD will no longer provide after school activity transport for junior highs. Nor will it provide bus service to academic enrichment programs like the International Baccalaureate program at Inglemoor High School, the Elementary Advanced Programs at Bear Creek Elementary and Woodmoor Elementary, or the PACE program at Wellington. These programs serve students across multiple regions and if you don’t live within the designated boundaries of the particular school which houses your program, you will now have to provide your own transportation back and forth. For some, this will mean a couple of extra miles and minutes that they will have to transport their children back and forth, but for others, it could mean significant commute time and transportation costs, or even foregoing these programs altogether.  Certainly, parents will have to consider just how much they value these programs, if they live out of the area.

However, if you’re currently seeking to buy a house in the district, this stuff is good to know as it may very well affect where you decide to live. If you are interested in one of these programs, you should seriously consider living within the home school boundaries of the program. 

To that end, here are some interesting family-style houses that popped up in my search by school district All are 4+ bedrooms and are veterans of market time, indicating there might be some bargaining room here.

If you’re interested in Inglemoor’s IB program:

9202 NE 155th St., Bothell
4 br/2.5 ba, 2,630 sq.ft.
Price: $609,950 ($232/sq.ft.)
On Redfin 174 days

10015 NE 155th, Bothell
4 br/2.5 ba, 2,720 sq.ft.
Price: $639,950 ($235/sq.ft.)
On Redfin 105 days

15605 100th Pl. NE, Bothell
5 br/4 ba, 3,990 sq.ft.
Price $799,950 ($200/sq.ft.)
On Redfin 154 days

If you’re interested in Woodmoor’s EAP program:

15333 106th Ave NE, Bothell
4 br/2.5 ba, 2,480 sq.ft.
Price: $499,900 ($202/sq.ft.)
On Redfin 48 days

16321 124th Pl NE, Woodinville
4 br/2.5 ba, undisclosed
Price: $509,950
On Redfin 185 days

If you’re interested in Bear Creek’s EAP program:

18815 201st Ave NE, Woodinville
4 br/2.5 ba, 2,920 sq.ft.
Price: $735,000 ($252/sq.ft.)
On Redfin 84 days

If you’re interested in Wellington’s PACE program:

19115 170th Ave NE, Woodinville
4 br/3 ba, 2,740 sq.ft.
Price: $549,999 (negotiable)
On Redfin 167 days

18022 171st Ave NE, Woodinville
4 br/2.5 ba, 3,938 sq.ft.
Price: $884,500 ($225/sq.ft.)
On Redfin 89 days.