The Future of McKay
We will do our best to keep this section updated with what we know about the building of the new Raleigh Hills and the plans for McKay Elementary. We want to keep YOU - families who care about McKay, it's students and staff - informed and engaged throughout the process.
A brief background:
McKay families got word in May 2024 that the district was considering closing several nearby community schools to help populate the new Raleigh Hills Elementary. Families, staff, and students from affected schools quickly came together and expressed their displeasure with the district's hasty and plans. In response to the public outcry, the school district has "paused" the discussion about the potential closure of McKay and other community schools.
They have hired a third-party consultant, local architectural firm BRIC, to facilitate community engagement and help develop a plan for a wider conversation about issues facing the entire district.
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The new Raleigh Hills is being built with a capacity of 750+ students. This is 5 classes per grade. This number was chose by the district in 2013 to guide new school builds.
Updates from the December 2024 school board meeting:​
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Construction at the new Raleigh Hills began in late summer of 2024.
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The physical building plan is the same as what they always planned for. There has been no change in plans to the exterior of the school, it is the same build they always planned for. A district rep said they would be looking at options for how the interior of the building will be used. There was not a clear timeline for this. They did not propose any numbers for what the school would open with.
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Upcoming dates:
The district will host several community conversations in collaboration with BRIC to hear directly from BSD students, families, staff and community members. From the BSD site: "The purpose is to determine the values and priorities that will guide the district’s long-range planning. These sessions are meant to be a dialogue — a short presentation followed by an opportunity to hear from attendees through a series of guided questions. By hearing your stories, perspectives and ideas, we can make sure that our long-range plan reflects the needs and dreams of our diverse community. Please note that these sessions will not focus on specific schools or boundaries; those topics will be addressed at a later stage. Instead, these conversations will set a foundation of understanding to inform the development of the district’s long-range plan."
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Sunset High School - Tuesday, March 4, 6:30 p.m.
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Westview High School - Monday, March 17, 6:30 p.m.
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Following the community conversations, a Long-Range Planning Committee will be formed (April-June 2025). Their goal will be to develop guiding values (June-September 2025), which will then be used in combination with district data (e.g. enrollment numbers) to build out potential options for a long range (10-20 year) plan. Feedback on these proposals will be open to the public in the fall of 2025, with the final proposal going to the Superintendent in January 2026 and School Board in February 2026.
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