The End of the Block

MISD Moves to Consolidate Crest Learning Center

For decades, the Crest Learning Center has functioned as a vital pressure valve for Mercer Island High School. Nestled just away from the main campus bustle, it has served as a sanctuary for students who find the traditional high school environment overwhelming. Crest offers smaller class sizes, a slower pace, and a high ratio of adult support.

However, a letter sent to families earlier this week signals a significant shift in that landscape. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, the district plans to essentially dismantle the “Crest Block” --the core English and Social Studies program—and place students in “appropriate” courses offered at the main MIHS campus.

The District’s Directive

In a letter sent to families of current students, district leadership cited a "changing landscape" defined by two primary factors: shrinking enrollment and diminishing state funding. The numbers, according to the district, no longer support the standalone "Block" model offered at Crest. For the upcoming school year, only a handful of current eighth graders registered for the program, leading to a projected class size that the district deems unsustainable.

Beyond the math of enrollment, the district raised a legal and pedagogical concern regarding the "Least Restrictive Environment." Currently, the Crest Block is composed of approximately 75% students receiving special services. District officials argue this makeup does not accurately reflect a general education classroom. By moving these students and their associated para-educators and case managers to the main campus, the district believes it can provide "support across their day" rather than confining those resources to a specific building.

Under the new plan, Horticulture and Marine Science will remain at the Crest facility, but all other core academic instructions will be integrated into the main building. Notably, the district confirmed that long-time instructor Mr. Rigby will be taking a two-year leave of absence, though other staff are expected to be reassigned rather than displaced.

A Sanctuary Under Scrutiny

The Crest program has long been defined by its structure. At its best, it provides a smaller-class, high-support alternative learning site. With para-educators in every class and two teachers in the CREST block, the environment is designed to reduce the sensory and behavioral disruptions that can derail a student’s progress in a larger setting.

For many families, the news is a source of profound anxiety. Advocates for the program argue that the "safe and supportive space" of the physical Crest building is the very thing that allows their children to succeed. There is a fear that once these supports are moved into the "mainstream" environment of MIHS, the personalized attention that makes CREST unique will be diluted or lost entirely.

During recent discussions, speakers urged the school board to maintain the current staffing and offerings. They pointed out that when specialized services are cut or moved, families often feel forced to seek private schooling or enroll outside the district. This "flight" of students can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, further reducing the enrollment numbers the district uses to justify the closures.

Questions of Transparency

The proposed consolidation has also reopened a difficult conversation regarding district transparency. The district’s letter cites "diminishing funding from Washington State" and "shrinking enrollment" as the primary drivers, yet the fiscal math remains opaque to outsiders. If the district intends to retain all current CREST staff --as the letter suggests—the community is left wondering where the actual cost savings will materialize. Furthermore, the financial analysis may be missing a critical variable: the cost of loss. Parents and advocates warn that the loss of a dedicated, quiet sanctuary may drive families to seek private or other school options. If even a handful of families leave MISD, the resulting loss of state per-pupil funding could negate any perceived savings from the consolidation. Moreover, the district has not yet clarified the future of the physical space used by the Crest block classes that will no longer be used. Will it be repurposed for other district needs, or will it sit largely vacant while students struggle to adapt to the main campus?

The Crest program has functioned as a successful alternative for a specific segment of Mercer Island High School’s students --one that is heavily composed of students receiving special services. Using the "Least Restrictive Environment" argument as a reason for consolidation, the district is essentially betting that incorporating Crest students into the main campus will provide a better educational experience. Families, however, are betting on the history of success found in the smaller, quieter environment. As this transition looms for the 2026-2027 school year, the community will be watching to see if the district can answer the lingering questions regarding break-even numbers, enrollment loss, and the preservation of a safe harbor for the students who need it most.

The following is a letter to current Crest students and families sent by the MISD administration earlier this week.

Dear Students and Families,

Enrollment in courses offered at the CREST Learning Center has been changing over the past several years, which is not unlike some of the classes throughout the high school. In some cases we are adding additional sections based on student registration and in other instances we are closing sections or no longer running certain classes at all. The scrutiny over class size and enrollment is a result of shrinking enrollment already felt in our elementary and middle schools and diminishing funding from Washington State. Where we could once offer classes with lower enrollment, the current environment no longer makes this possible.

We have been monitoring interest and enrollment decline in the CREST Block over the past few years. In looking to 2026-2027, just a handful of 8th graders registered for the CREST Block, meaning the class size will shrink further. We have observed that the current enrollment patterns no longer reflect the natural proportions of our student body. Basically what that means is the Crest Block is composed of 75% students receiving special services. The current class makeup does not accurately reflect a general education classroom and does not constitute the least restrictive environment.

As you know students taking the CREST Block might also take Marine Science or Horticulture at Crest, but students also take classes at the main campus. Some of the resources that make Crest a safe and supportive space are familiar para-educators, teachers, and case managers provided in the CREST building. However, they do not always follow students to the main campus. This creates barriers for students who need these supports, not just when at CREST. Our plan is to have those resources available on main campus next year.

Starting next fall (2026-2027 school year), Horticulture and Marine Science will continue to take place at CREST, but we will be moving the rest of the courses to the main high school campus and no longer offer the CREST Block. Instead of the Block, our counseling, Social Studies, English, and Special Education teams (for students with an IEP) will work to place each student in appropriate classes. At the same time, the course selection process will account for their other elective, math, and science requests as well.

Moving classes to the main campus and altering the CREST Program will be challenging for some students, staff, and families and for others they already have extensive experience on main campus. We are committed to supporting everyone through this transition.

Aside from Mr. Rigby who will be taking a leave of absence, we will not be displacing the current staff who work at CREST. Each of them will continue to have a role in our school, but more importantly in the social, emotional, and academic development of the students.

This decision to consolidate resources and move what have been “CREST Classes” (Marine Science and Horticulture aside) to MIHS reflects the changing landscape across the high school. We believe this will benefit students by:

• Surrounding students with supports across their day;

• Expanding access to resources when they need;

• Strategically utilizing the resources we do have to support learning; and

• Offering an academic experience that continues to meet their needs.

In working with students today, many questions came up regarding scheduling for next year. We will work actively with counselors and the Crest team to appropriately guide students in making their next decision while also communicating supportive structures currently in place at MIHS. While this is happening, we will also be meeting with the Crest Student Leadership Team to help identify ways to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Jessi Biagi and Jennifer Crespi issued a statement on behalf of the SSLAD (Special Services and Learning Differences) Committee of the Mercer Island PTA regarding the district's plans.

CREST CLOSURE UPDATE:

On Monday, SSALD met with district leadership - Superintendent Rundle, Principal Wold, and AP Prescott - to discuss the plan to close Crest, a program where more than 75% of students have IEPs. SSALD leadership was joined by a current Crest parent whose child has an IEP and directly benefits from the program - bringing a current parent’s lived experience to the table.

The district's reasoning: The district stated that the closure was driven by declining enrollment and shrinking funding. Principal Wold's letter to Crest families also stated that Crest's 75% IEP composition no longer reflected the general population, meaning that the program no longer constituted LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) under IDEA. He further offered that under the plan, core courses will move to main campus while Horticulture and Marine Science remain at Crest, and that counseling and special ed teams would be handling individual student placement.

SSALD presented alternative viewpoints: SSALD argued that LRE does not automatically mean placement in a general education setting and Crest provides LRE for some students where a separate environment that removes barriers is the least restrictive option. We offered that with the building remaining open and the staff retained, there would not be a significant enough financial gain to remove the benefits of Crest to the students who depend on the setting to be able to access their learning.

We discussed the concerns of Crest families that this closure ignores the significant, often invisible benefits Crest provides naturally. We pressed that those benefits will now have to be named - and the district will need to explicitly document in each IEP how those benefits will be maintained in a main campus setting. We stressed that any reduction in services resulting from a change in environment or level of support must be backed by data, and expressed concern that no concrete, student-by-student support plan for transition appears to exist. We also expressed that it was problematic that IEP teams for these students were not consulted before a decision was made that fundamentally changed their programming and environment for learning.

Lastly, we shared that the district's communication fell short of what Crest families deserved. A decision of this magnitude should not have been first communicated to students – and that parents should have been part of this conversation before any decision was made.

District administration engaged each of our concerns meaningfully. We recognize the very real budget crisis facing our district - including significant cuts driven by decisions in Olympia - and acknowledge that the high school is navigating genuinely hard choices with shrinking resources. I hope that the administration will pause, take a closer look at what Crest genuinely provided, and ensure that if students move to main campus, their IEPs fully reflect what was lost.

SSALD will continue to hold space for these families navigating what comes next. If you have concerns about the closing of Crest and want your voice to be heard, please contact Jennifer Crespi, (jencrespi@gmail.com). With district specific questions about this plan, please contact Fred Rundle (fred.rundle@mercerislandschools.org) or Nick Wold, (nick.wold@mercerislandschools.org).

SSALD remains committed to working collaboratively to ensure every child in this district is not just placed - but genuinely supported.

The next school board meeting will be held on Thursday, April 23rd in the boardroom at the MISD Administration Building, located at 4160 86th Ave SE. Regular Meetings start at 5pm, with Recognitions and Public Input at 6pm.

If you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive email updates when school board meeting agendas are posted, please contact Michelle Mueller, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, at michelle.mueller@mercerislandschools.org or 206.236.3300.

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