Our position
- Keep great public schools open. Schools anchor communities. Families need stability to plan years ahead. Closure threats weaken trust and push families away.
- Closures won’t fix the budget. Other districts have lost students and funding to large-scale closures. Promised efficiencies haven’t fixed their budgets.
- Make public schools work for everyone. Maintain academic excellence and support every learner. Keep families from every socioeconomic background invested.
A school worth knowing
Montlake
Elementary.
A century of neighborhood ties, with room for a new chapter.
Montlake began as Portage School in 1914. In September 2025, students returned to a modernized landmark building and new addition after two years at John Marshall. [3][4]
Montlake, SeattleUpdateOctober 20, 2026
Possible merger
School that may move
Possible receiving school
These reported pairings are unconfirmed; no adopted SPS plan has been verified.
01History & community
A landmark kept in public use.
Parents asked for a neighborhood school because the walk to Stevens was difficult and unsafe. Portage opened with 25 children in a portable. The Montlake name followed in 1923 and the permanent brick school in 1924. [3]
In the 1980s, principal La Vaun Bent reorganized staff and classrooms around smaller reading groups and multi-age teaching. The approach became known as the Montlake Model. Community advocacy also helped remove Montlake from a 2006 closure list. [3]
The BEX V project modernized the landmark school and added a three-story building. It opened September 3, 2025, with a new accessible entrance and address on East Calhoun Street. SPS designed the expanded campus for up to 500 K–5 students. [4]
- 1914
Portage School opens. [3]
- 1924
Permanent Montlake school opens. [3]
- 2006
Montlake is removed from a closure list. [3]
- 2013
Historic building receives landmark designation. [3]
- 2025
Modernized school and addition open September 3. [4]
2025 E Calhoun Street, Seattle, WA 98112 [1]
Visit the school website ↗02School records
Sources & citations.
- 01
Seattle Public Schools
Montlake Elementary: district profileCurrent school name and address, verified October 20, 2026.
- 02
- 03
Seattle Public Schools Archives
Building for Learning: Montlake ElementaryDistrict history documents the school’s origins, community and campus changes, with archival photographs.
- 04
Seattle Public Schools Capital Projects and Planning
Montlake Elementary: completed building projectOfficial project description, confirmed school opening and campus photographs.
Montlake Elementary. Your community. Your say.
Would you support or oppose closing this school?
Closure poll
- Opposed95%
- Neutral3%
- Support2%
Real results unlock after 10 confirmed votes at Montlake Elementary.