Special Education

Special Education is one of the minimally staffed K-5 schools in Oak Harbor, Washington, part of Oak Harbor School District, with 135 students on its rolls from grade pre-K. Compared to the state average of about 380 students per school, that is 64% below typical.

Oak Harbor School District runs 11 schools in total, collectively educating 5,635 students. Special Education is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Special Education lists that the largest single group is White at 44%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest comes out to 30% Hispanic, 15% multiracial, 4% Black, 4% Asian. By comparison, Island County as a whole is about 78% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Special Education logs 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 18.9:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.3:1 average. An estimated 41% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Island County indicate median household earnings sit near $90,551, roughly 37% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. In all, Island County runs 26 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,561 students), of which Special Education is one.

The closest other public school is Homeconnection, roughly 0.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Special Education.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Special Education's enrollment has decreased 11% since 2018, when it stood at 152 (now 135). The White share of enrollment contracted from 62% to 44% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 21.5:1 in 2018 to 18.9:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.