📉 “Flat” Enrollment Claim vs. Documented Decline
At the May 15, 2025 Mercer Island School Board meeting, Julian Bradley stated:
“We’re in an environment with enrollment as flat.”
According to Mercer Island School District data, resident student enrollment declined from 4,587 in 2018–19 to 3,695 in 2024–25—a 19.5% drop, excluding open-enrollment students from outside the district. This is the largest resident enrollment decline in King County and more than five times the countywide average of 4.29%.
💸 “We Exist in an Inflationary Environment” vs. Spending Patterns
During the same meeting, Bradley said:
“Largely we exist in an inflationary environment.”
Public records show that MISD spending rose from $65.7 million in 2019–20 to $80.6 million in 2025–26, an increase of $14.9 million (22%), while resident enrollment fell by nearly 900 students. In that time, the district overspent its budget by 9.3%.
Most new spending went to salaries and benefits—increasing from $49.5 million to $61.6 million. Meanwhile, inflation-adjusted funding for curriculum, technology, and books declined by 3.5%, and the district’s academic rankings fell from #1 to #5 statewide, now last in math proficiency among top Washington districts.
⚖️ “Lowering the...Limit on the Bond” After Voter Rejection
Following the failed $241 million school bond (which received 56.6% of the vote), Bradley stated:
“PTAs would like to see more of... one of the things was the lowering of the um limit on the bond to from 60% to 55%.”
This comment identified his top legislative priority as changing the bond approval threshold required by state law. The proposal followed a community vote that fell short of the supermajority requirement.
Rather than revisiting the bond structure or engaging in broad public consultation, Bradley emphasized changing the legal threshold to match the failed vote margin. Some community members have raised questions about whether this approach addresses the reasons voters rejected the proposal—or merely seeks to revise the rules.