Attendance Areas

The largest of seven school districts in Whatcom County, Bellingham serves approximately 10,600 students. The district covers 97 square miles. Students attend schools based on neighborhood attendance area or boundaries. Elementary schools serve children in grades kindergarten through five; middle schools serve students in grades six through eight; and high schools serve students in grades nine through twelve. As enrollment fluctuates and family living patterns shift, school boundaries are adjusted periodically to balance enrollments.

To determine an attendance area for a specific street or address, please open the PDF maps below and click on the search function (binoculars) in the PDF toolbar. Type the name of the street and it will be highlighted on the map. You will need to find street numbers by searching the map.

• High school attendance areas
• Middle school attendance areas
• Elementary attendance areas
  • The adopted boundary changes for northside elementary schools (Alderwood, Birchwood, Northern Heights and Sunnyland) will go into effect with the opening of Cordata Elementary School. The construction of this school is currently in the bid process.  Please click here for more information about Cordata Elementary School. Current attendance areas remain in effect until further notice. No decision has been made at this time for when Cordata will open as an elementary school.  Click here for future elementary school boundaries.

The City of Bellingham also has an online mapping system: http://www.cob.org/cityiq/website/index.html 
Enter a specific street or address in the “Search CityIQ for….” box. Click "Search."  Next, click on the "Land Parcel Report" tab to view school attendance areas for that address.

For more information about attendance areas, please contact the district office at 676-6500.

For additional information, several School Board Policies address student attendance areas, specifically Policy, Procedure and Form 3131 (for in-district transfers) and Policy, Procedure and Form 3141 (for out-of-district transfers).