About Us
Principal's Letter
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Emerson K-12!
I’m excited to begin my 15th year on campus and to welcome both new and returning students and families.
Emerson K-12 is one of many Choice Schools in the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) that works to meet our District vision: Every Student Future Ready: Prepared for College, Prepared for the Global Workplace, Prepared for Personal Success in a non-traditional setting. As a Parent Partnership Program (PPP), Emerson K-12’s education program is highly individualized and is designed to support families who desire a significant degree of collaboration with teachers and meaningful involvement in student learning.
I look forward to a great year of learning!
-Nell
School History
Emerson K-12 is a choice school in Lake Washington School District designed to support families who want to partner in the education of their children. As a Parent Partnership Program, the goal of Emerson K-12 is to provide a variety of academic and enrichment classes to partner with and assist parents in the education of their children. Classes are generally offered two days a week. In partnership with certificated staff, an individualized learning plan is created for your child that meets district and state standards. Our program is fully accredited and offers a Lake Washington School District high school diploma.
Emerson K-12 was founded as Family Learning Center (FLC) in 1996 by a small group of parents and district personnel with the goal of providing district support to parents who were home-schooling their children. Since then, Emerson K-12 has grown from operating out of one room at Gordon Hauck School to our current location and has grown from an enrollment of 20 to roughly 100 full time students. Family Learning Center (FLC) became Emerson K-12 in 2012 and continues to change each year.
Over time, the state regulations governing our school have changed. We operate under the Alternative Learning Experience part of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 392-550) which is constantly being reviewed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). As one of many choice schools in the district, our work is to meet the Lake Washington School District Vision: Every Student Future Ready: Prepared for College, Prepared for the Global Workplace, Prepared for Personal Success in a non-traditional setting. Emerson K-12 students are held to the same academic standards as students in other district schools and our focus continues to be on helping students meet district and state standards.
We serve kindergarten through twelfth grade students in a variety of core and enrichment classes. In addition to engaging in coursework at Emerson K-12, our students also participate in Running Start, WaNIC (Washington Network for Innovative Careers), and their neighborhood schools.
On any given day, you will find parents, students, siblings, and staff engaged in a multitude of learning activities. It remains a vibrant and active place that provides meaningful learning opportunities to students in multi-age environments. It is an exciting and engaging place to learn.
Mission & Vision Statements
Mission: Emerson K-12 is a community of families working in collaboration with the Lake Washington School District to ensure that Each student will be prepared to lead a rewarding, responsible life as a contributing member of our community and greater society.
Vision: It is the Vision of Emerson K-12 to create a collaborative environment which maximizes parent involvement so that Every Student Future Ready:
- Prepared for College
- Prepared for the Global Workplace
- Prepared for Personal Success
Enrollment Information
New families will be accepted once they have attended a mandatory information meeting and have submitted an application by appropriate deadline. Once approved for enrollment, families will need to speak with an advisor to complete a Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP) before students will be enrolled in any classes. Students will only be able to enroll at the start of the school year (September), second quarter (November) and second semester (end of January).
Instructions for Enrollment
- All parents are required to attend an information meeting (see Mandatory Information Meetings). The meetings are held virtually via Microsoft TEAMS. They include a brief presentation and question/answer period.
- Please fill out the application and turn in by the required deadline (see Mandatory Information Meetings). You will need to include all transcripts, any Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plans, and a recommendation from your previous school administrator, counselor or teacher. Students in grades 6-12 must also fill out the “student application” portion of the form.
- Once we have received all parts of your application and it has been reviewed by our principal, you will be notified by e-mail if you have been accepted into the program. Based on the information contained in the application materials, the principal may require a follow up meeting/conference with families to ensure Emerson K-12 is an appropriate school setting for their student(s).
- Upon principal approval, an appointment will be made for you to come in, fill out district paperwork and meet with your assigned Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP) advisor to develop your student learning plan(s).
- As a part of your advisory appointment, you will be able to select classes from those that are available. Please refer to the course schedule.
***Please note, part-time enrollment is open to families that are home schooling under the Home-Based Instruction Law. Your Declaration of Intent to Home School must be on file with the LWSD. Part-time enrollment may be limited due to space. Part-time students must have a written student learning plan for the courses they are taking At Emerson K-12 and meet all related requirements (contact time, monthly learning plan reviews).
Mandatory Information Meetings
A parent/guardian is required to attend an information meeting in order to be considered for enrollment at Emerson K-12. In order to attend this virtual meeting, please fill out an Information Meeting Form for each student prior to the meeting. These meetings will be about 30 minutes long with an opportunity for questions. Students are welcome to attend.
- Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is CLOSED. We are no longer accepting new students.
- Enrollment for Fall 2025, starting September 2, 2025:
- Mandatory Microsoft TEAMS information meeting:
- Wednesday, March 5, 2025 @ 4:30 OR
- Wednesday, May 7, 2025 @ 4:30
- An invite will be emailed after receiving your completed Information Meeting Form.
- Applications are due by Friday, May 16, 2025 by 3pm.
- Mandatory Microsoft TEAMS information meeting:
Enrollment processes & Priorities
Enrollment Timelines:
- Start of the school year (September)*
- Start of 2nd quarter (November)*
- Start of 2nd semester (January)*
*subject to change
Lottery & Wait-list:
- If a specific grade-band receives more applications than space available during an enrollment window, a lottery/wait list system is used to place students.
- If there are both in-district and out-of-district applicants, LWSD resident students will have priority enrollment/wait list placement.
- Once in-district applicants are placed, any vacancies will be offered to out-of-district students based on lottery/wait list numbers.
Out-of-District Students:
- Out-of-district students may be accepted on a space available basis
- Inter-district transfer agreements (variances) will be approved on an annual basis and not guaranteed year-to-year.
- LWSD resident students will have priority enrollment.
Sibling Preference:
- In recognition of the level of parent involvement in a Parent Partnership Program (see Alternative Learning Experience WAC 392-550), Emerson K-12 will allow for sibling preference for students concurrently enrolled with a previously admitted sibling.
Enrollment Priorities:
- In-District Sibling
- In-District
- Out-of-District Sibling
- Out of District
Directions
Emerson K-12
10903 NE 53rd St
Kirkland, WA 98033
From I-405 Southbound: Take Exit 17. Turn left at light onto 116th Ave NE. Turn left onto NE 72rd PL. Turn left onto 108th Ave NE. Emerson K-12 is about three quarters of mile, on the left, just after Northwest College.
From I-405 Northbound: Take Exit 17. Turn left into NE 68th ST. Turn left onto 108th Ave NE. Emerson K-12 is about three quarters of mile, on the left, just after Northwest College.
From 520 Westbound: Take 108th AVE NE exit. Turn right on 108th Ave NE. Emerson K-12 is about one mile, on the right, just before Northwest College.
From 520 Eastbound: Take Lake Washington Boulevard NE exit. Turn left onto Lake Washington Boulevard NE. Turn right onto Northup Way. Turn left onto 108th Ave NE. Emerson K-12 is about one mile on the right, before Northwest College.
The Emerson K-12 entrance in on the Southwest side of the building. Please park in the main lot off NE 53rd street or in the small lot off 108th Ave NE.
BUS SERVICE -- One bus route that will bring you directly to Emerson K-12 is Metro 255.