Kindergarten classes at B.F. Day Elementary in Fremont are down to 17 students during reading time instead of the mid-20s, thanks to a librarian who now teaches a third literacy section. That staffing workaround is one way Seattle's oldest continuously operating public school is adapting after a year of abrupt departures and declining enrollment.

Kristen Eckert, who stepped in as interim principal in June 2025 after the previous principal and school counselor both left abruptly, was confirmed as permanent principal this spring, Fremont Neighbor first reported.

"It was a hard year," Eckert told Fremont Neighbor of her first year in the building.

The K-5 school at 3921 Linden Ave. N lost its principal, its counselor and multiple teachers during the 2024-25 school year. Some teacher losses were tied to declining enrollment, according to Fremont Neighbor's reporting. The B.F. Day PTSA criticized Seattle Public Schools at the time for poor communication, saying families learned about the principal's departure through rumors rather than official channels.

Enrollment has since leveled off and is running slightly ahead of the district's spring projections, according to Eckert. But that rebound brought larger class sizes.

To help, the school's librarian and reading interventionist is now teaching a third section of kindergarten reading and writing. A PTSA grant large enough to require Seattle School Board approval is funding classroom tutors and giving teachers more planning time for a new English Language Arts curriculum.

Eckert acknowledged the reliance on parent fundraising. "The PTSA has been essential. It shouldn't have to be that way," she told Fremont Neighbor.

Before becoming a principal, Eckert taught middle school for 11 years and served as an assistant principal in Seattle Public Schools for several more. She earned a graduate degree in teaching and an administrative degree, both at the University of Washington.

B.F. Day, nicknamed "The Family School," has operated in Fremont for more than a century. The school was named for Benjamin Franklin Day, who donated the land for its original building in 1891, according to HistoryLink. Eckert pointed to traditions like Village Day, a spring event where students run small businesses out of classrooms, and "Dragon Den," a K-5 mixed-age mentorship program.

The PTSA hosts community tours for prospective families in January.