The Why Not You Academy Board of Directors has voted unanimously to close the Des Moines-based charter school at the end of the 2025–26 school year, citing continued enrollment challenges that the board says made the program unsustainable.
“This decision was made due to ongoing enrollment challenges that made it difficult to sustain the school’s programs at the scale needed to provide a stable and fully resourced learning environment,” the board said in a statement sent to The Waterland Blog on Friday, Nov. 21.
The Des Moines-based school serves students across south King County communities including Des Moines, Burien, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Tukwila, Kent and others.
The school will remain open and fully operational through the remainder of the current academic year. Students will continue regular classes and staff will maintain standard educational and administrative operations.
The board said families, staff and the broader community will receive support through the transition to ensure students have access to high quality educational options for the 2026 to 2027 school year.
Why Not You Academy is tuition-free public charter high school open since 2021 serving grades 9-12, “dedicated to empowering students through mentorship and innovation to succeed in college, career, and life,” according to its website.
The school first opened in 2021, and was founded by educators Garth Reeves and Scott Canfield in partnership with the Why Not You Foundation, created by Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara. The school was announced in 2020 after Wilson and Ciara committed financial support to launch the program, emphasizing personalized learning, mentorship and real world experiences for south King County students.
The campus is located at 22419 Pacific Highway South:
