Cordata Elementary School in Bellingham will welcome a new principal for the 2026-27 school year. Bellingham School District Superintendent Greg Baker announced this week that Erica Rasmussen has been selected to lead the school, stepping into the role after current principal Eva Chazo announced in April that she is leaving to take a position with the Nooksack Valley School District.
Rasmussen is currently serving as an assistant principal at Parkview Elementary School in Bellingham. She brings a strong background in northwest Washington education: prior to Parkview, she worked in the Mount Baker School District, where she was assistant principal at Kendall Elementary for two years and then principal at Acme Elementary for four years. From 2017 to 2019, she held multiple roles in the Bellingham Public Schools system.
Cordata Elementary is located in the Cordata neighborhood of north Bellingham, a rapidly growing area that has seen significant residential development over the past decade. The school serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of a cluster of schools in the northern part of the city that have experienced enrollment growth alongside the neighborhood's expansion.
Principal transitions mid-year can create uncertainty for school communities, but the Bellingham School District's practice of announcing replacements well before the end of the school year gives staff, families, and students time to adjust. Rasmussen's appointment coming in May means she will have the summer to prepare for the transition and connect with the Cordata community before students return in the fall.
Superintendent Baker's letter to Cordata families emphasized continuity and community trust. Rasmussen's experience leading a rural elementary school in the Mount Baker District and her time in Bellingham-area buildings positions her as a familiar face in the regional education community, even if she will be new to Cordata families specifically.
More information about the Bellingham School District and its elementary schools is available on the district's website. Families with questions about the Cordata leadership transition can contact the school directly or reach out through the district's main office.
