Denny-Sealth updates, including meeting date change

Two updates for everyone following the Denny Middle School-Chief Sealth High School shared-campus-proposal controversy: The Westwood Neighborhood Council has slightly changed the plan for its just-announced next meeting on Denny-Sealth; it’s now at 7 pm Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Chief Sealth Commons. The WNC announcement says the meeting will be “a moderated discussion among five panelists about the School District’s decision to combine the two schools (options 1 and 2) or retain two separate schools (option 3). Key discussion will address academic and social needs of middle- and high-school students, and will include questions from audience members. Panelists will include a school board member, a District facilities representative, Sealth staff member, child development expert, and public safety expert.” The WNC says that school-board member will be District 6 (West Seattle)’s director Steve Sundquist; we checked in with him late this week to see what he was hearing on Denny-Sealth since the last school-board meeting (WSB coverage here; that and followups since then, plus previous reports, are all now archived in their own category):

He e-mailed back:

My understanding is that there are a number of conversations taking place among district staff members as they analyze costs, timelines, the potential feasibility of the various options, etc. This is all in response to the direction provided by the School Board in the work session that you attended. Staff members are also working with the Board to determine when this topic will next appear on a public School Board meeting agenda, and to my knowledge no decision has yet been reached on that date. As you mentioned, time is of the essence and everyone is working hard to keep the process moving expeditiously, but there is also a need to ensure that district staff is comfortable with their “order of magnitude” estimates and that the Board shares this information with the public.

We just checked the agenda for next week’s School Board meeting and did not see anything re: Denny-Sealth. (It will be preceded by a districtwide Facilities Master Plan work session at 4 pm, though.) As with all School Board meetings, the public-comment period toward the start of the agenda is open to anyone on any topic — as long as they sign up in advance; for next week, those signups start Monday morning (the agenda explains how to get on the list).

Susan January 22, 2008 (6:17 pm)

Thank goodness WS blog stays on top of the news. Without WSB, the people would be left with very few options for getting authentic and honest news.

Last year, when I first heard about combining Denny and Sealth on one campus, I was told that was what we, the citizens of Seattle who finance our schools, voted to have happen.

I couldn’t remember what was on the ballot, but I didn’t remember that. Call me silly, but I thought if I couldn’t remember, I’d better check exactly what was in the voter’s pamphlet and on the ballot before I said anything. It didn’t take long to go to King County Elections and click on archives. Here are the parts pertinant to West Seattle:

King County Local Voters’ Pamphlet
February 6, 2007 Special Election
A RESOLUTION of the Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1, King County, Washington, providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the district at a special election to be held therein on February 6, 2007, of a proposition approving a program to renovate or replace four high schools, two middle schools and one K-8 school, and make other capital improvements; to issue $490,000,000 in general obligation bonds with a maximum term of seven years; and to levy additional property taxes to repay the bonds and to replace the expiring capital levy, not to exceed $81,666,667 annually for six years.

Section 2. Authorization of Construction and Modernization Improvements. The District shall modernize and expand its school facilities through the following programs:
(1) Middle /K-8 school improvements including full renovation of Hamilton, and replacement of South Shore and Denny.
(2) High School improvements including renovation of Chief Sealth and Nathan Hale, addition at Ingraham and modernization of Rainier Beach Career and Technology facilities.

There’s more detail regarding this levy (NOT Bond issue), but a combined Denny and Sealth was NOT on the ballot.

It really concerns me that this fiction that we voted to combine these schools is the reason given to ignore equity and fairness for all in a community that is supposed to care for all our students equally.

I certainly hope everyone will be at the Tuesday, February 5, 2008 panel discussion at Sealth HS Commons 7:00PM to 9:00PM

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