More details on newly announced Denny-Sealth meeting

| Denny-Sealth | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

As we reported last night, the school district has decided to hold an official public meeting on the Denny-Sealth proposals Feb. 4, the night before a meeting that the Westwood Neighborhood Council had already scheduled for Feb. 5. We e-mailed community liaison Eleanor Trainor from Seattle Public Schools today, asking for a few more details on the Feb. 4 meeting, and here’s what she just sent:

The meeting is scheduled for February 4, in the Sealth library. There will be a “gallery walk” at 630p during which folks can get a look at the latest drawings and ideas, in addition to chatting with district staff and leadership who will be on-hand. The meeting portion of the evening will begin at 7p.

If you missed last night’s update – the district also says the School Board will make its final decision on the Sealth-Denny project at its regular Feb. 27 meeting.

John Wright January 24, 2008 (10:37 pm)

The Westwood Neighborhood Council plans a public meeting on Feb.5th, so what does the district staff do â€“ intentionally try to submarine it by planning their public meeting on the 4th. This is the same type of blatant heavy-handed abuse of process that has increasingly riled Sealth staff this last year. The district staff appears so Orwellian in its need to control their agenda (and image) that they are unwilling to follow a public meeting set up by a community organization. Instead they preempt it with their own public meeting exactly one day earlier.

Does this move appear like the district is genuinely interested in seeking out public input or does it look more interested in co-opting and controlling public input? I hope the new Board members are watching this manipulation of the public input process by district leadership and in turn directly remind them of their civic duty to genuinely listen in “public” education.

Regardless of whether you strongly support rebuilding Denny on Dennyâ€™s current property, combining the campuses in some fashion or are in the middle and unsure; whether you live in the community without children, have children currently in Denny or Sealth, or are considering Denny &/or Sealth in the future, be sure to mark Monday February 4th on your calendar and come to Sealthâ€™s library at 7pm.

Delfino January 24, 2008 (10:55 pm)

Another thing to watch for will be if the District’s “community meeting” will be a genuine attempt to get the community’s view points or just another opportunity to try and sell it’s already made decision.

If the “gallery walk” of drawings does not include drawings of Option 3, building Denny at Denny, then it will be clear that the motivation for the scheduling of the meeting and the content should be questioned.

westello January 26, 2008 (10:37 am)

A couple of things puzzle me. One, why would it be so expensive to rebuild on the Denny site? Two, the district needs to admit that having two buildings (whether Denny is built on-site or next to Sealth) is a lot more flexible than co-joining them. If their co-joining doesn’t work out (and you’ll note I don’t say “plan” because as they have admitted there is no plan), what then?

What I understood was that the District changed their meeting to the 4th because the area’s Board rep, Steve Sundquist, couldn’t make the Feb. 5th meeting.

Delfino January 26, 2008 (12:46 pm)

Actually westello, Sundquist had already agreed to be a panelist on the 5th before the District chose the 4th.

As usual, I believe you are right on the other accounts.

WSB January 26, 2008 (1:05 pm)

Yes, the only date change involved here (as we reported at the time) was that the Westwood Neighborhood Council originally hoped to hold its meeting Feb. 6, but Steve S couldn’t make that date so they moved it to Feb. 5. Then, long AFTER that was set, the district suddenly last Wednesday announced its own Feb. 4 meeting.

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