West Seattle, Washington
06 Friday
(September 2020 photo from Shelly)
Also from the “you asked, so we checked” file — we have a status report on the Lincoln Park restroom renovations toward the south end of the beach. Janet emailed this week, wondering how much longer before the comfort station reopened. The work started more than six months ago. We asked Seattle Parks project manager Kelly Goold for an update – here’s his reply:
We are using an epoxy floor for Lincoln Park Comfort Station – similar to what is used in commercial kitchens and many other Parks Comfort Station buildings. The flooring requires that the existing concrete slab meet moisture level requirements before we can install. That is proving to be a challenge given the existing building is built into a hill near water. The contractor thinks with recent good weather we will be able to meet moisture level requirements by next week. Approximately 3 weeks left to install flooring, partitions, and accessories and have final inspection with our maintenance staff. Roughly that would be the week of April 19th when the building could potentially reopen.
JEM Contractors is handling this project and the 57th SW restroom rebuild on Alki Beach.
SIDE NOTE: When we last mentioned this project in September, we also noted the long-awaited South Play Area project was supposed to get going this winter. Checking that project website – now construction isn’t expected before fall.
(Pine siskin, 2017 photograph by Mark Wangerin)
Back in January, we reported on a warning about bird feeders, and a recommendation that you remove yours to keep a deadly outbreak of salmonellosis from spreading among birds, particularly Pine Siskins, which have been gathering in larger-than-usual numbers. This week, a reader emailed to ask if it’s safe to put the feeders back up again. We contacted state Department of Fish and Wildlife‘s Chris Anderson – who gave this presentation a few weeks after the original warning – and he pointed to a recent update of their original post:
UPDATE: A drop in the number of reports of sick or dead birds across Washington and other northwest states means backyard bird feeders can be put up again around April 1, but with caution.
An outbreak of salmonellosis in pine siskins and other songbirds had WDFW staff asking people with bird feeders and baths to put them away for a few months earlier this winter to discourage wild birds from congregating and potentially passing salmonella bacteria to each other. When birds flock together in large numbers at feeders, they can transmit the disease through droppings and saliva.
Since WDFW first put out word of the outbreak in early January, reports of sick or dead birds have decreased substantially, but they are still coming in.
“The disease is still circulating, and we could see the numbers jump back up if we ease precautions too quickly,” said WDFW veterinarian Dr. Kristin Mansfield. “If you usually feed birds at multiple feeders, consider putting up only one or two – widely spaced on your property – to start.”
You may also wish to use feeders that accommodate fewer birds (such as tubes rather than platforms) and continue to keep the ground below bird feeders clean by raking or shoveling up feces and seed casings that could spread salmonella. Provide only enough feed to last a day or two — in support of regular cleaning efforts within that same span; and to help keep wastage underneath the feeders down and manageable for cleaning under feeders. These measures assist in spreading birds out and keeping seed fresh and feeders clean. There is a possibility that handling infected contaminated bird feeders can spread the salmonella bacteria to humans. When filling or cleaning feeders, be sure to wear disposable gloves and wash hands thoroughly afterward.
The state still wants to hear from you if you see a sick or dead bird – you can report it here.
In our coverage of this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting, we mentioned the group planned a community egg hunt – board members would hide non-perishable eggs around the area. This morning, we got word it’s happening this weekend: “FCA has hidden hundreds of wooden and plastic eggs full of surprises around the Fauntleroy business triangle [Brace Point/Wildwood/45th], Fauntleroy Schoolhouse and surrounding neighborhoods.” If you find one, you’re invited to post a photo on social media and tag it #FCAEggHunt. FCA’s announcement adds, “Any plastic eggs you can’t reuse may be dropped off in bins located at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, located at 9131 California Ave SW, or 8801 Fauntleroy Way SW
(Common Goldeneye, photographed by Robin Sinner)
Busy Saturday in West Seattle and beyond – starting with two traffic alerts:
REPAVING: SDOT crews will be working 8 am-3:30 pm on 1st Ave. S. between Cloverdale and Kenyon and at 9th SW and SW Henderson – maps and details here.
CRANE REMOVAL: Avoid Fauntleroy Way between Alaska and Edmunds – the tower crane for the big project on the east side of the street is coming down today, as previewed here. (11:07 AM UPDATE: Traffic is alternating directions on that block of Fauntleroy – it’s not completely closed.)
And from the calendar:
HIGHLAND PARK CORNER STORE: 7 am-2 pm, it’s official Grand Opening day for the new business at 7789 Highland Park Way SW, with a BOGO beverage special – details are in our preview.
ALKI BEACH CLEANUP: Seattle Parks is sponsoring a cleanup at the beach, 9 am-11 am. Details here; meet at Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki).
KIDS’ MUSIC CONCERT: 10 am, Bruce & Bonnie perform as the South Seattle College Co-op Preschools’ benefit series continues. Ticket info is in our calendar listing.
SAILBOAT RACE: You may see yachts off West Seattle during the Three Tree Point race, going from Shilshole to TTP and back, 10 am start.
RACISM IN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: Special presentation by the 34th District Democrats, all invited, 10:30 am-noon online – details here.
(added) #STOPASIANHATE PUBLIC MEMORIAL: Thanks to the reader who sent this – noon today through 5 pm Sunday on the steps of the Asian Art Museum on Capitol Hill (1400 E. Prospect).
#STOPASIANHATE SOLIDARITY WALK: 6 pm around Green Lake – details in our preview, thanks to an invitation extended by one of your West Seattle neighbors.
THEATER: Four comedy shorts from “All in the Timing” will be performed live online by Twelfth Night Productions again tonight, 7:30 pm. Our calendar listing has ticket/viewing info.
PASSOVER: Begins tonight. Go here to see how West Seattle synagogue Kol HaNeshamah plans to celebrate.
Are we missing anything for today/tonight? Please text our hotline, 206-293-6302 – thank you!
1:09 AM: Seattle Fire has a “scenes of violence” response going to 29th SW/SW Cambridge (by Roxhill Park). Police are there too. Updates to come.
1:13 AM: They’re reporting that a male victim has “what looks like a minor gunshot wound to the arm.’ A suspect is being sought.
1:18 AM: The alert just broadcast over police radio says this was a drive-by shooting, describing the vehicle as possibly a black 2000 Ford Taurus, last seen eastbound on SW Barton.
10:03 AM: We’ve obtained more details from police. They say it was more a drive-up shooting than a drive-by shooting. The victim was “in front of his truck next to (Roxhill P)ark” when a vehicle pulled up and two people got out, demanding the victim hand over his key fob so they could take his vehicle. He said no and ran; one of them shot at him, hitting him in the upper right arm. They drove away; 911 was called and the victim was taken to Harborview.
Tonight’s pandemic headlines:
BACK TO SCHOOLS: Seattle Public Schools teachers have approved the deal with the district to start offering in-person lerning next week and beyond. Meantime, the governor’s official back-to-school proclamation is now updated with the new 3-foot rule.
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the latest stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*86,536 people have tested positive, 163 more than yesterday’s total
*1,459 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,261 people have been hospitalized, 10 more than yesterday’s total
*958,183 people have been tested, 1,508 more than yesterday’s total
On to our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*628,239 people have received one dose
*348,784 people have received both doses
*935,435 doses have been allocated to King County (not counting pharmacy programs)
One week ago, the first four totals were 85,073/1,450/5,200/942,237, and the vaccination totals were 535,724/291,838/802.355.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 126.1 million cases, 2,767,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: In his weekly briefing, Dr. Jeff Duchin reiterated that case numbers are increasing, as are hospitalization rates – mostly among 40- to 69-year-olds. But the death rate has decreased – down now to 2 a day. That’s mostly because vaccination has brought cases down dramatically in people 75+.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? here are links to try:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; sign up for the city’s notification list for all three of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine, CHI Franciscan, Kaiser Permanente, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator)
*The state says it’s improved its own lookup tool
*Here’s another multi-provider search to try
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
IF YOU NEED TESTING SATURDAY: This will be the last Saturday for the city’s West Seattle test site (2801 SW Thistle), which becomes a vaccinations-only site as of Wednesday.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Received tonight from Grace, who said, “I know it is not in West Seattle but I’m hoping that our community would like to participate”:
Solidarity Walk – United We Stand & Walk with our American Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Neighbors and Community.
March 27, 6 PM @ Green Lake (gather at the south end near the bleachers)
We will walk one loop.
Mask Up! Bring your signs, candles, glow sticks, flashlight, etc., whatever you choose to help shine the light as we walk together in solidarity.
We stand together with our AAPI community and are committed to be a voice against racism and as an advocate for a more just and humane world. We deserve and demand a better America – an America that is safe for all of its citizens.
We reported on Wednesday that suspected repeat mail thief Jason A. Turner was in jail again, for the seventh time this year. Tonight, he’s out again, and we have some details of his most-recent arrest. Court documents show that police took him into custody just after 7 am Wednesday, after 911 calls about someone who appeared to be stealing mail. They found him in the 4700 block of Delridge, in possession of what the police report lists as 19 envelopes and 2 packages “belonging to more than 3 victims.” In court the next day, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested that bail be set at $10,000, arguing that he had a history of warrants as well as a pending trial, plus other cases. Judge Lisa Paglisotti set his bail at $750. No new charges were filed by his second appearance this afternoon, so he was released. That’s also why he was released March 19th, after his March 16th arrest for alleged theft from Home Depot. This doesn’t mean he won’t ever be charged in those cases – but prosecutors have to get investigation results from police before they can make a charging decision. Turner has no felony convictions on his record; a May date is tentatively set for his trial on the four felony charges filed last month.
Three biznotes:
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Junction Association)
OUTDOOR PIZZA: The covered outdoor dining area that’s been under construction at Talarico’s Pizzeria in The Junction is open. Like the addition to Elliott Bay Brewing next door, this one straddles – but doesn’t block – the sidewalk. Talarico’s (4718 California SW) is open 3-9 pm weekdays, noon-9 pm on weekends.
COFFEE AND ART: You’re invited to stop by Youngstown Coffee in Morgan Junction to enjoy art, as well as beverages:
That work by Tess Rhea is just part of what’s on display right now. Youngstown proprietor Autumn Lovewell explains, “Youngstown Coffee is hosting its first annual Women’s Herstory Art Show, going on now through the end of next week, April 4th. Our shop is female-owned and we are proud to showcase local West Seattle women who create art. Art is for purchase, and proceeds benefit the artist and non-profit organization Rain City Rock Camp. Youngstown Coffee is open 8 am to 4 pm daily. Stop by and support local female artists.” The shop is at 6032 California SW.
NEW FOOD-TRUCK STOP: The Huxley (4754 Fauntleroy Way SW) is now hosting food trucks twice a month, first Fridays and third Thursdays. Next visit is a week from today (Friday, April 2nd) – Bread and Circuses will be there 3-7 pm. You can even preorder for pickup – the order form, with the menu, is here.
That’s Mindi Katzman with what she says is a West Seattle first! She sent the photos and report:
West Seattle now has its own Little Free Art Gallery, set up by me and installed yesterday. The idea is to promote a little cheer, delight, and fun…and of course, art.
Anyone can drop off a small piece, either two- or three-dimensional (potters – think small seconds or firsts; painters – small pieces etc.) This is for everyone and anyone. Take a piece, leave a piece, or both!!! But PLEASE, do not take the figures, easels, or bench.
This was possible thanks to the efforts of Ken Cermak, who built it; Brian Mooney, who installed the post; Natalie Dupille, who cheered me on and helped install the gallery; and Emme Dupille – who contributed the first piece. And of course, Stacy Milrany, Milrany.com, who has made the concept take off. I look forward to seeing what comes and goes.
The Little Free Art Gallery is in Morgan Junction, 38th Avenue SW, between Morgan and Graham.
(Photo by Eddie, from the crane’s installation in October 2019)
Thanks to Sharonn for forwarding the alert from Compass Construction: The tower crane that’s been working on the 2-building Maris Apartments project at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW and 4721 38th SW is coming down tomorrow (Saturday, March 27th), after a year and a half. The notice says that will re-route vehicle traffic off Fauntleroy between Alaska and Edmunds and will close the pedestrian walkway on the east side of that block. Removal of this tower crane will leave one in West Seattle, at the 1250 Alki SW project.
A new road closure is part of the weekly update on the Delridge Way repaving-and-more project preparing for the RapidRide H Line launch. Sylvan Way between Orchard and Delridge “will be closed as early as March 31 for roadway demolition and paving,” SDOT says, adding that the closure will continue “into April.” The somewhat parallel leg of Orchard will be the recommended detour to get to and from the rest of Sylvan Way. Other key points for the week ahead:
*SW Trenton St on the east side of Delridge Way SW is closed and will remain closed for several weeks to complete roadway, sidewalk, and curb ramp paving in the area. SW Thistle St has temporarily re-opened during this closure.
*Landscaping is beginning throughout the corridor and will continue into April
*Roadway and electrical upgrades on SW Hudson St between Delridge Way SW and Puget Blvd SW have been rescheduled
*Roadway demolition on Delridge Way SW near the SW Findlay St intersection will flip to the west side beginning as early as March 29
*Intersection upgrades continue at SW Kenyon St and SW Holden St
The full weekly work-plan preview is here. The work is scheduled to continue into fall, with the Route 120/RapidRide H conversion expected next year.
(Photo by Duncan Dorris)
Thanks for the tips and pic! Just seen off West Seattle, that outbound submarine. The sub only shows on MarineTraffic.com, as is typical, as “U.S. warship.”
The Seattle Education Association has just announced that its members have approved the Memorandum of Understanding allowing some in-person learning for Seattle Public Schools students in preK through 5th grades as well as Special Education Intensive Service Pathways. From the union announcement:
The new agreement has assurances that remote learning remains high-quality for those who choose it. It also includes a commitment to keep as many students as possible with their current classroom educator, maintaining six-foot distancing, adequate educator leave for COVID quarantine, and clear signage for each work space being occupied to indicate that health and safety standards are being met.
The district and union are still in negotiations over the second phase of returning to in-person learning, middle- and high-school instruction. As recapped on the district website, elementary and K-8 schedules change on Monday; that’s also when preK students and those in elementary Special Education Intensive Pathways return in person, while other elementary students return April 5th.
As we marked the one-year anniversary of the West Seattle Bridge closure this week, a local musician has released a song inspired by both the closure and the pandemic. Here’s the announcement:
“Bridge to Nowhere” is the latest release from West Seattle singer-songwriter Will Rainier, and his first as a solo artist. It was influenced by the pandemic, the loss of the West Seattle Bridge, and the feeling of isolation we’ve all felt over the past year. The acoustic ballad is melancholic yet hopeful and features vocals by Will’s long-time bandmate and collaborator Jen Garrett and vibes by Grammy award-winning percussionist T.J. Troy. You can stream and download the song on his website here.
Will Rainier has been a part of the Seattle music scene since 1991, playing in bands such as Slugfest, Tarantulada, Stuporhero, and most recently Will Rainier and The Pines, who released their debut album, “Tethered to the World,” April 2020. (Listen here.)
Will’s debut solo album, “Enough Blue To Go Around,” will be out this summer.
(Look closely for signs of spring! Photo by Don Brubeck)
What’s ahead today/tonight:
TALK WITH YOUR COUNCILMEMBER: City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s monthly online office hours are 2-6 pm today. See the end of this post for info on signing up for an appointment.
HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL: No spectators allowed, but West Seattle High School plays at home (Southwest Athletic Complex) vs.Franklin HS (UPDATE: WSHS game canceled), 7 pm, which is also the time for Chief Sealth International High School‘s road game at Northwest Athletic Complex vs. Lakeside
THEATER: Twelfth Night Productions presents four shorts from “All in the Timing,” live online at 7:30 pm. Ticket info and other details are in our calendar listing.
WATER OUTAGE: 8 pm tonight to 8 am tomorrow, as previewed here, water service will be out in an area near 28th/Yancy because of housing-construction work.
6:12 AM: Good morning! Some sunshine in the forecast today.
ROAD WORK .
Delridge project – Here’s where work continues.
Speed humps – Work alert for SW Henderson between 10th and 12th.
Weekend work – From SDOT, two West Seattle work sites:
Weather permitting, crews will begin paving work this weekend at two locations:
-1st Ave S between S Cloverdale St and SW Kenyon St
-Intersection of SW Henderson St and 9th Ave SW
Paving will take place between 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM in both locations.
TRANSIT
Metro is on its changed-for-spring regular schedule
The West Seattle Water Taxi is using the smaller Spirit of Kingston, likely through next week
BRIDGES AND DETOUR ROUTES
368th morning without the West Seattle Bridge. Here’s how it’s looking on other bridges and routes:
Low Bridge: 11th week for automated enforcement cameras; restrictions are in effect 5 am-9 pm daily. Here’s a bridge view:
West Marginal Way at Highland Park Way:
Highland Park Way/Holden:
The 5-way intersection (Spokane/West Marginal/Delridge/Chelan):
And the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map):
For the South Park Bridge (map), here’s the nearest camera:
To check for bridges’ marine-traffic openings, see the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed.
See all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.
Trouble on the streets/paths/bridges/water? Please let us know – text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.
Vaccination news tops tonight’s roundup:
VACCINE SUPPLY: In two state briefings today, it was mentioned that the state is expecting more than 400,000 doses of vaccine next week, the most ever – just in time for 2 million more people to become eligible as of next Wednesday. So far, more than 1 million people are fully vaccinated. Next week’s allocation, the state says, will include the first significant allocation of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, about 42,000 doses.
BUT OTHERWISE … acting state health officer Dr. Scott Lindquist warned in the morning briefing that in the realm of “cautious optimism,” he’s “more cautious than optimistic” because of cases rising in some counties. Not all, though – 23 counties have fewer than 100 cases per 100,000 people. Here’s the newest statewide situation report.
SPEAKING OF NUMBERS … here are the newest King County numbers, from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – today’s cumulative totals:
*86.373 people have tested positive, 336 more than yesterday’s total
*1,458 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,251 people have been hospitalized, 10 more than yesterday’s total
*956,675 people have been tested, 3,203 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 84,859/1,444/5,199/940,597.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 125.4 million cases worldwide, 30 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL-RULE CHANGE: During his briefing this afternoon, Gov. Inslee said the state “is embracing” the CDC guidance that says a 3-foot separation between students is safe.
IN-PERSON GRADUATIONS? Seattle Public Schools tells WSB it’s a possibility.
FREE FOOD ON FRIDAY: Food Lifeline distributes free food boxes 2-5 tomorrow at its South Park HQ (815 S. 96th).
NO FOOD DISTRIBUTION TOMORROW … at Highland Park Improvement Club, which tells us their distribution team is dealing with a positive test.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? here are links to try:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; sign up for the city’s notification list for all three of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine, CHI Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator)
*The state says it’s improved its own lookup tool
*Here’s another multi-provider search to try
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Anyone else catch this tonight? @westseattleblog @NWSSeattle Seen from Genesee Hill in West Seattle at 9PM or so. pic.twitter.com/uBvDzgvbqy
— Chris (@bensoncSEA) March 26, 2021
9:19 PM: Did you see that too? Chris tweeted the video, and we’ve had multiple messages from people who saw those lights in the sky looking southward around 9 pm. We’re looking into it …
(Added – video from Matt Bridge)
9:26 PM: Thanks to a caller who mentioned this – here’s the explanation, via astronomer Jonathan McDowell on Twitter: “The Falcon 9 second stage from the Mar 4 Starlink launch failed to make a deorbit burn and is now reentering after 22 days in orbit. Its reentry was observed from the Seattle area at about 0400 UTC Mar 26.” Here’s more on the Falcon 9. (added) And here’s more on Starlink.
(Added – texted photo)
10:03 PM: Added more of the visuals we’ve received from readers (thanks!).
(Video from Rudy Willingham)
Here’s coverage of the March 4th launch from which this originated.
(Video from Jessica Tulloch)
ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: In case you wondered too:
It looks like the burn up would have started at around 140km (~85± miles) above us. (Data from https://t.co/SBWuRQA2Xl and https://t.co/8bWHxBSSQz.)
For reference, cruising altitude for airliners is ~5 miles. The International Space Station is ~250 miles up. @WestSeaWx— Alice's AstroInfo (@AlicesAstroInfo) March 26, 2021
That’s an early-design concept for 1123 Harbor SW, the site from which the historic “Stone Cottage“ will soon be moved. The project is expected to have six stories, 18 residential units, and 27 off-street parking spaces. The project’s land-use application is now filed, opening a two-week comment period, through April 7th – the notice explains how to comment. As announced last weekend, the “Stone Cottage” move is expected to happen soon, probably next month.
Seattle Parks and Rec is offering new online dance classes geared toward people 50+, starting April 2nd. (See a video preview here.) The announcement:
Virtual Soul Line Dance
Not just country! Line dance to an assortment of music genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and country. Work out your mind and body. Learn new dance patterns to all kinds of great music. 5 classes. Instructor: S Simmons – #41374 – Apr 1- Apr 29 – 9:30-10:30 am Thursdays. Register HERE!
Virtual Aerobic Dance
If you love listening and dancing to a variety of music, then you will love this class. Instructor leads routines that are fun and easy to learn, yet challenging enough to give you a sense of accomplishment. Class includes a warm-up to music, cardio (aerobic dancing) and a cool down with some stretching and conditioning. 5 classes. Instructor: S Simmons – #41368 – Apr 1- Apr 29 – 11 am-noon Thursdays. Register HERE!
This is part of Lifelong Recreation.
In July, the city will add another $20 to the vehicle-license fee. Before that money starts rolling in, they’re working on the plan for what to do with the $7 million a year that it’s expected to generate. This SDOT Blog post has an overview of what they’ve come up with so far.
Now they’re asking what you think. Read the proposal and answer the survey by next Tuesday morning (March 30th).
(Seattle Public Schools photo)
As Seattle Public Schools prepares to offer some in-person learning to students after a year away from classrooms, one local school’s staff has concerns beyond safety. Genesee Hill Elementary is the most populous elementary in West Seattle. Its staff has taken an action that they and the Genesee Hill PTA want you to know about. PTA co-presidents Michelle Comazzetto and Scot Duffield sent us a letter that they explain “was written by the Genesee Hill staff to officially notify the Seattle School District that they reject the proposed 2021-2022 budget.” This is the budget that was specifically proposed for their school for next year. The PTA co-presidents asked us to publish it, adding, “The Genesee Hill PTA would like to bring more awareness around school funding, and the difficult choices that school leadership has to make because schools are still not properly funded . As part of our PTA mission, we need to advocate for our school’s staff and teachers and help them amplify their voices.” Here’s the letter in its entirety:
Dear President Hampson and Superintendent Juneau,
The Genesee Hill staff, with consideration for the fiscal challenges faced by the District in the coming 2021-2022 school year and with respect to our leadership team for their efforts to stretch the inadequate funding they were handed, have decided not to approve this year’s proposed budget for the following reasons: it does not support students’ physical safety; it does not provide the social and emotional supports needed by a potentially fragile student body; and it does not equitably address the wide disparity in learning that our students have experienced during remote instruction. We are hopeful that an amended budget can be implemented that returns funding to a level that supports these essential functions.
After a full year of remote learning, students and staff are understandably excited to return to the classroom, but we must not let our enthusiasm obscure a mandate that is even more critical now in the COVID age: the physical safety of our students. Protocols have yet to be fully established, but it’s clear that reducing the already inadequate allocation of .6 FTE for our school nurse down to .4 FTE does not support the increased focus on safety required during a pandemic. Couple this with the loss of half of our office support staff (Elementary School Assistant position reduced from 2.0 FTE to 1.0 FTE), who monitor our nurse’s office when the nurse is off-campus and who tend to students with serious conditions like diabetes as well as the common illnesses and injuries concomitant with a school of around 600 K-5 children, and you have a dangerous situation. With the increased need to train staff and students, along with monitoring for COVID compliance and treating existing and emergent conditions, cutting these critical positions is flirting with negligence.
Ensuring the physical well-being of our students is paramount, but the need to prioritize their emotional well-being in the coming school year cannot be overstated. With currently no funding in the budget at all for a school counselor, we are faced with the uncomfortable choice of either ignoring those emotional needs or “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” funding a counselor by shifting resources away from critical academic supports as we return to in-person learning. We certainly anticipate growing pains as kids readjust to (or experience for the first time, in the case of our Kindergarteners!) peer interactions and the emotional intensity of learning outside the home. In fact, never in recent memory have we had a more dire need for SEL support than we will in the coming year, and yet the current budget ignores this reality.
Not only does this budget erode safety protocols and social/emotional supports for this vulnerable cohort of young learners, but it also cuts deeply into our core academic programs. We are projected to lose 3.0 FTE for classroom teachers; our PCP staff stands to lose .5 FTE; our library position is being reduced from 1.0 to .5 FTE (making it unfeasible to both maintain the library and teach lessons, putting even more pressure on our overworked PCP teachers); and finally, this budget cuts 2.2 FTE (down from 3.4 to 1.2 FTE) from our academic interventionists, who should play a pivotal role in ensuring that this year’s “learning gaps” are bridged, particularly amongst our students who are furthest from educational justice and who may have a hard path back to grade level performance without targeted interventions.
Given the financial hardships that many of our families are facing, not to mention the difficulties of raising money in the current social and economic climate, this isn’t the year to bridge the shortfall with private funds. However, this also isn’t the year to strip the budget in March only to return staffing and funding over the summer, undermining public confidence in the District’s ability to transition back to the classroom without compromising students’ physical and emotional well-being, not to mention their continuity of learning. Whether or not this year’s lower enrollment projections are a reflection of community mistrust, there is no doubt that the past year has been one of uncertainty for all, and downright instability for many. Our schools can and should be part of the recovery. And while we all anticipate “tightening our belts” a bit, it cannot be at the expense of our students’ physical and emotional safety, nor can it ignore learning gaps that will persist into high school and beyond if inadequately addressed. We do not oppose this budget lightly, as we know that these are hard times and that the District has been hamstrung by a very difficult school funding model, but we cannot endorse a budget that puts our students further at risk, and we hope that decisions can be made that restore and even augment the core supports that are so needed at this time.
Sincerely,
Genesee Hill Elementary School Staff
Most other local schools are facing cuts for next year, according to the Genesee Hill PTA leaders, but no other school is facing as many cuts as theirs.
So what does the staff rejection of next year’s budget proposal mean? It’s supposed to trigger a process in which a representative of the district and one from the Seattle Education Association union meet with the staff to try to work out the issues. The PTA leaders say that while the budget-rejection letter was sent last Friday, no mediation meeting has yet been scheduled.
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