SCHOOL CLOSURES? Next step Tuesday as Seattle Public Schools Board meets for budget work session

While a formal plan isn’t expected until next month, Seattle Public Schools‘ next step toward addressing a budget gap happens at a School Board work session tomorrow (Tuesday, October 17). We heard today from a local teacher who says it’s important for concerned families to turn out for the meeting – at SPS HQ in SODO – because of the recent reconfiguration plans (WSB coverage here) as well as what’s ahead. She writes:

SPS’s management made a mistake. We need families to go to the SPS board budget meeting, TOMORROW. Tuesday October 17, 4:30 pm – in-person at JSCEE. The goal is to get many families in one place to connect and support one another. We URGENTLY need to get currently unaffected schools to support our affected schools because they could become affected schools next.

SPS administrators say they have a budget gap of more than $100 million to cover, and here are some of the possibilities listed in a slide deck for tomorrow’s meeting (part of the agenda documents):

You might recall, the “system of well-resourced schools” is where the possible school closures/consolidations come in, but again, the detailed proposal on that is still a month away. The district collected some community feedback at recent meetings (here’s our coverage of the one in West Seattle), mostly general opinions such as “what do you like about your school?”, and plans a report on the feedback at tomorrow’s work session too. If you’re interested in attending, the district HQ is at 3rd/Lander; if you can’t go, you can watch the livestream here.

P.S. Our area’s school-board member Leslie Harris has her next community Q&A meeting this Saturday (October 21st), 2-5 pm, at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, 2306 42nd SW.

WS Taxpayer October 16, 2023 (1:49 pm)

Well, now that Alki Elementary is gone, seems like a logical place to start saving $$.

Elton October 16, 2023 (3:12 pm)

I seem to remember a past story about the shortfall explaining that the budget was already allocated for this in some special way outside of this shortfall, but I could be mis-remembering…
Melissa Westbrook October 17, 2023 (2:45 pm)

Not understanding your comment – where is the “logical place” to save money?

R October 16, 2023 (4:28 pm)

So will we know in November which schools are being closed next school year?

WSB October 16, 2023 (4:44 pm)

Maybe, maybe not. The district hasn’t committed publicly yet to saying more than school closures “could” be part of the mix when the superintendent announces his proposal in November. Perhaps we’ll hear something more definitive tomorrow. – TR

Millie October 16, 2023 (4:34 pm)

What was the School Board and SPS administration doing to achieve a #100 million budget gap? Was no one paying attention to expenditures/revenues. Obviously, we voters should be paying more attention to candidates’ resumes (work/business) rather than promises.

Jess October 17, 2023 (7:41 am)

BTW, There’s an election coming on November 7th- Board members are up!
Josh October 17, 2023 (9:28 am)

The gap comes from things like reduced enrollment and decreased property tax revenue in the setting of a bloated administrative structure. They cut some admin fat last year and hopefully will do more again this year but that doesn’t cover the gap.

Art Jarvis in the house October 16, 2023 (6:06 pm)

The budget reduction options presentation for the Board looks a lot more structured, reflective and logical than many prior ones. It looks like the new assistant supt has done this before 5 or 20 times before.

Melissa Westbrook October 17, 2023 (2:49 pm)

I can categorically say there will be closures. The district is gearing up for them but it will be different from the last time. I say this as someone who served on the last Closure and Consolidation Committee. The district is NOT going to have community meetings at schools. They will put out a list in November (I’d bet right before Thanksgiving) and won’t budge after that. There are a couple of school board candidates who have stated they are against closing schools and they are Ben Gitenstein (D3) and Debbie Carlsen (D1). The biggest reason for the budget deficit – beyond losing students – is approving a teachers contract that both the Superintendent/staff and the Board knew was not sustainable. It’s difficult to accept that kind of faulty judgement but it’s true.

Admiral Mom October 17, 2023 (5:41 pm)

OMG really?!?!?! While bargaining was going on: “SPS, give teachers what they want! Do the right thing!” And now: “Shame in you SPS for giving teachers the raise they wanted, how irresponsible!”SPS can never win.
- GHE mom October 18, 2023 (8:12 pm)
  
  That is for sure not what she is saying. Many people during the teachers strikes noted that SPS was at a cliff before the strikes and the teachers wanted more than SPS had, regardless of negotiations. We have reached the cliff that SPS had said we would reach. SPS was very clear about it from the get go of teachers raises.

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