FOLLOWUP: Seattle Public Schools superintendent officially cancels closure meetings

His final decision on whether to withdraw the four-school-closure plan isn’t in yet, but Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones has announced the upcoming meetings/hearings for the affected school communities are canceled/on hold. Here’s his statement released today:

We are canceling our upcoming round of online community meetings at North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo, and Stevens elementary schools. We are doing so as the board has decided to delay the December closure and consolidation hearings, in part based on important input from families that we all value. As a result, I am considering withdrawing my earlier recommendations for closure and consolidation.

Our next step is to sit down with the school board for further planning. Having community meetings before or during these conversations would not be fair at this time.

Closing and consolidating schools is one of the hardest conversations we have ever had as a community. The conversations with affected school families, with the larger Seattle Public Schools community, our staff, and our board have been productive and at times painful. We understand that no one wants their beloved school to close – and we appreciate how much you love your schools, the teachers, the staff, and the culture that helps each student thrive.

I want to thank our school community for providing feedback as we work to address our budget gap and build a sustainable system so that every student thrives.

As noted in our report on the school-board meeting that preceded this, local school board director Gina Topp will have a community-conversation meeting at 6:30 pm next Tuesday (November 26) at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), and that’s a good place to plan to voice your opinions and ask questions.

Rusty November 21, 2024 (4:08 pm)

STOP CLOSING SCHOOLS

Walkerws November 21, 2024 (5:19 pm)

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COUNTERPOINT: THEY SHOULD CLOSE EVEN A FEW MORE
Anne November 21, 2024 (5:21 pm)

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HOW DO WE FUND THEM? No one wants schools to close-but how do we address the budget issue ? Sometimes hard choices need to be made – don’t we all learn that in life? We elect leaders to make those hard choices-& not everyone will be happy about them.

Darren November 21, 2024 (4:08 pm)

Such lack of leadership don’t ask for more money from taxpayers figure it out, that’s what ur paid for

WS Guy November 21, 2024 (4:17 pm)

Is Plan B to shake the Seattle Magic Money Tree until millions of dollars fall out? Or has he wised up and is ready to sack some bureaucrats?

Teach November 21, 2024 (4:48 pm)

The legislature needs to figure out how to allocate the dollar amount per student that a district receives based on the cost of living in that district. Seattle and the surrounding areas with a higher cost of living should receive more per student than a rural district in Ferry or Grant County.

Plf November 21, 2024 (6:13 pm)

Create a business plan. Close schools and consolidate, economy of scale kids will adapt and most likely their friends from current school will all go together do not ask tax payers for more money till you have created efficiencies, consolidate buildings, lay off personnel where there is excessive staffing, consolidate administrative positions the metics for SPS are terrible, any guesses why many families scrimp to send kids to private schools or move to the East side, or home school if SPS was a private enterprise they would be out of business, poorly run, fiscally inept, and student metrics horrible, no accountability and their solution is to throw more money when They have shown total lack of ability to run the districtand parents, get over it some schools need and should be shut downshow ur kids the ability to flex and pivot and life has changes we all must adapt to. Stop winning and lead by example to your kids

JR November 21, 2024 (6:23 pm)

Make the budget public and transparent.

HPE November 21, 2024 (9:40 pm)

If Jones can get a 24% raise then there’s $ available for schools. The top paid district leadership should take a pay cut or at least not get a raise. Surrounding districts leadership are putting $ into classrooms/schools not their pockets

t November 22, 2024 (6:52 am)

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well said. That is a huge raise for doing a mediocre job. I would also like to know how much money he had the school district spend on the committee that started off with 20 schools with no data to back up what they were proposing. Teachers use student driven data every day to inform their teaching the district should know how to use data to drive their actions too.
Admiral Mom November 22, 2024 (1:31 pm)

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24% raise?!?! Where did you get that? Last time I checked it was COLA but correct me if I am wrong. Or stop spreading misinformation

Practical November 21, 2024 (10:01 pm)

The problem is that fundamentally SPS is too big. It should become at least two districts, North and South. Or more ideally four, East, South, West and North districts to better serve our students. Money maker? Sell SPS land holdings that are not being used as schools. Property tax revenue should continue to be shared by all newly formed districts.

Soon we will see November 21, 2024 (10:58 pm)

It is a mess. All of it. A preventable mess, if Olympia cared at all about its own constitution in general and public school students specifically. Our representatives in Olympia seem to refuse to prioritize public school funding and our Superintendent and school board have to scramble to manage the fall out. Our Olympia representives know their lack of funding will not impact their ability to gain relection. They know this because the schools have been underfunded for such a long time that it feels inevitable. It isn’t. Our officials in Olympia can create and vote on bills that can fund our schools. With the legislative session coming up, it will be interesting to see what their actions tell us about their commitment to an educated public. If the schools are once again underfunded after this budget session, I wonder if our elected officials in Olympia will their jobs in the next election.

t November 22, 2024 (6:55 am)

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yes, that is all absolutely true! the superintendent has some responsibility in the proposals that he had sent out to the Sps community regarding closures to though. The main problem is the state not following the constitution of our state. And the secondary problem is the management of the district is not keeping it tight.

SPSParent November 22, 2024 (5:55 am)

Brent Jones should resign. If he doesn’t, the board should hold a no-confidence vote and force him out. The entire process has turned into a farce. The public will never accept a plan that includes even one school closure, which makes Jones’ position untenable. With new leadership, the process can start over, hopefully with public support.

Meeee November 22, 2024 (7:45 am)

I wish the superintendent and the board had the backbone to do what needs to be done and stop backing down on these closures.If your home budget was in this dire of shape you would take quick action to cut costs yet this superintendent and board keep caving.I agree closing schools will cause upheaval but everyone will survive.

Seattle-Joe November 22, 2024 (10:54 am)

We went from 21 to 5 to now zero? What we need is a new superintendent. I’m not seeing much leadership from this guy. This is what we get from a 24% pay raise? Cutting this superintendent is the place to start to get the b budget under control.