One week from tonight, Chief Sealth International High School opens its doors to prospective students and their families for an open house. School administrators asked us to share the reminder. The open house starts at 5:45 pm Thursday, January 22. Here’s a brief preview on the school website. A student panel will be there to answer questions, along with staff. Food will be provided in the Galleria, and interpretation will be available in Spanish, Somali, and Oromo. CSIHS is at 2600 SW Thistle.

(Photos taken at Roxhill Elementary with classes of Kyoko Giedeman and Margaret Gamache)

Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by Torin Record-Sand
For West Seattle Blog

Since 1991, West Seattle schools in the Salmon in the Schools program have received their coho salmon eggs in early January, but not this year.

Students returned from winter break to find their tanks already populated by tiny alevin (the first stage of growth).

“Temperature affects the pace at which salmon eggs mature and our mild fall weather caused them to mature much faster than usual,” explained Phil Sweetland with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council. “On very short notice, teachers had their tanks ready for eggs two weeks early.”

In the quiet of hallways across West Seattle, those eggs started hatching into more than 2,000 alevin on December 24. Because they come equipped with a food sac, the alevin took care of themselves until classes resumed. As they watch their alevin grow and change into fry, students will be learning about biology, habitat, and stewardship until release season in May.

Fauntleroy volunteers will assist with an expected 17 release field trips.

Because of construction to replace the Fauntleroy Creek culvert under 45th Ave. SW, preschool and other small groups will release into the lower creek and elementary groups will release into Longfellow Creek.

Looking for a K-5 school? Tilden School (4105 California SW; WSB sponsor) is having its final open house of the season this Saturday. Here’s the invitation:

Tilden School Open House

Tilden School invites prospective families to its Winter Open House on Saturday, January 10th, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Families are welcome to drop in at any time during the event to tour the campus, learn more about Tilden’s academic program and close-knit community, and meet faculty, administrators, current parents, and alumni.

Tilden’s Open Houses offer a meaningful opportunity to explore the school’s educational philosophy and discover what makes this independent K–5 school such a special place to learn and grow.

For those unable to attend our final Open House of the season, private tours may also be scheduled by contacting the school office.

There are limited openings available for students in grades 1–5. Applications can be found online at tildenschool.org.

For additional information, please contact Jennifer Trise at info@tildenschool.org.

That’s a Seattle Public Schools-provided aerial view of the west and south sides of the new Alki Elementary School (3010 59th SW), months away from completion, set to open this fall for the 2026-2027 school year. (You can see a current view of the front – north-facing side – of the school via this webcam.) One of the major elements of work right now involves rebuilding the road surface of 59th; the latest update from the project team says, “The western half will be demolished and replaced by mid-January.” Closures are continuing during daytime work hours, but the street is reopening after-hours as work permits. Other updates:

During the last month we have completed the following work: gypsum concrete floor topping, installation of the ceiling grid, rough-in of the mechanical systems, masonry, exterior glazing, and mechanical penthouse metal panel installation.

The team is beginning or progressing on the following work: 59th Avenue repaving, interior lighting, interior cabinet installation, finish carpentry, acoustical treatments and tile installation.

Our next steps include: completing the interior finishes (paint and flooring) on the Community Center, completing the bioretention facilities and permanent power connection.

Alki Elementary staff and students are in their third year at the former Schmitz Park Elementary campus. The school currently has 266 students enrolled, according to the newest district update, slightly more than half the capacity of the new building. The district’s Open Enrollment for School Choice period is now under way.

If you’re starting the year with a decision to make about school for a very young member of the family – don’t miss the West Seattle Preschool Fair on Tuesday:

West Seattle Preschool Fair – January 6, 5:30 to 7:00 pm

Hope School Gym: 4100 SW Genesee St (Gym Entrance on Genesee). Parking available in the lot on the east side of 41st and Genesee St. Look for signs.

Parents of preschool-age students are invited to attend the West Seattle Preschool Fair January 6th at 5:30.

Twelve local preschools will be in attendance to inform you about their programs and help answer questions about preschool readiness. January is a perfect time to begin your search for the program that meets the needs of your student, and what better way to research than to have access to all these programs in one spot! You can pre-register by clicking here. Children are welcome! Questions? Email event organizer Sally Heit at sheit@hopeseattle.org.

Our participants are:
Holy Rosary Preschool
Hope Lutheran Preschool
ARK Preschool
The Bridge School Cooperative Elementary
Bright Horizons at West Seattle
Westside Wonderspace
The Cove School
Community School of West Seattle
SSC Cooperative Preschools and Parent Education Program
Urban Nature Preschool LLC
Cometa Playschool
West Seattle Montessori

Also:
Sunshine Music
The Little Gym of West Seattle

1:05 PM: Thanks for the tip! While at least one West Seattle school is planning to bring in new portable classrooms – as reported here – old ones are being demolished right now at another local Seattle Public Schools site. After the reader tip, we checked city records, which show that demolition-permit applications were filed back in March for three portables on the northeast side of the old Roxhill Elementary site at 9430 30th SW, issued weeks later, and a crew is there doing teardown (and ensuing debris cleanup, as shown in our video above) today. The permits are only for the portables; files show no demolition application or permit for the campus buildings. You might recall that the SPS School Board gave its approval last summer to new locations for the programs that had been using the old school site; at the time, the district declined comment on future plans for the site, so in light of the demolition work, we’re asking again, and will update with whatever we hear back.

2:30 PM: SPS spokesperson Teresa Shaw replied to our inquiry, saying there are no updates regarding plans for the site, and as for why they’re tearing these portables down instead of moving them: “The portables are being demolished because we cannot move them to another location as they do not have a Labor & Industries (L&I) certification label/tag, which is required to legally move them to another location within Washington State.”

(WSB photo after previous portables’ arrival in 2023)

By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Next school year, West Seattle High School students can expect two more portable units to join the existing four in the school’s parking lot, according to a Seattle Public Schools representative. This follows the ongoing rise in WSHS student population, which sat at 1452 as of October.

Construction is expected to be done over the summer of 2026 while classes are not in session, according to SPS, which says the work is “not expected to impact day-to-day activities.”

We inquired about this after noticing in city online records that permit applications had been filed to construct two more portable classrooms. The filings appeared last month. According to the city’s permit portal, building and land use pre-applications have been approved for a portable “P5” and “P6,” but construction permits are still waiting on approval.

As we mentioned in 2023, the construction of the first four portable classrooms in the WSHS parking lot was a response to a growing student body that then numbered roughly 1300. These new portables would also further reduce the number of parking spaces available for drivers, which was already below zoning requirements in 2023, A zoning departure is being requested for this, according to online city files, which include a site plan showing the two new portables would be placed to the west of the existing four, taking up nine current parking spaces.

Before schools went into winter break, the Chief Sealth International High School PTSA got some good news – a national grant that is meant to get more students – who, after all, are the “S” in PTSA – involved. Here’s the announcement:

Chief Sealth International High School PTSA has been awarded a National PTA Youth Engagement Capacity Building Grant, making it one of just 20 high school PTSAs selected nationwide and the only recipient in Washington State.

The award is part of National PTA’s $1 million investment in schools across the country to strengthen student voice, leadership, and engagement. Chief Sealth was recognized for its commitment to equity-driven, student-led programming that removes barriers to participation and prepares students for postsecondary success.

The grant will support the immediate launch of a Student Leadership & Scholarship Initiative, including stipend-supported student leadership roles and a Scholarship & Leadership Club co-designed with students and the school’s College & Career Center. The program elevates student voice in PTSA decision-making while expanding access to scholarships, leadership development, and college readiness resources.

“Our students told us they want more than one-time workshops. They want meaningful roles, real responsibility, and opportunities that fit their lives,” said Maria Doucettperry, PTSA Scholarship Chair at Chief Sealth International High School. “This grant allows us to value students’ time, remove financial barriers, and prepare young people not just for college, but for leadership and civic engagement.”

Chief Sealth International High School serves a richly diverse community, with many students from low-income, immigrant, and first-generation backgrounds. While graduation rates are strong, access to postsecondary opportunities remains uneven. This initiative directly addresses that gap by centering student leadership, peer mentoring, and culturally responsive engagement.

Implementation is underway, with student recruitment and leadership onboarding beginning immediately and continuing into January 2026. The program is designed to be sustainable and replicable, ensuring student leadership remains embedded in PTSA structures beyond the grant period.

We asked CSIHS PTSA president Stacy Harbour, who sent us the announcement, what happens now, and how students and families can get involved. Her reply: “The grant will support four stipends for four student leaders who will work alongside the PTSA to build a robust Scholarship & Leadership Club. Student leaders will co-facilitate club meetings, building a fuller experience for the CSIHS student body in scholarship, essay writing, and financial aid navigation. The ultimate goal is a sustainable structure for student-led engagement in the PTSA, leadership development, and ownership of their post-graduation goals.” They’re recruiting students now “in coordination with the College & Career Center now, with a full launch of the program in January,” so that’s where interested students can check in to get involved. Harbour adds, “Interested families should reach out to chiefsealthptsa@gmail.com to learn more.”

(Photos courtesy Brenda Hatley)

By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Dozens of youth robotics teams from elementary and middle schools across the district gathered on December 6 at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School for this year’s FIRST Lego League qualifier. By the end of the day, three teams from West Seattle – Madison Middle School, Lafayette Elementary School, and Alki Elementary School – emerged triumphant, with their sights set on the next round of the tournament.

Of the schools who competed that day, nine were from West Seattle, including Genesee Hill Elementary, Fairmount Park Elementary, Gatewood Elementary, Arbor Heights Elementary, West Seattle Elementary, and the aforementioned teams that are moving up to the next round.

A local parent tipped us about the students’ achievement, so we set out to get details. We spoke with Brenda Hatley, a coach for Madison Middle School, the only West Seattle middle-school team to advance to the next round, and she says the turnout at the qualifiers was impressive. Hatley first became a coach for her son’s 4th-grade team and was one of the founding parents for Lafayette Elementary’s Lego Robotics team.

She says the program, which pairs engineering with LEGO, coding, and real-world projects, is a fantastic program for students who are less interested in athletics but still want to capture the excitement of a pep rally.

“It’s not a sports team, but they’re still getting so hyped up. The kids were cheering for each other, and the pressure was there; coaching through that was an incredible experience,” Hatley said.

Madison’s team, the Madbots, will play their next match on December 26th, at a to-be-determined location. The teams that do well this month will move on to the city-wide competition in Downtown Seattle, before moving to the regionals at Washington State University, and beyond to the international finals. Regardless of how they perform, Hatley says she and the other parents are planning to travel with their team to the city-wide and regional competitions.

“I’m really proud of the team,” Hatley said. “Last year, the fifth graders didn’t move on, and we had lower expectations; we just went in to learn more and get better. This year, we get to move on and see what the next level looks like.”

(WSB file photo)

One week ago tonight, we published local parent Arin‘s plea for Seattle Public Schools to hurry up and announce graduation dates, since a conflict with the FIFA World Cup Seattle games seemed in the cards. The district has finalized the schedule – on June 17, Chief Sealth IHS at 5 pm at McCaw Hall, followed by West Seattle HS at 8 pm, same date/site – and the conflict remains. Arin says there’s one more thing families and others need to be aware of: “SPS sent the dates last Friday but failed to mention in their email that graduations at McCaw Hall (CSIHS and WS) will have a limited number of tickets. They won’t tell us how many tickets each graduating student gets …” and, Arin adds, the “limited tickets” note was only included on a social-media post. McCaw Hall is described online as having a capacity of just under 3,000, about a quarter of the now-demolished Memorial Stadium, and less than Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, where the local schools held commencement ceremonies as recently as 2022.

Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Local school families, parents, students and education advocates gathered on Thursday night at Denny International Middle School (2601 SW Kenyon) to learn and share ideas about positive impacts made possible by the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) levy, which Seattle voters approved for renewal/expansion in the November election. 

The 6-year $1.3 billion levy was overwhelmingly approved by 80% of voters (the highest margin in the 35-year history of Seattle education levies) and is now in “implementation planning” mode through next summer (the Seattle City Council will vote on the plan in June 2026), followed by “year one” implementation beginning in fall 2026 and running through 2032. For more details, see this PDF fact sheet about the levy renewal and the “Every Child Ready” initiative (announced in April).

Organizers on Thursday night expressed gratitude to voters and described the levy as “the biggest education levy in the history of the city and the state,” noting that Seattle is the only city in Washington that provides this type of supplemental funding for the local public school system.

Back in June, we reported about mayor Bruce Harrell (who is in office until the end of this year, before incoming mayor Katie Wilson takes office) signing the bill to send the FEPP levy (aka Proposition 1) to the November ballot. As we reported when Harrell proposed the levy in April, it’s projected to cost the median-assessed-value Seattle homeowner $654 each year. The expiring 2018 version of the levy was described as costing the median-value homeowner $249 each year. Later in June, the City Council considered the FEPP levy proposal and voted to approve the ballot measure, which was then approved by voters in November.

The event on Thursday, held in the “galleria” area that Denny shares with Chief Sealth International High School, was the third of four public meetings about FEPP that were organized by the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), whose director Dr. Dwane Chappelle welcomed attendees:   

Two members of the Seattle City Council were in attendance at Denny on Thursday night and were also invited to give opening remarks. First up was District 1’s own Rob Saka: 

As well as Maritza Rivera from District 4 (northeast Seattle) who serves as chair of the council’s Libraries, Education & Neighborhoods Committee and worked closely with Harrell as part of the select committee for the FEPP levy: 

The evening’s emcee was longtime local educator and advocate Manuela Slye, who is also a member of the levy oversight committee:

Also in attendance was Seattle School Board member Vivian Song, who formerly served on the levy oversight committee and said she welcomed the opportunity to listen and learn from the community:

After the opening remarks and overviews of the levy, attendees divided into discussion groups to dive deeper into the three key areas that the levy funding is intended to support in 2026-2032. Per the DEEL website and information sheets, these three areas (and their respective “share” of the levy funding) are: 

• Ready to Start: ($658M) High-quality preschool for three- and four-year olds, with free tuition for low- and middle- income families, child care co-pay support, supports for families with children prenatal to age three, and direct payments to childcare workers.  
• Ready to Learn: ($510M) Free expanded learning supports for Seattle youth including school-day, afterschool, and summer academic, enrichment, and mentorship programs; funding for five new School Based Health Centers bringing the total citywide to 34; and expanded school safety and student mental health services.  
• Ready to Launch: ($84M) Tuition-free college at Seattle Colleges accessible for all Seattle public high school graduates through the Seattle Promise program, supported transfer pathway to University of Washington-Seattle, and scholarships to grow a diverse workforce in high-demand careers such as education, trades, and the public sector. 

Attendees interested in these topics on Thursday gathered for about 45 minutes of discussion, then shared notes back with the larger group, which we’ll summarize below.

The Ready to Start group talked about issues and opportunities for our youngest scholars:  

The group shared family and provider experiences with childcare programs and after-school programs including CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program) and preschool. Some families said they felt they had access to the financial support they need for childcare, but improvements are needed to expand subsidies for middle income families who may not qualify yet and are cost burdened; need to “broaden access overall. Also discussed was the idea of earlier workforce opportunities for high school students to support the child-care workforce by assisting experienced adults, and overall to help providers get certified to offer childcare and preschool services.

Family priorities when choosing child care and thinking about key logistics included:

• Core priorities across ages: Quality, trust in providers, cultural and linguistic match (especially for infant and toddler care), reliability, and safety.
• School-age priorities: After-school programs that actively engage students in learning.
• Logistics and flexibility: Need for flexible hours (including before-school and after-school care, sometimes as early as 5 AM), and provision of food and transportation where needed.

The largest discussion group on Thursday night was Ready to Learn, focusing on K-12 experiences and needs:

Participants talked about the need to support students and families both academically and with a “whole-child” approach, to ensure that needs are met, including:

• Academic and enrichment support: After school and outside-of-school enrichment that boosts academics, offers hands-on learning, culturally relevant programming outside the school-day curriculum, and opportunities for youth to learn new skills and try new things.
• Whole-child mental health: Holistic mental health that is integrated into daily school experiences and other activities, not solely reliant on youth seeking standalone services. Doing this right requires a range of caring adults who build relationships to reach and re-engage youth.
• Meeting community needs and family engagement: Services reflecting whole-community needs, including workforce support and multi-generational involvement (including grandparents and older extended family. Making this work requires explicit, clear invitations for parents and family members to be involved, treating parents as true partners in youth well-being and education.
• Community partnerships: Sustained, consistent partnerships bridging in-school and out-of-school supports to provide a stable set of adults ready to respond to academic, social learning, and other needs.  This also requires schools and partners that are connected to each other, and to youth and their families.

One of the participants in this group was Denny Middle School principal Mary Ingraham, who talked about the importance of “needs assessments” to identify ways that student and family support can have the most impact. 

The final group was Ready to Launch, focusing on preparation and paths to careers and college opportunities after high school:

The group included several high school students who shared their stories and experiences, as well as Councilmember Saka and Chief Sealth principal Hope Perry.

Insights and discussion points from the group included: 

• Financial assistance navigation and access: Desire for clearer support through applications and access to higher funding amounts, and to involve more people to make processes easier for youth.
• Program experiences that shape careers: Group members shared personal experiences and observations with program services (such as school-based health centers) influencing interests in a positive way, including driving artistic careers and sparking interest in fields like psychology (through working with a therapist).
• Exposure to careers and education pathways: Need for more exposure in schools to diverse careers and colleges to help youth identify their interests.
• Information access challenges: Limited, hard-to-find online information for scholarships, funding for business needs, and internships. One participant noted it is hard to identify the best opportunities online because “the internet is so big,” and others strongly agreed.
• Career exploration: More job shadow opportunities and real-world exposure to see what jobs look like “in the real world.”

As the evening at Denny wrapped up, organizers encouraged attendees to stay involved and stay in touch. DEEL also hosted meetings last week in Magnuson Park and Ballard, and are in Columbia City next week on December 16 (details here) to wrap up the 4-meeting series.

Also, if you’re interesting in diving deeper and getting involved with the levy oversight process, the team is now accepting applications for the levy oversight committee which will help with the implementation evaluation plan and review and advise on legislation and related work for the next levee. Applications can be submitted here. 

80 percent of Seattle voters said “yes” last month to Proposition 1, the six-year, $1.2 billion renewal/expansion of the Families, Education, Preschool, Promise levy. Now – how will the money be spent? We just got this announcement of a Thursday “community conversation” in West Seattle:

The Seattle Department of Education & Early Learning is hosting a series of community conversations, designed for families, youth, and community to learn about the planned Families, Education, Preschool, & Promise Levy (FEPP) investments in child care and education and share what matters most to them! We’d love to invite community members to join upcoming sessions:

Thursday, December 11, 5:30–7:30 PM
Denny International Middle School, 2601 SW Kenyon

This event will offer a brief overview of planned FEPP Levy investments in child care and education, along with time for community members to share their input. Free dinner, interpretation services, and children’s activities will be provided. Space is limited, so we encourage RSVPs: bit.ly/FEPPCommunityConversations