(WSB photo, today)

One week has passed since a city hearing examiner told Seattle Public Schools that it has to “revisit” the plan to rebuild Alki Elementary with no off-street parking. But we don’t know yet how that “revisiting” will be done. The district has said only that it’s “reviewing” the decision, which was in favor of an appeal filed by nearby residents, following the city’s decision to grant nine zoning exceptions for the project (the appeals of six of the other eight were rejected). So we checked with the city’s permitting authority, the Department of Construction and Inspections. SDCI spokesperson Wendy Shark tells us that “they are having their first meeting to determine next steps” by the end of this week, so they should know next week how they’ll be proceeding. Meantime, we just went by the site, and at least from 59th, it appears idle after a second burst of demolition earlier this week.

Thanks for the tip. Demolition has resumed at Alki Elementary, four days after a city hearing examiner’s ruling granting an appeal of the zoning exception needed to build the new school without off-street parking. A week and a half ago, Charter Construction crews had demolished the old portable on the north side of the school and installed an office trailer; Seattle Public Schools had told us at the time that the permits were being granted in phases, so some grading and shoring work also would be done on the site regardless of the appeal process. So far, the district’s comment on the appeal decision has been only that they were “reviewing” it. Alki classes are currently planned to be held in the former Schmitz Park Elementary for the next two years while the new expanded, levy-funded building is constructed.

(WSB photos/video)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“If you’re organizing and you have your shirts all ready to go to protect your school, it’s a little bit premature.”

Seattle Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brent Jones was trying to be humorous when he said that last night, reiterating to a crowd at Madison Middle School that he has no list – yet – of schools to be closed/consolidated to help pull SPS off the edge of a $100+ million budget abyss.

But his remark couldn’t help but carry echoes of the often-bitterly fought school-closure process of the late ’00s, when indeed, some school communities came to meetings in custom T-shirts and with signs. That potential phase of this process is at least a few months away. First, the district is having a series of community meetings, held regionally but identical in format. Last night’s “southwest region” meeting, as previewed at the Tuesday “central region” meeting, was meant to collect general thoughts, “to share ideas, re-imagine our school system … (so SPS can) get stronger, be more equitable, be better … evaluate how to create and pay for a school system that puts every student on the path to success,” as district chief of staff Bev Redmond outlined in her opening remarks.

In addition to the goal of defining “well-resourced schools” – which ostensibly would be the result of consolidations/closures – Redmond noted the district is also starting levy planning. Regarding the timeline, she reiterated no school consolidations/closures for this school year – but there’ll be a survey toward the start of the school year, and then the input will go to Dr. Jones for a plan to be announced in November.

Here’s our video of what Redmond, Jones, and associate superintendent Dr. Rocky Torres said to open the meeting, before it moved to small-group discussions:

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(Rendering by Mahlum Architects – north side of school)

4 PM: The ruling is just in on the appeal of seven of the nine zoning exceptions (“departures”) sought by Seattle Public Schools for the rebuild of Alki Elementary. City assistant hearing examiner Susan Drummond, who heard the case July 25th (WSB coverage here), denied the appeals of six of the exceptions – but granted the appeal on arguably the most fervently argued point, the plan to rebuild and expand the school with no off-street parking. From the 11-page decision:

The Appellants met their burden to demonstrate that the impacts the neighborhood would bear from no on-site parking has not been sufficiently considered in relation to the site’s unique and constrained conditions. Appellants also met their burden to demonstrate that it is not necessary to eliminate all parking to meet educational needs. The approach exacerbates the difficult parking and circulation issues already present in the immediate area even without the expansion. The parking analysis was completed during an extraordinary time-period that does not reflect current or expected conditions. This issue should be revisited, with further thought given to how to improve the balance between school needs against the parking and circulation challenges the area faces.

As the appellants – four nearby residents – pointed out (and is also noted in the decision), Alki’s parking crunch is so intense, the area has a city-imposed “parking overlay” in which one and a half spaces must be provided for every residential unit built.

So what happens now? The decision concludes, “The decision is returned to the Department for proceedings consistent with the Examiner’s decision.” That would be the Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), whose original decision to grant the nine requested zoning exceptions is what was appealed (two of the nine – the new school’s height and a driveway configuration issue – were no longer at issue at the time of the hearing). We’ll be following up with SDCI and other parties.

6:07 PM: We asked the appellants via email for their thoughts. This is from Shauna Causey:

We were up against lawyers hired by Seattle Public Schools and it felt like an impossible situation but in the end, I’m glad the hearing examiner listened to the community.

I started an online petition before the hearing and 492 people responded in just 48 hours asking they reconsider the plan to remove ALL on-site parking. Some of the comments from the petition were shared during the hearing. From elderly who live near the school who have already had a tough time with ambulances reaching them, families with special needs who use ADA parking, to bus drivers, teachers, and parents at Alki Elementary who are frustrated, to seal sitters who help on the beach who felt like they could no longer volunteer if the accessibility and parking situation gets any worse. The community response and personal stories and comments were truly overwhelming.

Right now, most teachers have parking on-site. The new plan would come close to doubling staff (from current staff numbers) with zero parking — all just one block from the beach. It’s hard to believe this plan was even approved in the first place.

9:22 PM: Here’s context on how much parking would be required without a zoning exception – another section of today’s ruling, which refers to some of the evidence and testimony presented:

The code requires 48 parking spaces. With the removal of all on-site parking, the School is proposing no parking. Current on-site parking allows for over 20 parking spaces and the lot is “always completely full” with the parking space “well used.” As the striping is old, there is not an exact parking space number. This parking is coupled with a space to the north (but owned by the City) which can accommodate about 27 vehicles and is used for school events.

A paved surface with room to park about 20 vehicles is located on the south side of the school buildings and is accessed from a driveway at the south edge of the site on 59th Avenue SW. Much of the parking lot striping has faded, but historical aerial images indicate the area has been used for parking 20 or more vehicles. This area is also used for trash and recycling container storage and pick up.

The hard-surface area north of the building is City of Seattle Property … but is also used for school-event parking. Historical aerials indicate the surface can accommodate about 27 parked vehicles.

Public school parking requirements are based on new assembly space (commons and gymnasium) rather than daily school day demand, so do not necessarily account for day-to-day needs. For Alki, the calculation is based on the 3,800 square feet of dining commons and excludes the 6,000 gym square foot gym as total gym space is not being increased.14 If included, 123 spaces would be required. For private schools without assembly space, one space per each staff member would be required (75 spaces).

We’ll be contacting SDCI and SPS tomorrow to find out about what will happen next as a result of today’s ruling.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: SPS says only, “The district is reviewing the ruling.” (We’ll check again next week.)

If you’re planning to go to Seattle Public Schools‘ meeting at Madison Middle School tomorrow night (Thursday, August 10th), you might want to take a look at that video. It’s the district’s recording of its first meeting in the series, last night at Garfield High School. These are the meetings that are supposed to help the district define “well-resourced schools” so it can decide which schools to close/consolidate (which, administrators reiterated last night, will NOT happen THIS school year – but might start in the school year that begins in fall 2024) as it grapples with a nine-digit budget shortfall.

The district’s video does not capture the full scope of the meeting because – after opening remarks by chief of staff Bev Redmond and superintendent Dr. Brent Jones, then ground rules from assistant superintendent Dr. Rocky Torres – most of the rest of the meeting consisted of discussions at individual tables, each with a district facilitator and several participants. There was nothing geographically specific about the remarks or questions – so though last night was supposed to be the “central” region meeting, as administrators acknowledged, it was intended to be identical to what’ll happen in the “southwest” region meeting tomorrow, and beyond. The district’s camera crew(s) did not record any of the table discussions, cutting between wide shots once the discussions were under way. We plan to record some of them tomorrow night (the district’s original media advisory said cameras would be prohibited, but we challenged that and they backed off).

Last night, all tables were directed by Dr. Torres to discuss the same questions, and none was sensitive or personal; the questions were along the lines of “What are your favorite things about your child’s school building?”, “How can we make resources/services at each school stronger?”, and “What kind of programs do you and your student value the most and why?” They promised other means of feedback/engagement beyond these meetings, and said everything would be funneled into a plan that Dr. Jones is tasked with presenting in November.

THURSDAY MEETING: It’s in the commons at Madison (3429 45th SW), starting at 6 pm, and the district says it too will be streamed via YouTube.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

This week, Seattle Public Schools starts a series of community meetings to talk about the concept of “well-resourced schools.”

Our area’s school board director, Leslie Harris, wishes district managers would just describe the conversation as what it’s truly about: “Closures and consolidations.”

She made that comment Saturday afternoon during one of her periodic community-conversation availabilities, at which she was joined by another member of the board, Vivian Song Maritz (whose district stretches from downtown to Ballard), in the upstairs meeting room at Southwest Library. Only four community members showed up during the course of the hour and a half Harris was there, and none were there to talk about the looming “closures and consolidations” issue. But it was threaded through the discussion anyway.

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(WSB photo)

Back on Thursday, after reader tips (206-293-6302 text or voice any time!), we showed you the first demolition at Alki Elementary, tearing down the old portable on the north side of the school. But the crew did not proceed immediately to the building. Seattle Public Schools explained that’s because the portable demolition is “under a separate permit, issued at the beginning of July.” The full permits are still awaiting the ruling of appeals filed against the zoning exceptions (“departures”) sought by the district. The hearing examiner who heard the case July 25th (WSB coverage here) had promised a ruling within 20 days, so that should happen in the next week or so, but SPS says other work can proceed in the meantime: “There also will be grading and shoring work on the site prior to completion of the departure process. None of the early construction activities involve any of the departures SPS is seeking for the project. Beginning them will not preclude implementing any conditions imposed on the project by the Hearing Examiner.” The new school’s height is no longer being appealed, so the issues that await a ruling have to do primarily with transportation, including the plan to build the new school with no offstreet parking. Meantime, when the 2023-1024 school year starts in a month, Alki classes will be at the former Schmitz Park Elementary.

Hate to bring it up, but Seattle Public Schools‘ summer break has just five weeks left. And next week, the district starts having community meetings to talk about the “well-resourced schools” concept that’s expected to lead to school closures. So in advance of that, and whatever other SPS issues are on your mind, our area’s School Board Director Leslie Harris is having a community meeting Saturday (August 5th). 2 pm, Southwest Library (9010 35th SW). She’s promising her legendary lasagna, too. Drop in with questions or just to listen in.

Thanks for the tips. Demolition has begun at Alki Elementary. First to go, the old portable on the north side of the school. The work is not affecting traffic on the adjacent streets (at least so far), though debris hauling might change that. This is proceeding though the city Hearing Examiner’s Office has yet to issue its decision on appeals of some of the project’s zoning exceptions; as we reported, the appeals were argued in a daylong hearing last week, and a ruling is promised by mid-August. The project will demolish and replace the main school building but not the gym, which it shares with adjacent Alki Community Center.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

When West Seattle’s Tilden School starts classes in just under six weeks, it’ll be the first full year for new head of school Dr. Jorge Olaf Nelson.

His arrival at the independent K-5 school (a WSB sponsor) on the north edge of the West Seattle Junction is an occasion for Tilden to “reintroduce our community to our school,” as Kristie Berg of Tilden’s board explains, noting that Tilden still has some openings for this fall. Nelson is the first permanent head of school for Tilden since founder Whitney Tjerandsen retired two years ago. “We have been searching for the right successor to Whitney – we think Jorge is a great fit and has her same energy and spirit.”

We sat down with both of them to talk about Tilden’s “reintroduction,” which also includes a new mascot named after the founder – an owl called Wise Whitney.

Berg is most excited about the school’s new leader. Dr. Nelson describes himself as a “third-generation educator” whose educational career began in 1985 (coincidentally, the year Tilden was founded). He has been a teacher and administrator at schools not only on both coasts of the U.S. but also in Asia, Europe, the South Pacific, and Latin America. He speaks Spanish, which Tilden is adding to the curriculum.

This is a return to western Washington for Nelson, who has studied (his first degree was from Evergreen State College) and worked (Shelton High School) in the region, in addition to his many other stops around the nation and world. “I found in Tilden what I was looking for,” he says. “I have seen different systems around the world and when I came to Tilden, I saw a system I believe is relevant, kind, progressive … focused on individual children more than testing or grades – that’s what parents want; Tilden is about the child, Tilden has the answer.”

What happened during the pandemic brought children’s social and emotional needs back into the spotlight, and Nelson says Tilden’s philosophy centers that. “They followed Whitney’s dream of what’s right for kids … Every child has a voice. I’ve seen this at very few schools. (Students) are excited to be here. They’re happy, they work hard, they’re respectful.” He adds, “Tilden has not followed a path of programmatic corporate education.”

And yet, “it’s academically rigorous,” adds Berg, who has two Tilden graduates in the family, one of which is college-age now and is heading to Vassar.

The graduates are actually sad to go, Nelson noticed at the end of the school year (he had arrived a few weeks earlier): “The fifth graders actually needed boxes of Kleenex, I’ve never seen that level of angst, that they’re leaving a school.” Small class sizes mean they get to know their schoolmates well. Berg recalls, “My kids had a class of 16 kids, and they knew everyone’s birthday.”

At that point, we recalled a Tilden tradition – the school is held open on “snow days” for anyone who can get there safely. Nelson arrived too late in the year to see an example of that, but he was impressed by another Tilden tradition – the writing program in which all students write a story a week, 40 over the course of the school year, on the same topic. The work is posted in the hallways. Nelson says the legend is that founder Whitney would tell the students they couldn’t throw the resulting compilations away until they were 44.

But they’re not just carrying on the hallmarks of the past. They’re shaping the future with plans for improvements. For example, Nelson says, “The board has asked me to bring oboard a learning-support consultant. Some students have neurodiversity issues; we will be looking at multiple levels of support – academic enhancements, positive behavior reinforcement, social/emotional, so every kid is getting what they need – even if they’re having a bad day.” Outside the school, they’re planning a mural for the alley wall behind the building they share with the First Lutheran Church of West Seattle (with whom they otherwise are unaffiliated – Tilden is a secular independent school).

And they’re reaching out further than before to tell Tilden’s story and listen to what community members are looking for in a school. One recent example – Tilden joined other local schools in taking turns managing the Kids’ Zone at West Seattle Summer Fest; Nelson stopped by our nearby festival table in the Info Booth and said he was having a great time talking with kids and their families.

(July 16 WSB photo)

As with some other schools, Tilden incorporates adult volunteers as part of its learning community. “It really is a relevant school,” beams Nelson.

If you’re interested in applying for next school year, you can go here to find out about arranging a tour as your first step toward finding out more.

“We’re here to serve!” Nelson concludes.

(Renderings by Mahlum Architects)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Double the students, double the staff, no on-site parking.

That component of the Alki Elementary School rebuild is at the heart of an appeal fight that was argued Tuesday before a city hearing examiner.

The appellants, city and district reps, and other witnesses all completed their testimony in one day, though up to three were set aside for the hearing. As we reported Monday, one appeal was withdrawn after a settlement with Seattle Public Schools, and Tuesday it was revealed that took the new school’s height off the list of issues being challenged. The project’s architect said they had managed to lower the height of a rooftop equipment “penthouse” by three feet.

After Tuesday’s seven-hour hearing, assistant hearing examiner Kathleen Drummond said she would issue a written ruling within 20 days. Before we get into what was presented to her Tuesday, here’s the backstory:

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12:24 PM: The Alki Elementary building is fenced and awaiting demolition. A hearing that could affect what replaces it is scheduled for this week. As we’ve reported, nearby residents have appealed the city’s decision to grant nine zoning “departures” (exceptions) for the project, including extra height and no on-site parking. The appeal will be heard by the city Hearing Examiner starting tomorrow, with proceedings potentially lasting three days; the examiner’s decision generally is issued days or weeks later. We learned while checking the online files that one of the appellants has settled with Seattle Public Schools, and another appellant’s case was dismissed for not participating in pre-hearing logistics discussions, but four other appeals are still proceeding as a consolidated case.

4:21 PM: One of the appellants, Shauna Causey, is circulating an online petition/survey regarding the parking issue. If you click “yes” on this page – supporting the addition of some parking – you’ll be taken to a second page asking “how much?”.

ADDED TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Up to three days were set aside on the Hearing Examiner’s schedule for the case, but it wrapped up in one day, a short time ago. We monitored the entire day of testimony and will publish a report within a few hours; no decision yet – the assistant hearing examiner who presided said she’ll issue a ruling in a few weeks.

As reported here earlier this month, Seattle Public Schools will have community meetings around the city next month to talk about a plan that could lead to school closures/consolidations starting as soon as fall 2024. They promised to announce the meeting dates/locations this week, and have just done so. From the announcement:

During these meetings, senior leaders will connect with our community to envision what a well-resourced school looks like. SPS staff will share a presentation, respond to questions, and facilitate group discussion.

Your feedback will help guide future district planning. This fall, we will review your feedback and develop an inclusive and equitable plan.

SPS has the opportunity to reimagine a system of well-resourced schools that is safe and equitable. Our goal is to offer students the support, the programs and resources, and the inspiration they need to succeed in the neighborhoods where they live.

(Meeting dates/times of West Seattle relevance:)

Southwest Region: Madison Middle School commons/lunchroom, Thursday, Aug. 10, 6 p.m.
Location: 3429 45th Ave. SW

Online: Teams Meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 5:30 p.m.

Translation and interpretation services will be provided at each meeting based on request. American Sign Language (ASL), Amharic, Cantonese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese interpreters will be available. After the online meeting, a recording will be posted to the district website. We hope you can join us! Take a moment to RSVP or send us your questions. Complete the RSVP to request accommodation for the meetings by Monday, July 31.

When Seattle Public Schools started hinting at school closures/consolidations earlier this year, amid a budget crunch, the district promised to start talking with the community this summer. That’ll happen in August, SPS now says. The district is planning five regional in-person meetings August 8-15 plus an online all-district meeting at 5:30 pm Tuesday, August 29. They describe these meetings as aimed at “developing a shared understanding of what resources, programs, services, and learning experiences make up a well-resourced school” (theoretically closures/consolidations would be intended to enable the remaining schools are “well-resourced”). SPS says it will announce specific dates/locations for the regional meetings next week. Whatever changes are decided, the district says, they won’t kick in before the 2024-2025 school year.

(File photo – south side of former SLHS campus)

A year has passed since Seattle Lutheran High School ceased operations at 4100 SW Genesee at the north end of The Junction. Now Hope Lutheran – headquartered a short distance south – has announced it’s bought the 2/3-acre former SLHS campus. Here’s the announcement:

Hope Lutheran Church and School has finalized the purchase of the former Seattle Lutheran High School property, with plans to launch a new school campus called “Hope North” to serve area families and the surrounding community who are looking at middle school options for their students.

Hope North will initially be a middle-school expansion in Fall 2024, after necessary building improvements are made.

Hope Lutheran School has operated for more than 60 years at its original campus at 42nd Ave SW and Oregon St SW, serving students in preschool through 8th grade. The former Seattle Lutheran High School (SLHS) property is located one block north at 41st Ave SW and Genesee St SW.

SLHS had operated at the location from 1978 until 2022, when the Seattle Lutheran Board of Directors voted to close the school at the end of the 2021-2022 academic year. Throughout the existence of SLHS, neighboring Hope Lutheran served as a steadfast supporter and partner in the school’s mission, while utilizing the SLHS gym, parking lot and facilities in a mutually beneficial way.

“This is a huge step of faith for our Hope community,” said Hope Lutheran Senior Pastor Peter Mueller. “This purchase will be a source of great blessing to many people by securing new space in which to pursue the mission God has entrusted to us.”

The SLHS property was owned by the Lutheran High School Association of Washington, which voted in late November 2022 to sell the building and nearby parking lot to Hope. The congregation of Hope Lutheran then unanimously approved the agreement, and the sale was finalized this past week.

Kristen Okabayashi, who is beginning her 14th year as principal at Hope Lutheran School, said the rare chance to purchase a full-sized gymnasium, 14 classrooms and a parking lot is “a life-changing opportunity” for Hope School.

Okabayashi said that in recent years, both SLHS and West Seattle Christian Church “have been generous in sharing gym space to support Hope’s robust PE and athletic programs.” She added that moving Hope’s middle school to the north campus “gives our middle school students the chance to enjoy expanded educational offerings, explore their interests and have a campus of their own,” while also providing space to “expand our well-loved preschool to add multiple classrooms and meet the growing needs of the community around us.”

Jason Grotelueschen, chair of the Hope Lutheran Board of Directors, said that as the school ministry grows, Hope’s leaders will take time to assess the feasibility of adding additional grades and classes in the future, which may include high school.

“It’s exciting to be at this point,” Grotelueschen said, “and we have a lot of great work still to be done.” Grotelueschen said the Hope board and SLHS board have worked closely together, particularly for the past three years, to establish a solid plan for the future.

Patrick Gehring, president of the SLHS board, said that the history of SLHS and its impact on alumni and the surrounding community have left a strong legacy to build on. “Such a special place,” Gehring said. “I can’t wait to see it once again filled with kids.”

Gehring added that, as part of the agreement to sell the former SLHS property to Hope, a portion of the proceeds will help fund an initial endowment for the Lutheran Elementary Schools Tournament (LEST), to help ensure its longevity and success. LEST is an annual academic and athletic tournament for Lutheran schools in the Pacific Northwest, hosted at Pacific Lutheran University in February.

Hope Lutheran has kicked off a major capital campaign called Hope North: Building for the Next Generation to raise funds for this new mission opportunity. Proceeds from the campaign will serve to reduce the amount of debt incurred for the purchase and to fund crucial improvements to the building and property. For more information and to get involved, please visit our campaign’s webpage.

Sally Heit, Admissions Director at Hope Lutheran School, said that tours and open houses will be held throughout Fall of 2023 at Hope North and the main campus, and applications for Fall 2024 will be accepted during this time. To learn more about Hope North or to schedule a tour, please visit our webpage.

“This is an incredible opportunity for middle students in West Seattle,” Heit said, “and I’m looking forward to seeing where the journey takes us.”

We asked a few followup questions – including whether the entire property will be used for the school expansion. Heit says yes. Also, in case you’re wondering, the purchase does include the 41st/Genesee parking lot that’s “diagonal from the campus.” (added) Purchase price: $1,626,876.

Thanks to Angelica Mendoza-De Lorenzo at Denny International Middle School for the report and photo:

As the 2022-2023 school year comes to an end, we say goodbye to two amazing staff members at Denny. Mr. Bolma has been a Counselor at Denny Middle School for 20 years and 40 years as an educator. His dedication to our students and service to our school has not gone without recognition , always willing to support and guide students in need.

Ms. Clausen is saying goodbye to the Denny Community after 33 yrs of working with us. She began the Proyecto Saber program at Denny and later moved on to be the leader in our Dual Language Program. Her passion and dedication to her school community is inspiring! Her many transformational programs at Denny are Ms. Clausen’s legacy and we are committed to continue: Summer Enrichment programs, La Posada in December, and Positive Discipline workshops for parents. Ms. Clausen has a special place in her heart for the Latino community and culture, having helped and guide immigrant students through the education system for many years.

We had a staff celebration on Wednesday followed by a surprise mariachi performance by Mariachi Real Seattle today as we wish the very best to both retirees.