Seattle Public Schools delays controversial 4-school consolidation plan
SEATTLE - Seattle Public Schools is putting its controversial four-school consolidation plan on hold, and canceling an upcoming public meeting, after overwhelming pushback from parents, children and staff.
A round of forthcoming meetings at North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo and Stevens elementary schools — the four schools on the chopping block — have been canceled, per a memo from SPS Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones.
"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," wrote Dr. Jones. "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."
The district's consolidation plan would close the four elementary schools, and move their student and staff populations to the closest nearby schools. The rationale, according to the school board, is to help plug a looming $94 million budget crisis.
Parents were upset over what they believed was a "rushed and poorly communicated closure plan."
Community frustration has been compounded by claims of mismanagement. Parents argue that the district has failed to provide accurate enrollment projections or transparent budget figures to justify the closures.
Amid the uproar, parents also filed a petition to recall board president Liza Rankin.
Jones noted after the previous school board meeting on Tuesday that he was considering dropping the consolidation plan.
"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," wrote Jones. "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."
The next step is for school district leadership to reconvene and find another way to address the budget crisis.
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