SPS superintendent on school consolidations: ‘We’re investing in Seattle’s future’
SEATTLE, Wash. - After extensive deliberation, Seattle Public Schools is set to consolidate four elementary schools next fall, merging them into other neighborhood schools.
The initial proposal would have closed or merged 21 schools, aiming to address the district’s $100 million budget deficit while minimizing disruption. That plan was scrapped after district leaders received pushback from parents.
SPS Superintendent Brent Jones, who attended Seattle schools himself, acknowledges the challenge ahead for families.
"Change is challenging for families," Jones said. "It was for mine, but we did well, as a student, and so I have an understanding of what families are going through as they look at changes that we need to make."
Jones sees this as an investment in the district's future, which he believes can benefit students both socially and academically. He says merging schools into what he calls "well-resourced schools" could allow SPS to provide enhanced services, including nurses, counselors, and psychologists—resources smaller schools often struggle to maintain.
"At the end of the day, we are investing in our future to really make stability happen for our families and ensure our programs and services are going to be there for the long term," Jones said.
Yet, concerns remain. Parents worry that consolidation might eliminate specialized programs, such as special education or language immersion. Jones argues the opposite, saying the merger could actually expand such programs.
"Having multiple teachers per grade level can only be beneficial for our students, that they can be known by their needs, their strengths, their assets and where they have opportunities to improve," Jones said.
Seattle Public Schools moves forward with plan, timeline to close up to 5 schools
The school board for Seattle Public Schools voted on a resolution to advance plans to close schools.
The district’s financial woes are a primary driver of the consolidation plan. SPS is grappling with a $100 million budget shortfall, partially attributed to diminished state funding. To mitigate this, the district has refrained from filling some vacant positions and has cut some central office roles.
"It always means we’re cutting jobs when it comes to doing more with less," Jones said.
Jones also defended his recent cost-of-living adjustment, clarifying it was not a pay raise or bonus, but necessary to keep his salary competitive.
"Our board decided to extend my contract for two years, aiming for the stability I bring to the district," Jones said.
The district’s financial strain isn’t new. SPS had a $131 million deficit two and a half years ago, which shrank to $105 million last year due to temporary federal and state pandemic relief. With those funds now exhausted, the district’s long-standing budgetary issues have resurfaced.
SPS currently operates at 65% capacity in its elementary schools, well below the 85% target. Jones believes the consolidation could save the district an estimated $1.5 million per school, compounding over time. However, he acknowledged the possibility of further consolidations if enrollment continues to decline.
The district is also appealing to state lawmakers for full public education funding. Recently, SPS received $100,000 from the legislature to study enrollment declines, exploring factors like the quality of programs and overall student experiences.
Jones urged state lawmakers to take action, echoing State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s call for increased education funding.
"We’re hopeful and expecting our Seattle delegation to push for the funding we need and deserve," he said.
In response to concerns about repeating past mistakes, like the 2000s school closures, SPS emphasized that it is committed to learning from history.
"We’re a learning organization," Jones said. "We want to make sure that we don’t make the mistakes that we’ve done in the past."
The district is assessing each potential closure's financial implications, projected to save around $1.5 million per school.
The district ultimately aims to bring stability and consistency to SPS, despite the challenging path ahead.
"If we're worried about budget all the time, year after year, it may take away from our ability to focus on what Seattle Public Schools does really well, and we're leading, we're leading the state in our outcomes, and we want to be able to sustain that," Jones said. "All this is in service to student outcomes."
The district is currently holding a meeting with parents about the school mergers.
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