Seattle Public Schools drops contentious closure plan following months of dawdling amid backlash

Seattle Public Schools’ plan to shutter four schools next fall is dead — at least for now.

In a message to families Monday, Superintendent Brent Jones withdrew his recommendations to close four elementary schools — North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo, and Stevens — next year.

“After much deliberation, reflection, and engagement with our community, it is clear there is no longer a pathway for this approach for the 2025-26 school year,” Jones wrote. “This decision was not made lightly and reflects the Board and my shared priority: the needs and well-being of our students, families, and community.”

The school board will vote to formally approve the move on Tuesday. As part of that vote, the board will cancel the legally-required public hearings that had been scheduled for early next month.

Jones’ announcement comes after months of controversy and many twists and turns since he first revealed a plan in September to close as many as 21 elementary and K-8 schools.

RELATED: Seattle names 21 public schools to possibly close

He later cut down that list to four elementary schools, and the estimated savings dropped to around $5 million — far less than the estimated $30 million of savings in earlier plans, and a fraction of the district’s nearly $100 million budget deficit next year.

RELATED: 4 Seattle schools up for closure revealed

With closures off the table for next year, Jones said Monday he’ll focus on other cost-saving measures he’s outlined previously — including about $30 million of “internal efficiencies,” including staff layoffs and adding a third bell time to reduce transportation costs.

Jones has promised to target cuts in the central office, rather than schools, as much as possible.

The district is also seeking an additional $40 million in state funding for things like special education, transportation, and operational costs. In addition, Jones has said he plans to ask the state for boosted levy authority and an extension on repayment of the loan the district borrowed from its capital fund last year.

Further down the road, though, officials have hinted school closures may not be off the table for long.

Despite the public blowback and bumpy rollout of school closure plans, some board members have continued to argue they’re needed to help save money and more evenly and equitably distribute resources across the district.

“Do we need to close schools? … The answer to that is yes. We do,” Vice President Michelle Sarju said last week. “But we need to do it in a way that is going to benefit all of our kids, not just some of them.”

RELATED: Seattle may not close elementary schools, after all

In his message Monday, Jones defended the reasoning and vision behind consolidations, but said the decision to hold off for now allows the district to “thoughtfully determine our next steps.”

Jones also said the district remains “committed to addressing the underlying issues that drove this initial proposal.”

School consolidation was also a response to declining enrollment in Washington state’s largest public school system. The district lost nearly 5,000 students over the last five years, though enrollment ticked up slightly this year.

RELATED: Seattle Public Schools enrollment ticks up slightly as district moves ahead with closures

“These challenges remain critical to ensuring the long-term health of our district,” he wrote, “and we will continue to work together to find solutions and ensure any adjustments we make are both equitable and sustainable.”