Timeline set for Seattle school closures; 5 possible schools yet to be named

The Seattle School Board will move ahead with up to five school closures next year, taking the previous option of 21 closures off the table.

In response to the reduced plan, district officials also clarified that staff reductions, a third bell time, and other cost-saving measures will still be needed. They're also banking on help from the state.

On a 6-1 vote, the board also set a new timeline and laid out other next steps for school closures next fall. Sarah Clark was the only board member to vote against the resolution, after writing an op-ed in The Seattle Times in opposition of shuttering schools.

The new timeline gives the district a deadline of the end of the month to present a plan for up to five elementary school closures next year, including which schools to shut down. The board will then begin holding hearings at each of the affected schools in November and December, and vote on a final plan by the end of January.

As part of the resolution, the board also called for district officials to form a task force to help implement these closures and develop a multi-year plan by next June to get the district to fiscal stability.

This is the latest twist in the district’s efforts to close a nearly $100 million budget deficit.

In September, district leaders proposed shuttering as many as 21 schools, along with sweeping boundary changes and other reconfigurations across the district.

RELATED: Seattle names 21 public schools to possibly close

For over a year, officials have framed closures as essential to getting back on solid financial footing, saying that downsizing the district’s current footprint of more than 70 elementary and K-8 schools would allow them to more effectively and equitably distribute resources.

Last week, after facing scrutiny from both parents and school board members, district leaders scaled back the plan to five schools. The board’s vote solidifies that leaner proposal — but doesn’t rule out more closures in the future.

RELATED: Seattle Schools' proposed closures trimmed from 21 to just 5 schools after backlash

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At Wednesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Brent Jones also offered new insight into how the district will fill the budget gap with far fewer school closures — including $30 million of “internal efficiencies” like staffing reductions and adding a third bell time to reduce transportation expenses.

Jones said he’ll also look to the state for help, including a request for $40 million more in funding for special education, transportation, and materials.

He also said the district will seek state authorization for “greater flexibility” on repaying the nearly $30 million the district borrowed from its capital fund normally used for building construction and maintenance. To fill last year’s nearly $105 million deficit, the district took out what’s called an interfund loan and is supposed to start repaying it, with interest, as part of next year’s budget.

RELATED: With school closures looming, Seattle Public Schools passes belt-tightening budget

Shuttering five schools next year is projected to save the district about $7.5 million. While all these cuts and changes will get the district through next school year, Jones stressed it will not solve their continued financial challenges.

“The underlying facts that led us to pursue consolidation in the first place have not changed,” Jones said. “We continue to face declining enrollment in a number of very small elementary schools.”

But Jones also acknowledged he and fellow district leaders haven’t gotten the plans right yet. He promised families he and his team are listening to feedback and trying to be responsive.

“Causing anxiety, disruption has never been our objective,” he said. “We have to proceed at the speed of trust. Right now, we are focused on earning the trust of our community to move forward with this plan in a way that minimizes disruption and supports our communities.”

RELATED: As Seattle considers school closures, superintendent gets new contract and a raise

Despite the district’s pared-down plan, parents are keeping the pressure on the district. About 150 parents, grandparents, kids, and community members once again rallied ahead of the board meeting, fighting against any closures and other belt-tightening measures. They waved signs with messages like “save the schools” and “fund our schools.”

“We are tired, we are stressed, and we are staying the course,” said Erin MacDougall, co-chair of All Together for Seattle Schools, a grassroots citywide advocacy group against closures.

Inside, a parade of parents gave passionate speeches to the board during public comment. About 100 people signed up to testify — for just 25 available slots.

Although which five schools will shutter next year is still up in the air, many parents sang the praises of their current schools, and pleaded with the board to not close them.

Briana Herman-Brand, the parent of a third-grader at Sanislo Elementary, which was slated for closure under both original closure plans, said the southwest Seattle school has a “vibrant, multicultural community.”

She listed many things she and her family love about the school — the music playing in the hallways every morning, and Double Dutch and ultimate frisbee after school in the “huge forested playground.” Plus, the school hosts movie nights in the cafeteria and walking field trips to the neighborhood park to study spiders.

“It is small. That is part of its magic — the magic of a school that feels like family, where every kid is known and cared for,” Herman-Brand said. “If we’re honest, we all want a school like that for our kids — and yet, it is usually only available to white, wealthy families.”

But Sanislo is different. It is diverse. Only 22% of students there are white, according to state data.

“It is a violation of our commitment to racial equity to take away a small school from BIPOC and immigrant families,” Herman-Brand said. “It is unconscionable that we live in one of the wealthiest places on Earth, and yet it is students and families being asked to bear the burden of underfunded schools.”

Other parents criticized the district’s communication of plans. Rebekah Binns, a Graham Hill Elementary parent, said she spent two weeks “frantically translating flyers into seven languages and distributing them.”

“How is the district practicing equity when they publicize school closure information only electronically in English?” Binns asked. “The district made no effort to ensure our families were informed, and many had no idea their school was slated to close.”

“Please stop using the word equity until you can show us you understand the meaning of the word,” she added.

Others called on the district to work with the community to in a push for the state to adequately fund education.

The Gatewood Elementary parent-teacher association is circulating an open letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, asking for him to call a special legislative session to bail out Seattle and other districts facing budget challenges. Nearly 300 people had signed the letter as of Wednesday evening.

“You have our voices. Ask us, tell us how to help you advocate to get the funds,” Charlotte Casey, a Catharine Blaine K-8 parent, told the board. “Let us help you. Let us stand with you. Don't force us to stand against you.”