by Ari Robin McKenna

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After months of speculation, reaction was muted last week to the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announcement that it will not close schools in the next two school years as it struggles to meet a projected $104.4 million budget shortfall.

In an SPS board meeting that was sparsely attended, though heavy on media presence, chief of staff Beverly Redmond presented the board with an executive summary of findings from the district’s recent community engagement process. Earlier, Superintendent Brent Jones had sent the board a report that no schools will be closed either this school year or next, and that the district’s vision for well-resourced schools will be fleshed out before the May 8, 2024, board meeting.

Without releasing specific dollar impacts, the superintendent’s recommendations for the 2024–2025 budget included “reductions and adjustments” in both central office staff and school staff, the latter of which Jones called “unfortunate.”

Jones outlined other areas of addressing the looming shortfall: changes in transportation; fees; lease or sale of non-school properties; program adjustments and restructuring; delayed repayment of the Economic Stabilization Fund; reductions in contingency balances; and utilization of one-time self-help funds and school carry-forwards.

Jones mentioned that in working toward “a system of well-resourced schools” during the 2025–2028 school years, schools could be consolidated, with other potential cost-saving measures including “grade level reorganizations,” and “program adjustments and restructuring.”

Jones said consolidating schools could be a “plausible approach,” but clarified, “We wouldn’t just do consolidations as a budget savings exercise, we’d do this as a, ‘Can we bridge programs in schools and services in a way that our students actually get more.’”

Rumors of School Closures

Though rumors have been swirling for months about a predetermined list of Seattle Public Schools that would be cut next school year, there was little relief expressed — at least during public testimony — when it became clear that was not happening.

Dunlap Elementary School’s PTSA President Alex Wakeman Rouse thinks the district is kicking the can down the road, and said she “still doesn’t support consolidations” because she’s unconvinced they would “improve student outcomes.”

Parent Erin MacDougall did acknowledge it was “great news,” but said, “Knowing that this is very much a focus in the following year puts a lot of stress on our families and school communities, who are still suffering many years into this pandemic life.”

Amy Carroll, a former teacher and current SPS employee, said she was disappointed when she received the email from the district saying no schools would be shuttered next year: “Please be fiscally responsible and consolidate some schools and close some buildings.”

During Redmond’s executive summary, she shared findings from a community engagement road tour the school district launched in August to guide decisions on meeting the budget shortfall.

She highlighted themes from data collected via Post-its at in-person engagement sessions and in online surveys. Takeaways included wanting to see libraries that are community learning hubs with materials befitting school diversity, an outpouring of gratitude for the “dedication and skill” of educators, and “an emphasis in having full-time counselors, nurses, and social workers in our buildings.” Redmond felt the volume of information collected was “something to be proud of,” but noted a number of areas for growth, saying, “This is just the beginning.”

Redmond said “a strengthening of student voice” was needed “in any form of our community engagement.” She also noted, with a sigh, that “we need to increase our representation.” White parents were overrepresented by 12% in survey data, while Black students were underrepresented by the same amount. Latinx students were underrepresented by 8% and Asian students by 2%.

At one point early in the nearly six-and-a-half-hour meeting, which included a vote confirming budget guardrails and a look at progress monitoring for SPS’ stated goals, departing District 3 board director Chandra Hampson wondered aloud why so many media cameras were present.

Recently re-elected District 1 board director Liza Rankin wagered a guess: “It’s because we decided not to close the schools that we never actually said we were going to close.”

“It might be that,” Hampson replied, and a few people could be heard laughing in the audience.

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Editors’ Note: This article was updated with Amy Carroll’s correct position with Seattle Public Schools.

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📸 Featured Image: Roughly three hours into the Nov. 15 SPS board meeting, chief of staff Beverly Redmond (right) reported the findings from a summertime engagement process. (Screenshot from SPS YouTube Channel)

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