Seattle Public Schools superintendent scraps plan to close schools

In a letter to parents, teachers and staff sent Monday, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Brent Jones announced the school district will not close or consolidate schools for the 2025-26 academic year.

Jones wrote in his letter that he plans to withdraw his preliminary proposal to the Seattle School Board to close four schools.

In his letter, which has been republished in full on the Seattle’s Child website, Jones noted the Seattle School Board had directed him to come up with a plan for closures and consolidations to “address enrollment declines, budgetary challenges, stabilizing programs and services.” Jones and the district will not move in that direction.

“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. “I am withdrawing my preliminary recommendation, and we will not pursue school closures and consolidations for the upcoming school year. The Board will vote Tuesday to formally approve this direction.”

Jones explained this latest 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 decision allows those involved to look at the situation more and “thoughtfully determine” the next steps.

“The projected $5.5 million savings from the proposed closures are significant,” Jones wrote. “However, we agree that achieving these savings should not come at the cost of dividing our community.”

The superintendent went on to state in the letter the district will address the budget shortfall that exists through “legislative and levy renewal advocacy, as well as pursuing operational efficiencies aligned with our shared values and priorities.”

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Why the Seattle School Board considered closing schools

Earlier this year, SPS stated it is contending with a $104 million budget shortfall. Therefore, the district came up with two different options earlier this fall to close the gap in funds.

The first option is to operate 52 attendance-area elementary schools, closing 21 elementary and K-8 schools. This option would have saved SPS 31.5 million.

In the second option, the district would operate 56 schools, including attendance-area elementary and one K-8 school per region, closing 17 schools. This second option would have saved SPS $25.5 million.

“Many of our schools are struggling to provide the resources our students deserve,” the district wrote in a statement at that time. “To address this, we are working to ensure our schools are the right size and have the resources needed for preschool through 5th-grade students to succeed.”

As the fall went on, the SPS plan went from as many as 21 schools closing all the way down to four closings and consolidating with four others. Four schools — one each in the Northwest Northeast, Central and Southwest regions — were announced as the places of learning set to shut down. They were announced as the following:

• North Beach Elementary, consolidating with Viewlands Elementary at Viewlands.
• Sacajawea Elementary, consolidating with John Rogers Elementary at John Rogers.
• Stevens Elementary, consolidating with Montlake Elementary at Montlake.
• Sansilo Elementary, consolidating with Highland Park Elementary at Highland Park.

“We understand this change is difficult,” SPS stated on its website at the time. “We chose these schools based on factors like building condition, space, and the goal of minimizing disruption to students and families.”

Protests from parents within the district soon followed, including one late last month outside Sacajawea Elementary.

All four of Joshua Newman’s children attended or are currently enrolled at Sacajawea. He said both state and district school leaders need to balance their budgets better.

“The district needs to look at its own operations and its own administrative costs and not lay the burden on where, frankly, the value is actually added and that’s the teachers, and by the individual principals and staff who are involved in the kids’ lives,” Newman said to KIRO Newsradio.

Rachel Kubiak and her child showed up at the rally as well. They illustrated how closing the school would close a part of their community and their lives.

“We’re really sad. When we heard the news, I was texting with my husband and just — I’m crushed,” she said to KIRO 7.

Last week, Jones shared a key update about the potential school closures, explaining the district was canceling prescheduled community meetings at the schools set to close.

“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,” Jones wrote in his statement available on  SPS’ website. “As a result, I am considering withdrawing my earlier recommendations for closure and consolidation.”

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.