Critics worried bill to split Seattle School District has survived

After speaking against splitting Seattle Public Schools into two districts and seeing others do the same, a critic is confused how a House bill that would do just that, has survived.

The House Committee on Education advanced House Bill 2048 by a 16-5 vote. It would split the school district.

Just over a week ago, the public voiced its opinion against the bill during a public hearing.

“To have person, after person, after person say no to it and yet that kind of lopsided vote occurred, is confusing and troubling,” said Melissa Westbrook, a mother of two district graduates. She also helps run the Seattle Schools Community Forum.

Westbrook said the reason 37th District State Representatives Sharon Tomiko Santos and Eric Pettigrew want to break up the district is unclear. She added the two representatives sponsoring the bill just want to help the people in their district.

For the past three years, the school district has continued to grow to the tune of about 1,000 students every year. An estimated 52,400 students were expected to enroll in the district for the 2014-15 school year. It’s a seven-year trend in enrollment growth, according to the school district.

If the district was split, it would allow for governing bodies to be closer to the communities they serve, Santos told the committee Thursday.

“The issues plaguing the schools has been part of public dialog for the past several decades, where issues of inequity over how students and schools are treated,” said Santos.

A few members of the committee questioned the bill.
Representative Gerry Pollet, who told the committee he’s been involved in public schools for 20 years, tried to figure out which problem the bill would solve.

“This assumes there is a solution in breaking up the Seattle School District before asking what are the problems, and whether or not the community would choose this as a solution,” he said. “It says, right now, we’re going to break it up no matter what.”

An amendment for the bill that would allow for more public involvement was passed Feb. 19.

Westbrook said that amendment may not be enough.

There have been discussions the split would be north and south. She said she’s also been told the district could be divided by grade level, K-8 and 9-12.

“A lot of parents and lot of the public don’t know this is happening,” she said.

The potential ramifications could affect the district politically, making it more difficult for levies to pass, for example. Westbrook said splitting the district would also mean paying two administrations.

Said Westbrook, “There’s going to be a lot of confusion all around.”