Seattle Public Schools announces closures and consolidations
Oct 24, 2024, 5:39 PM | Updated: 6:09 pm
Seattle Public Schools. (Photo from KIRO 7)
(Photo from KIRO 7)
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced Thursday, via its website, which schools will be merging.
SPS is merging eight schools together, therefore closing four schools in each region — the Northwest region, Northeast region, Central region and Southwest region.
The schools closing are:
- 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. “We chose these schools based on factors like building condition, space, and the goal of minimizing disruption to students and families. A dedicated transition team will be working with the impacted communities to ensure a smooth and supportive process for everyone involved.”
SPS said a districtwide information session will take place Thursday, November 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Previous coverage: Seattle Public Schools announces two options for school closures
The school district is hoping the consolidations will make up for a $94 million shortfall for the 2025-26 school year.
“Many of our schools are struggling to provide the resources our students deserve,” the district wrote in a news release in September. “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.”
In its letter, SPS stated it is also seeking full support from the state legislature to help cover its budget shortfall, along with identifying operational reductions within its central office. The district is also considering changing school bell times and is conducting an enrollment study.
For more details, visit SPS’s website.
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
