SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones announced the board will delay upcoming closure hearings due to the response from the community. While the proposal to close four elementary schools has not been officially withdrawn, SPS says the official hearings have been delayed.
In a statement published Thursday, Jones said holding the planned community meetings "would not be fair at this time."
The four schools that would be closed under the proposal are North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo and Stevens elementary schools.
"Closing and consolidating schools is one of the hardest conversations we have ever had as a community. The conversations with affected school families, with the larger Seattle Public Schools community, our staff, and our board have been productive and at times painful," Jones wrote in a statement Thursday.
Jones thanked the students, parents, teachers and other community members who provided feedback during the process. At Tuesday's school board meeting alone, more than two dozen people spoke against the proposal to close schools.
Many people against the closures shared stories of how much their children love their school and the support they receive there. While many understand the need to address the district's $94 million budget shortfall, they said there are other ways to do it and they want to be included in future consolidation decisions.
An independent budget analysis showed that closing the four schools by the 2025-26 school year would save $5.57 million, which is 6% of the budget deficit.
In the statement, Jones said the next step would be to sit down with the school board for future planning.