SEATTLE — Dozens of Seattle Public Schools (SPS) parents packed into a meeting room at the West Seattle library on Wednesday to weigh in on the ongoing debate over school closures.
The listening session was hosted by SPS District 6 Board Director Gina Topp; it was a regularly scheduled meeting but came just two days after Superintendent Brent Jones announced he would take more time to reflect on previously announced consolidation recommendations.
"I'm appreciative the district heard our concerns, the board's and the community's and is going to rethink their proposals and come back to us," Topp told KING 5 before the meeting. "We've got some difficult decisions to make and we have to make the best decisions for our students."
Topp acknowledged beforehand that she expected school closures to dominate the conversation.
Earlier in the month, the district unveiled two proposals that would eliminate 17 or 21 schools respectively in an effort to close a nearly $100 million deficit.
When Topp asked for a show of hands from the audience, nearly all of the roughly 70 attendees confirmed school closures were the reason they showed up.
"Honestly, I know there have been whispers for quite some time but it sort of felt like the real plan came out of nowhere and it was a real hit and slap in the face," said Nancy Case, whose children attend Louisa Boren STEM K-8.
She was among multiple parents wondering if closing schools would do enough to solve the budget issues.
"This drastic impact on the community isn't going to get us there to close the budget," said Kevin Wilhem, a Lafayette Elementary parent. "They're not factoring in the fact there will be huge attrition."
Wilhelm, who said he has an extensive business background, fears many district families will choose to leave if their school winds up closing.
"People are saying, 'I'm not going to go to an overcrowded school and I'm just going to go to a private school,'" he said.
When Superintendent Jones first announced potential closures, he referenced enrollment decline and pointed out that elementary schools are only at 65% capacity. The new plan would increase the school utilization to 85%, which is closer to the usage of middle and high schools in the district.
Essentially, students would be moved into larger schools where they'd have more resources, according to Jones.
"The failed assumption that we're all just going to get spread out and the dollars will be there is not going to be the case," Wilhem said, adding that he and other parents are hoping to take their message to Olympia in hopes of getting the state legislature involved.
Another parent, Lauren Musladin, said she works in the mental health field and worries what these discussions and ultimate decisions could have on the developing minds of children.
"They're creating a lot of confusion, instability and fear — and those things don't coexist well," she said.
The superintendent canceled previously scheduled information meetings, but promised to reschedule them once plans take shape.