SEATTLE — Families in Seattle will soon find out if their child's school could be recommended to close.
The Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones is scheduled to bring his preliminary recommendations on the district's proposed consolidation plan to the school board by the end of June.
The district has been holding community meetings about this proposed Well Resourced Schools plan. Saturday was the third of four meetings being held in May and June where community members could ask questions to district leaders.
One parent said she is worried that her child’s school might close, and she hopes that if that were to happen, that the district would handle it in a thoughtful, equitable, and transparent way.
“We're part of the smallest school in West Seattle, Sanislo Elementary,” said Kelly Alleen-Williams. “What that's going to look like and how that might disproportionately affect some of our families at Sanislo is really top of mind for me.”
District leaders said the size and design of a school building will be a factor in which schools could close.
“I kind of wish that they would find more plans and better plans and have more details about them,” said fourth-grade student Nova Alleen-Williams. “I'm hoping that we can get schools to not close.”
This proposed consolidation plan comes as Seattle Public Schools is seeing low enrollment and a projected $105 million budget shortfall.
District leaders said this plan would create schools with better resources.
“We have not come up with another comprehensive option,” said Dr. Brent Jones, the Seattle Public Schools superintendent. “As we think about these changes, we are putting the student experience first and foremost as we are making decisions.”
But some people believe there are better options.
“It would be very harmful because it's less staff to deal with more students,” said Bryan Watson, a substitute paraprofessional for Seattle Public Schools.
Seattle Public Schools has said there would be some layoffs with the school consolidation but did not say how many people would lose their jobs.
Watson said rather than looking to close schools, the district should fight to fund them.
“When has consolidation ever been good for the working class?” said Watson.
The district’s website states that as of October 2023 the average elementary school enrollment is 317 students. It said there are 29 elementary and K through 8 schools with fewer than 300 students. The district said the ideal size of an elementary school is approximately 450-600 students.
“I don't think a school of 500 plus kids is ever going to match what kind of community Sanislo provides,” said Kelly Alleen-Williams. “I think that we have tough decisions to make and we need to be making them carefully.”
These school closures would not happen until the 2025-2026 school year. Even if the school closures happen, the district said it would still have a $40 million budget shortfall.
The next and final community meeting will be held 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 4 over Zoom.