Seattle Public Schools announced the four schools it plans to close next year amidst a $94 million budget shortfall.
If approved, the closure of four elementary schools will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year, Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones announced Thursday."This consolidation is part of a larger strategy to stabilize our finances. By closing these four under-enrolled schools, we will start to build a stronger, more sustainable school system," a statement from the district said.
The district considered factors such as building conditions, learning environment, enrollment needs, and how disruptive the changes would be to students and families while making their school closure decisions.Sacajawea Elementary gathered together Thursday night after the district released the plan.
"I'm sad. We just transferred from an option school, and she has done great this year," Emily Kimble said.Other measures being taken to handle the budget shortfall include advocating for legislative support, central office reductions, changing bell school times, and renewing levies. SPS will also conduct an enrollment study by December to guide recruitment and retention efforts and increase enrollment.
SPS planned to hold engagement sessions at impacted schools, offering in-person support weekly through Nov. 23.Additionally, a districtwide information session will take place on Thursday, November 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The district initially released two options that would have saved $31.5 million and $25.5 million, respectively. It was intended to close an approximate $94 million budget gap spurred by decreasing student enrollment and less federal funding.Total enrollment in the current school year is about 48,000 students, and school officials said they do not expect it to rebound anytime soon.
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