Seattle superintendent scraps plan to close schools next year

Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones is pulling his proposal to close four elementary schools, saying he “no longer saw a pathway for this approach” for the 2025-26 school year.

“This decision was not made lightly and reflects the Board and my shared priority: the needs and well-being of our students, families, and community,” Jones wrote in a note to parents on Monday.

“While our Board recognized the vision for the proposed changes, and many in our community understood the need for stability behind them, this decision allows us to clarify the process, deepen our understanding of the potential impacts, and thoughtfully determine our next steps.”

The School Board is scheduled to vote on Tuesday to rescind its authorization for Jones to draw up closure plans for next school year, including an Oct. 9 resolution to consider closing up to five schools.

Jones’ latest plan recommended closing North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo and Stevens elementary schools and consolidating them with Viewlands, John Rogers, Highland Park and Montlake. Earlier, Jones had floated two proposals, one of which could have shuttered 21 schools.

Many parents criticized the proposal and the district’s decision-making process. In a series of community engagement meetings this month, they pushed the district for answers on savings, how teachers would be affected, special education services, transportation, and child care plans. They said the district did not fully engage them in the process. Many of those who attended the meetings left unsatisfied with the district’s answers.

Board President Liza Rankin suggested delaying the public hearing on the closures scheduled for December at last week’s School Board meeting, at which many residents testified against the preliminary closure proposal.

Parents said they were relieved their schools won’t close next year. But they remained anxious about what would happen in the future.

Tim Sullivan, the PTA vice president at Stevens Elementary School, said he appreciated the reprieve and hoped the district heard their feedback. He hopes SPS will consider keeping entire communities together and taking into account teachers, transportation, and before- and after-school care if it considers closures and consolidations in the future.

“I am excited that they listened,” he said. “I think we are still feeling quite a lot of angst about what does this mean for the future, why did it happen and why did it unfold this way.

“It was a lot for the community, for everyone involved. It’s been a roller coaster all fall. I think one of our strongest points of complaints was that we don’t understand what problem this solves or how it makes enough of a difference to be worth all of this disruption.”

In anticipation of the board vote on Tuesday, Nay Massey, whose son attends Sanislo, said she was happy her daughter would now attend the same school as her older brother.

“I think it would probably be a relief for us and I am sure a lot of families,” Massey said.

Jones said the district was considering closures to help address a budget deficit, projected at around $94 million next year, and improve staff and support services at the remaining elementary schools.

But many parents questioned the estimates and whether it was worth disrupting the lives of hundreds of students to save only about $5.5 million.

Parents urged the district to focus on lobbying the state Legislature to get more funding.

 In his statement Monday, Jones said that the district will now focus on finding ways to close the budget gap, including through legislative advocacy and “operational efficiencies.”

“We also remain committed to addressing the underlying issues that drove this initial proposal,” he said.

“These challenges remain critical to ensuring the long-term health of our district, and we will continue to work together to find solutions and ensure any adjustments we make are both equitable and sustainable.”