The time has come — Seattle Public Schools (SPS) released two proposals for dealing with its $91.5 million budget gap. Both plans include closing at least 17 schools across the system.
The idea for closing schools to manage its deficit was first floated in the beginning of 2023, around the same time Bellevue solidified its plans to do the same thing.
Let’s break down these proposals — from what they have in common to how they differ in execution.
What both plans include
Both plans suggest closing the following schools: Licton Springs K-8, North Beach, Broadview-Thomson K-8, Green Lake, Decatur, Cedar Park, Laurelhurst, Catharine Blaine K-8, John Hay, McGilvra, Stevens, Orca K-8, Graham Hill, Rainier View Boren STEM K-8, and Sanislo.
Some other schools will switch categorization to attendance area schools (meaning enrollment is determined by a student’s home address) in both plans. These include: John Stanford, McDonald, Cascadia, Thornton Creek Elementary, and Queen Anne Elementary.
Laurelhurst will also become an interim location for Sand Point.
Now that we’ve covered the overlap, here’s how the plans deviate + what parents should pay attention to for public comments.
Plan A: ~$31.5 million in savings
This plan relies on closing a few more schools than Plan B (21 total) and no longer offering K-8 or option elementary schools to save some cash.
The extra schools slated for closure under this plan include:
- Salmon Bay K-8
- Sacajawea
- TOPS K-8
- Dunlap
- Lafayette
Hazel Wold K-8, South Shore PreK-8, and Pathfinder K-8 would also become attendance area K-5 schools under this plan.
Plan B: ~$21.5 million in savings
This plan only closes the original 17 schools, but key differences include:
- The closure of Thurgood Marshall
- Keeping an option K-8 school open in each region of town
- Reducing the budget through other areas like staffing reductions
SPS will be hosting in-person meetings between Sept. 25 and Oct. 8 to gather feedback from locals.
