SEATTLE, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) has taken parents through a whirlwind after it announced in October that eight schools would be merging and then rescinding those plans a month later.
On Friday, The Seattle Times reported that survey results revealed more than half of parents surveyed last year said they had considered pulling their children from SPS. But why?
According to The Seattle Times, citing the survey analysis, parents are concerned about the quality of education offered at SPS with 86% surveyed citing education quality as a top reason for disenrolling their kids. It also found fewer children born in Seattle are enrolling in SPS, with enrollment dropping 19% from the 2012-13 to 2023-24 school years.
The media outlet noted Washington’s legislature funded the survey to understand why 4,000 students left Seattle schools between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 school years.
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Background of Seattle Public Schools’ closures
SPS announced on October 24, via its website, that it would be merging eight schools together, therefore closing four schools in each region — the Northwest region, Northeast region, Central region and Southwest region.
Less than a week later, more than three dozen parents and children rallied outside Seattle’s Sacajawea Elementary School with signs and chants to protest its proposed closing. Sacajawea was one of four elementary schools the Seattle School Board previously approved to close before the 2025-26 school year. The following year, students from Sacajawea were set to attend John Rogers Elementary instead.
On November 25, SPS Superintendent Brent Jones announced that the district would not proceed with school closures or consolidations for the 2025-26 academic year.
In his letter, Jones noted the Seattle School Board had directed him to come up with a plan for closures and consolidations to “address enrollment declines, budgetary challenges, stabilizing programs and services.”
“After much deliberation, reflection, and engagement with our community, it is clear there is no longer a pathway for this approach for the 2025-26 school year,” Jones wrote. “I am withdrawing my preliminary recommendation, and we will not pursue school closures and consolidations for the upcoming school year. The Board will vote Tuesday to formally approve this direction.”
More details: Seattle Public Schools superintendent scraps plan to close schools
Jones explained this latest decision “was not made lightly and reflects the Board and my shared priority: the needs and well-being of our students, families, and community.” The decision allows those involved to look at the situation more and “thoughtfully determine” the next steps.
“The projected $5.5 million savings from the proposed closures are significant,” Jones wrote. “However, we agree that achieving these savings should not come at the cost of dividing our community.”
Superintendent given extension
The Seattle School Board has approved a one-year contract extension for Superintendent Brent Jones, extending his tenure through June 2027.
The Seattle Times reports that four months ago, the board unanimously approved an agreement with Jones to keep him through June 2026. However, this extension vote was not unanimous. Director Joe Mizrahi stated that approving the extension now will help Jones and his team develop and execute a plan to meet the district’s academic goals for the next five years.
In contrast, Director Liza Rankin expressed concerns, noting a lack of improvement in some areas and arguing that now is not the time to discuss an extension.
The extension does not include a raise, but last October’s deal increased Jones’ salary by $13,395 annually, bringing it to $348,395.
Contributing: Steve Coogan, Former MyNorthwest Lead Editor; Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
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