Seattle Schools This Week

Thursday, October 20th
Operations Committee Meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm at JSCEE.  No agenda yet available.

Again, I see that last Saturday, October 15th, there were four community meetings with directors and yet this week there are none.  It continues to puzzle me that the directors cannot try to space out meetings so that there is at least one per weekend. 

To note: the Mayor and the Superintendent met to try to talk about a new high school at Seattle Center as the City thinks about revamping that area. 

For historical background, the district has owned nine acres at Seattle Center - where Memorial Stadium and the parking lot sit - since before that area was even Seattle Center.  The district owns the land as long as they use it for educational purposes.  I suspect that the City does covet that space and at least would like to be able to use Memorial Stadium - a new and improved one - for summer concerts and gathering.

The district could NEVER give up that space unless they got a very sweet deal for land and development somewhere else.  The district uses Memorial Stadium for home games for some high schools for both football and soccer as well as for graduations.  The parking lot brings about $1M a year into the district's budget.  

From KING-5:

According to multiple sources and documents obtained by KING 5, the discussion centers around the so-called "Northeast Quadrant" of Seattle Center, which includes Memorial Stadium, the adjacent parking lot of 5th Avenue, the KCTS Building, and Mercer Garage site. The stakeholders were asked to brainstorm ideas for renovation, and include ideas for a new high school at Seattle Center, possibly at or near the Memorial Stadium site.

The Mayor's budget calls for spending $500,000 for “Northeast Quadrant Planning and Outreach,” and to "continue planning work regarding redevelopment opportunities.”

"What's different this time – since 1962 – the Mayors and the City, and the School District have been at odds and this time the school district, Superintendent Nyland, and myself are committed to finding a way to make this work for everybody,” Murray said.

Other ideas exchanged during the September 13 summit included building a parking garage underneath a new stadium, and a potential land swap with the district to build a new school, perhaps in the spot of the current Mercer Garage. 

Those ideas are pretty much the same ones from several years back so I'm not expecting any big surprise announcement.

I'm fairly sure the Board would have to approve any kind of deal but I'll ask.