Let's Examine What is Being Said about the Budget Cuts at Seattle Schools

Both the Seattle Times and KUOW have stories about the budget cuts coming to the district.  Plus, a source gave me some interesting info on the situation at Washington Middle School and their jazz band class. 

KUOW lays it out:

District officials stressed that no teachers or school-based staff were cut, but about 40 staffers will shift to different schools depending on typical staff turnover and individual school enrollment. The budget, however, includes layoffs for at least 70 central office employees.

In addition to those cuts, the district shaved about $10 million at the school level with some reductions that will show up in classrooms. For example, class sizes will increase by one student in first and second grade classrooms, except in high-poverty schools.

In addition, about five schools will lose assistant principals, and a dozen elementary and K-8 schools will have new start and end times to save the district more than $6 million on transportation.

Just wondering on that last one, have those schools already notified their parents or will that come in August?

The school board’s Thursday vote puts an end to a challenging budget season. But next year’s budget process could prove even more contentious, as the district explores more reductions, including possible school closures.

Good for KUOW not falling for the "they aren't closures, they are consolidations" line.  

Superintendent Brent Jones:

“I want to emphasize that this is not a conversation about school consolidation and scarcity,” he said. “And there’s no predetermined list of schools for consolidation, nor a playbook from other districts on school closures.”

What does he mean in that first sentence? I'm not sure I understand. For the second sentence, I created an entire other post. 

Director Lisa Rivera Smith tells parents:

Several school board members, including Lisa Rivera Smith, encouraged families to attend the meetings and provide input before Jones is expected to make recommendations in October.

“I really just want to make a plea to families that when you see an email that says we need your feedback, we mean it,” she said. “It’s easy to be jaded and feel like your feedback can’t move the needle. But it really, really can, and we genuinely need that and want that.”

Oh please, "move the needle?" Does she mean move the needle to save a school? I don't think a single school community will be able to stop what is coming. Not a one. 

And Rivera Smith knows that the Superintendent didn't have community meetings in June as promised. She knows that these are going to be very tightly scripted public meetings so again, there will be no moving the needle.

Meanwhile the Times announces:

To help save a beloved middle school jazz program, Seattle Public Schools turned to one of its Grammy Award-winning former students for help. 

SPS contacted Quincy Jones, a Garfield High School graduate and legendary music producer, for a donation after dozens of Washington Middle School students, parents and educators asked the district to save the jazz band from budget cuts. Jones, a 28-time Grammy winner, gave the district $50,000.

The one-time donation will carry the jazz program through at least one more school year, but there’s hope for the future. 

The Nesholm Family Foundation has offered help with money for later school years, an SPS spokesperson said. The Seattle foundation awards grants in health and human services, education and the performing arts. 

And Franklin High's Mock Trial class?

While the jazz band found benefactors, Franklin High School’s mock trial class has not. The class is being cut next year.

“So many people want to go to Franklin because of mock trial,” said Pauline Adonis, who just graduated from Franklin in June and was a mock trial team captain. “The mock trial program is probably one of the most rigorous classes I’ve ever taken — more than AP classes or the UW lit class I took last year.”

SPS has said it’s looking for ways to keep the program going.  

“Looking ahead to next year and beyond, our efforts will be focused on supporting Franklin’s leadership in finding sustainable solutions for the mock trial program,” SPS said in an emailed statement.

I have a couple of things to say on this funding issue. 

1) Great that the district found the money but my source says that it's the Nesholm Family Foundation that will be paying for the bulk of costs of the WMS jazz band teacher. Apparently SPS wanted the focus to be more the Quincy Jones donation.

2) The Nesholm Foundation donation came from private dollars for a grant from the Foundation that parents had applied for. SPS doesn't like to publicly say that it IS possible in Seattle Public Schools for parents to pay for staff. It's true and they should own that.

3) I'm no Quincy Jones but I had offered to pay for the teacher's base salary. And again, I make the offer to pay the base salary for the Mock Trial teacher at Franklin High. SPS knows how to find me.