Superintendent Brent Jones Cancels ALL Community Engagement Sessions on Closures

Just minutes ago, the SPS put out this message on the website. To save you some time, the only news is that the community engagement sessions are cancelled. There is nothing new in here except a very massaged message. 

I am sorry our proposed options created anxiety for many families who rely on the key programs and innovations within our schools. We are retooling our plans to address these concerns."

No one could have predicted this kind of blowback? Really?

No, I think the Superintendent and staff thought they could put a kind, gentle face on their planning and that BOTH the Board and community would accept being muscled that way. 

Didn't work.

Dear SPS families, staff, and community,

I am taking more time to reflect on plans to bring a consolidation recommendation this October. As a result, I am canceling the upcoming community meetings. A new schedule of engagement sessions will be released soon.

I understand the closure of schools is a very serious topic. After receiving thoughtful feedback from many of you, it is clear we need more time to carefully consider our next steps.

I am working closely with my leadership team to revise our strategy and ensure any decisions we make are sustainable and prioritize the well-being of our students, staff, and families, working together to meet our goals.

We will soon provide new opportunities for community engagement, focused on gathering your ideas and working together to resolve our challenges.

I want to assure you we are taking your concerns seriously. What we proposed last week were initial approaches, which we are now reworking. While our financial challenges are real and it’s our fiscal responsibility to resolve them, it is very clear we need more time to listen and earn your trust as we resolve our structural deficit and revisit our timeline.

I am sorry our proposed options created anxiety for many families who rely on the key programs and innovations within our schools. We are retooling our plans to address these concerns.

It is no secret we are facing tough times. We face a budget deficit that has gone on far too long. Over the past seven years alone, our enrollment has dropped by 4,000 students. Despite this, we still operate nearly the same number of school buildings, and we don’t expect enrollment numbers to rebound for many years. Like many school districts in Washington, the funding we receive from the state has failed to keep up with the costs of providing a quality education to Seattle’s students.

This has been a challenging time, especially the last few weeks, and our school system’s issues will take all of us to solve–in our city and in our legislature.

We stand committed to working alongside you throughout this process. We appreciate your partnership as we strive for equitable and thoughtful solutions that will strengthen the future of our schools and students.

Thank you for your continued feedback and support.