This and That, April 10, 2025

 The vehicle that was reported being parked outside of Denny Middle School that sparked fear of ICE turns out to belong to the Seattle Police Department. It appears it was an unmarked car.  From the Times:

SPD said the vehicle was “part of a commitment to prevent crime and protect students near schools where violence has become a concern.”

“It is not our goal to alarm anyone with our presence as this is an effort to intervene in any issues before they escalate,” SPD wrote.

Seattle Public Schools does not allow federal immigration authorities to access its school facilities, buildings or information except when required by law, per district policy. The district’s general counsel’s office needs to review and approve immigration authorities’ requests for access. 

 

Another candidate has appeared at the PDC website. His name is Eric C. Feeny and he is running as a challenger to Sarah Clark in district 2. Mr. Feeny has a background in start-ups with process consulting and business development. He is a past president of the Cascadia Elementary PTA. 

He applied for the district 2 position when it was left open after Director Lisa Rivera stepped down. Ultimately, that nod went to Clark. He also applied for the open Seattle City Council seat for position 8 in January 2024. 

The family of Arsema Barekew, the Washington Middle School student who died at the school in early March in an accident involving a runaway car. They had a small march to the school yesterday, asking for answers to questions. From the Times:

Police have not arrested or charged the 51-year-old woman who they said had been driving the SUV and failed to put it in park before it rolled downhill and hit the child.

The family said they have been kept in the dark. The memorial walk’s goal was twofold, they said: to get an update on the investigation and to get answers from Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Police Department. They want accountability and changes, they said. 

An interpreter said the parents have not gotten an update on the crash from SPS since they reviewed images from the scene on March 20. They last spoke with anyone from the police department two days after the crash, when detectives visited them.

SPS Communications says:

“The tragic loss of their daughter is immense, and we respect their right to voice their pain through protest during this very difficult time,” Redmond said in a written statement. “We remain in direct contact with the family and are providing ongoing support, the details of which are private between SPS and the family.”

I think the problem is just what this one WMS student says:

Some students said they were disappointed that the memorial was removed soon after the tragedy, that no assembly was held in the child’s memory, and that the district had not sufficiently supported the student’s parents.

“It’s not fair,” Samira Hajir, 13, a seventh grader, said about the district’s response to the family. “They should have supported her.”

Students, she said, still think about that day, even if it appears that the school has moved on. The district should be worried about a student’s death, she said. 

“They tried to act as if everything is normal, but it’s not,” Hajir said.

I'm sure the district has offered some support but they should ALSO be answering questions like why were students out on the sidewalk in the first place? Who made that call or were the students out there breaking a rule? 

 

Meanwhile in Kent School District, there is a move to recall two of its Board members. There will be a sufficiency hearing on April 11th. If it is ruled sufficient, then recall folks have 180 days to gather signatures to put it on the ballot. The three women who filed the petition for the recall are all watchdogs in that district, including a former Board member. They say officials need to be held accountable for unlawful action. 

I gotta say when I read some of these accounts of that district's board meetings, it makes SPS board meetings look like a PTA tea.