Seattle Schools in the News

Three articles in The Seattle Times this morning about Seattle Schools.

The first is a big whoops from SPS: 

Families sent money, but at these Seattle schools, student meals were free

I read the article and I don't think anything nefarious was occurring but this seems like a fairly basic notification to families that didn't happen and a failure to communicate from the district on down to the schools.  I suspect if I did a public disclosure request on this topic, I'd get some interesting findings but nah. 

Klumpp’s daughter — and all students at her school, Sacajawea Elementary School — were entitled to free meals under a recent state law. They were among roughly 1,000 Seattle Public Schools students who newly qualified for free breakfast and lunch this school year, regardless of their family’s income.  

But some parents at those newly eligible Seattle schools say nobody told them. Like Klumpp, they’d been sending their students with money or putting money into an account. They said they didn’t know until this spring that their schools were required to provide free meals to all students throughout the school year.

Aaron Smith, director of culinary services for Seattle Public Schools, said in an interview last month that he took responsibility for what he called “a breakdown” in communication.  

John Rogers, Laurelhurst, Louisa Boren, Sacajawea and the Cascade Parent Partnership Program newly qualified this school year. (Many other Seattle public schools must feed all students for free through the federal program, thanks to nudges from state lawmakers). 

There was an active PTA Board member at Sacajawea, Jane Turks Demel, who was also mystified. 

“At first, my concern was just about, ‘wow, this is a program that nobody knows about. Why don’t we tell them?’ ” she said. She reached out to other parents, to district officials and to the school’s principal.  

Principals and lunchroom managers at multiple eligible schools weren’t aware that their schools had to provide meals for free to all students, according to her conversations with parents at other schools, Tunks Demel said. 

Tunks Demel says that Sacajawea didn’t communicate its free meals status until March 21, when the school’s principal sent an email to families. She said that message was unclear and that the PTA worked with the principal to send out a clearer message on March 27.  

In a March 14 email, Smith asked regional education directors to ensure information about which schools were eligible for free meals was shared with principals, “as some families and staff may not be fully aware of this information.” 

March? In March this info was finally sent out?

And look who seems to have NOT been doing their jobs? Regional directors. 

Families at eligible schools can request a refund by sending a message through Seattle Schools’ Let’s Talk! system, Smith said. 

The next article is regarding how there is now a street closure at Washington Middle School. Now SDOT says it has nothing to do with a student who was killed there several months back but the Times' headline says "...following death of student" which is factually true.

The small street — 20th Place South — usually turns into a scrum of yellow buses and hurrying parents at the start and end of school days. Beginning Monday, officials closed a stub of 20th Place South between South Jackson Street and South Weller Street on the hope it will be a safer place for the school’s 550 students.

On Monday morning, drivers still drove through, despite two small, A-frame signs declaring the street closed just feet from where the temporary memorial once stood for Arsema Barekew.

In a message sent to parents and caregivers, Principal Adrian Manriquez said the block-long road will be closed school days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

In the photo on this story the "barriers" are off to the side. Apparently, they can't close that street to school buses, ADA vehicles, pedestrians, etc. have to have access. If you drive at all, you know there are many drivers who seem to think that signage doesn't apply to them. Parents are no different.

Washington is the 19th school in Seattle to get a “school street,” which blocks most traffic in a bid for safety. Schools must request such a designation from SDOT.

Washington’s barricades will remain in place for the rest of the school year, and are purposely staged to the side of the street to allow school buses to pass. Ali said SDOT and the school are still discussing whether the change should be made permanent.

Embedded in the Washington Middle School story is another story from April about traffic cameras at schools. 

The Seattle City Council is primed to cast a wider net to catch speeders by doubling the number of schools equipped with automated cameras and installing them outside of school zones for the first time.

By the end of this year, the city anticipates installing 37 new cameras at 19 schools that currently don’t have them, bringing the program to a total 38 schools.

Aside from a 30-day warning period for each new camera, first-time offenders in Seattle will receive a fine. The city does have programs to reduce fines, including a 50% reduction for first time violators who are on government assistance, and an option to do community service instead of paying the fine.

Both Saka and Nemani said the cameras are temporary, until street design and “behavioral changes” lead to lower speeds and safer driving. State law now requires an annual review of each camera in operation.

However, according to the first article, Washington Middle School is not going to get a camera. 

Most school streets aren’t permanent and have temporary barricades, like at Washington. Only three schools have permanent concrete barriers: Emerson, Whittier and Genesee Hill elementary schools.

Currently, there are 19 schools:

- Olympic View

- Broadview Thomson K-8

- Gatewood Elementary

- Thurgood Marshall Elementary

- Holy Family Elementary

- Dearborn Elementary

- Bailey Gatzert Elementary

- Eckstein Middle School

- STEM at Boren

- Montlake Elementary

- Mercer Middle School

- Northgate Elementary

- Bailey Gatzert Elementary

- Rainier View Elementary

- Garfield High School

- Fairmount Park Elementary

- Our Lady of Guadalupe School

- South Shore K-8

- Whittier Elementary