Seattle School Board Meeting, November 19, 2025
Two items to note in advance of the meeting.
One, if you follow history, November 19, 1863 was the day that President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. It followed the Battle of Gettysburg, a three-day fight that saw over 50,000 combined casualties. That is more than any battle in American history.
President Lincoln said that "the world will little or long remember what we say here" but he was wrong.
He said:
"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure."
He ended by saying:
"that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."I hope we can find a way to endure as the "United" States of America.
In a court filing this week, attorneys for Seattle Public Schools argue that closing arguments made by the former student’s attorneys were based on emotions, not law, and that the award the jury returned was intended to punish and send a message to the district.
“There is a reason why such emotional appeals to juries are not allowed,” the request reads. “If counsel are permitted to toss out the law and replace it with a purely emotionally-driven argument, the jury is going to base their verdict — as it did here — not on the facts and the law, but purely based on emotions, and the desire to ‘make the other side pay for their misdeeds’ or to ‘fix the system.’”
If verdicts based on emotional arguments are allowed to stand, the district continued, then courtrooms “will resemble trials by the mob in the public square with torches and pitchforks.”
She said a request for a new trial is an “extraordinary remedy” that applies in cases where there’s serious misconduct — which she says is not the case here. She also rejected the district’s claims that she and her colleagues unfairly used emotional appeals to influence the jury.
The parties were already scheduled to return to court next month. The judge has to decide whether to establish a court monitoring system to address Sheikhibrahim’s attorneys’ claims of systemic racism within Seattle Public Schools.
Board Meeting
There is to be an Executive Session directly before the meeting. This might be for directors to go over the contract negotiations for the new superintendent.
Here's the agenda for the Board meeting.
There are just 11 speakers for Board testimony, with student safety being the most named topic.
From the personnel report, it appears that Madison MS is losing its principal, Robert Gary.
The Board is to approve a new Facilities Master Plan Update (FMP) that is something of a roadmap for the district until 2030. This update is full of great information about the state of buildings in SPS. It's things like there are STILL 78 buildings over 50 years old and that includes 25 that are over 100 years old. They are saying new buildings are created to last 65 years.
A couple of things I see:
- I had forgotten that not only is SPS building "mega" elementary schools but they have added room - via additions - to several schools including a 12-room addition at West Seattle ES and Alki ES.
- I knew that SPS was purchasing one warehouse but it appears they have purchased two. It appears the second is to "replace the surplus storage that is currently at Memorial Stadium."
- The district hired a consultant to "develop a guide" to create single-use restrooms in every school. Meaning, gender-neutral bathrooms.
- This new FMP is for five years but I see from page 8 that the next one will be a ten-year plan, from 2027-2037.
- A consultant did another district forecast for enrollment in Feb. 2025.
Dr. Kendrick's analysis indicates that the district will likely continue to experience enrollment decline in the next 5-10 years. Kindergarten through 2nd grades may see a small growth in 10 years, but growth is unlikely for other grades. Some grade levels may see a fairly significant enrollment decline.
- They identify the need for permanent locations for the Bridges 18-22 Transition Program and the Skills Center Program. As well, they see the need for a permanent location for Student Support Services like assistive technology, deaf and hard of hearing , pre-school assessment team, audiology, and others. They also note the Interagency Academy programs need a permanent home.
These needs may require returning property to district use that is currently leased out or an acquisition of additional property.
The district wants to buy and maintain yet more property? Oh my. We see from Appendix B that the district has many non-school properties. Several of them have leases that expire in 2026 but some have been leased to 2084!
- The newly-built James Baldwin ES (formerly Northgate) is the most under-enrolled elementary school in the district with a capacity of 650 and a population of 237.
The most under-enrolled K-8 is Licton Springs with a a capacity of 364 and an enrollment of 81.
For middle schools, it's Meany MS with a capacity of 851 and a population 480.
Looking at high schools, it's Rainier Beach HS with a new capacity of 1600 and just 778 students. I suspect the new building might attract more students next year. Close on its heels is The Center School with a capacity of 300 and only 150 students.
One stat for high schools I find interesting is who is packing them in (over 100%). Those would be Ballard, Lincoln, and West Seattle. While Roosevelt and Garfield are 87% and 90%, it is surprising that they seem less popular (or students in those areas are going elsewhere).
I am sad to see this item has been rolled into the Consent Agenda. I would think the directors would want to hear - and discuss - the information in the FMP.
For Action Items, there is approval of the "state legislative agenda" and initially they look broad and bland. But it does include the district being exempt from sales tax on retail services which came into being during the last legislative session.
- addressing funding gaps in Basic Education
- supporting student learning and well-being
- efficient and reliable operations
The second Action Item is the approval the "Superintendent's Employment Agreement" for Ben Shuldiner. His base salary would be $365,000, a tax-sheltered annuity plan contribution of $60K, a car allowance, health benefits, vacation/sick leave, retirement, etc. They also add in moving fees but, curiously to me, "legal fees." Is that to pay his lawyer to go over this contract? It's for $2K.
He will receive $1,000 a month to use his own car.
The agreement has his start date as February 1, 2026.
There are to be two presentations during the Work Session at the end of the agenda.
- Student cellphone and personal technology
- AI and data privacy (I didn't know but the district has an AI Steering Committee and handbook. I'll have a separate post on this topic soon.
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