Well-Resourced Schools at Seattle Public Schools

Looking Toward a System of Well-Resourced Schools

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is building a system of well-resourced schools. This effort aims to ensure every student is prepared for college, career, and life.

What is a well-resourced school?
How did we get here?
What are next steps?
What is the community vision?
Frequently asked questions

What is a well-resourced school?

Our goal is that every school in our district will uphold our community’s values and offer a comprehensive education to prepare students for lifelong success. A well-resourced school is a central hub for students, families, staff, and community.

Graphic that includes 8 components with icons and text. - Multiple teachers per grade level - Stable support staff - Inclusive learning for EVERY student - Social and emotional learning support -Art, music, and PE teachers - Stable operational budgets - Safe, healthy, and beautiful schools and grounds - Connections to the community — *(click to enlarge graphic)*

A Well-Resourced School:

includes access to high-quality educators and modern classroom resources, textbooks, and technology
offers curriculum that is inclusive and representative of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and abilities
prioritizes safety through proactive security measures
fosters a supportive environment where students feel valued and supported socially and emotionally

Why: SPS believes in the transformative power of public education and the collaborative investment needed to shape schools that reflect our city and communities.

How: We prioritize innovative, high-quality schools staffed by exceptional educators. Our aim is to ensure every student receives a world-class education tailored to their academic, social, and emotional needs.

What: By fostering a culture of equity, inclusivity, and safety, we provide access to modern resources and diverse curriculum, empowering students for lifelong success and fulfillment in post-secondary education and the workforce.

While this plan will mean some large-scale system changes, it is crucial to focus on the end goal: creating a school system where every student has access to the academic, social, and emotional support they need.

Because SPS operates more than 70 schools serving our youngest students, the recommendation of transition to a system of well-resourced schools focuses on the schools that serve students in preschool through 5th grade first.

Among our 104 school buildings, Seattle Public Schools currently has 73 schools that serve our students in preschool through 5th grade. Twenty-nine (29) of our elementary schools currently serve less than 300 students.

Our main goal is to make sure students get a great education, even when we face challenges.

A teacher and preschool student read a book together.

How did we get here?

We have reached a crossroads for our district.

Like all school districts, SPS is adapting to shifting community demographics, which affects how many students are enrolled in our schools. We also know that student and community needs change over time. Additionally, persistent gaps in state basic education funding have impacted SPS and other districts across the state.

SPS is operating several school buildings that are under-enrolled, which often occurs in our that serve our youngest students. Low enrollment can lead to fewer staffing resources, more staffing adjustments, and more frequent changes due to budget.

SPS operates more than 70 schools serving students in preschool through 5th grade.

If we maintain the current number of school buildings that serve our youngest students, SPS will need to reduce services.

This could mean:

having more students per teacher
reducing core school staff
reducing or eliminating preschool
reducing central office staff that directly support school operations
curriculum adoption reductions

Depending on how much we cut, we might still have to close some school buildings.

The alternative being presented to the Seattle School Board is that our district takes on the challenging but rewarding work to develop a system of well-resourced schools.

This new model would mean SPS would have fewer school buildings that serve students in preschool through 5th grade, but the building capacity would be better aligned with student enrollment.

Our aim is for all our schools to reflect community values and provide a complete education that prepares students for success throughout their lives.

What are next steps?

Dr. Jones will bring the preliminary recommendations to the Seattle School Board in June 2024.

We hope you are able to join us for one of the upcoming informational community meetings. To ensure SPS families have the greatest opportunity to take part, each meeting will present the same information but be held in locations around our district.

We will continue to work to prioritize inclusive and high-quality education for our students. We are approaching these decisions in a thoughtful way to ensure we minimize negative impacts on student learning.

Superintendent Jones is not recommending any school closures or consolidations for the 2024-25 school year.

Well-Resourced Schools and Budget Presentations to the School Board

Timeline

The School Board heard Superintendent Jones’ recommended strategies as an introductory item during the Nov. 15 meeting. Read the presentation overview and watch the meeting recording.
The resolution went back to the full board for consideration at the Dec. 13 Regular Board Meeting.
The School Board held a work session on Jan. 17, 2024, to hear about updates on budget development.
The School Board met on March 20, to hear a legislative update.
The School Board participated in a Budget Work Session on April 3.
The superintendent will present a well-resourced schools update to the School Board in May 2024.
The School Board is scheduled to review the final budget recommendation in June and is scheduled to vote on a final budget in July.

What is the community vision?

Past and Upcoming Community Engagement

Superintendent Jones launched a community-wide effort to reimagine a system of well-resourced Schools that is safe, equitable, and offers students and families the programs, services and resources they need to succeed and thrive in the neighborhoods where they live.

The community vision will provide a foundation to frame challenges and opportunities for SPS in the coming years. It will help guide future strategic planning and resource allocation decisions, including funding for Well-Resourced Schools, SPS Funding Our Future planning, renewal of the Seattle Excellence Strategic Plan, and the BEX VI Levy.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to community questions and how to submit your questions or feedback.

What is SPS plan for a responsible budget?

While we are not closing any schools for the 2024-25 school year, we will be making some necessary changes to balance our budget in a fiscally responsible manner that ensures educational excellence across the district. To balance the budget for 2024-25 school year, this district intends to seek the implementation of loan tools the Washington State Legislature provided to specifically address budget de-stabilization, along with restructuring some programs.

Why this will work?

Our plan to balance our budget provides significant long-term savings and opportunities for more savings in the future.

What’s the issue with the budget?

SPS faces projected deficits of $105 million for fiscal year 2024-25, $129 million for fiscal year 2025-26, and $153 million for fiscal year 2026-27. This structural shortfall is caused primarily by insufficient funding from the State of Washington; declines in enrollment, the spending of one-time funding sources.

What’s the situation with enrollment?

Today, enrollment is approximately 48,000 students and there are 104 school buildings. From 2019-23, enrollment has decreased by 4,900 students, which has resulted in an $81 million drop in revenue.

Why consolidate or close schools in the future?

As much as we love every one of our schools, when they are under-enrolled, they become under-resourced and this causes inequity and inconsistency from school to school.

Aren’t there better ways to cover the deficit than closing schools? What other alternatives were considered?

Closing a school will save $750,000 to $2,000,000. While that is only part of budget savings, it will indeed make a difference.

Why can’t we have smaller schools?

Current Washington state funding does not support smaller schools or smaller class sizes. State funds are based on the cost to run a 400-student elementary school, which means schools smaller than that are not financially feasible or sustainable.

How is this process going to lead to well-resourced schools?

We have launched a community-wide effort to reimagine a system of well-resourced schools which offers students and families the support, the programs and resources, and the inspiration they need to succeed and thrive in the neighborhoods where they live.

We will continue this community engagement to ensure that the decisions we make will be responsive, equitable, and sound, as we consider making any substantial consolidation, closure, and programmatic changes. Read more about the well-resourced schools community engagement.