Introducing a System of Well-Resourced Schools

SPS is sharing important updates about our plan for a system of well-resourced elementary schools, which received approval for further development from the Seattle School Board on Wednesday, May 8.  

A system of well-resourced elementary schools will create a new foundation of stability and consistency that our students and staff need to thrive. 

Many of our SPS elementary schools are under-enrolled. Our proposal does include elementary school consolidations. Empty seats can lead to fewer staffing resources, more staffing adjustments in the beginning of the school year, and inequitable offerings from school to school. 

That’s why, in the 2025-26 school year, we are looking to consolidate more than 70 elementary school sites (many currently under-enrolled) into approximately 50 well–resourced ones. All schools would include the elements that many of our families, staff, and students said were important during the Well-Resourced Schools Engagement Sessions last fall and earlier this spring, including: 

• 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 school grounds 
• Space for preschool 
• Connections to the community 

Our new well-resourced elementary school model would mean SPS will have fewer buildings that serve students in preschool through 5th grade. However, each building’s capacity would be better aligned with student enrollment. 

If we maintain the current system, we will need to reduce services. This could mean having more students per teacher, reducing core school staff, scaling back preschool offerings, and suspension of new curriculum adoption. Depending on how much we cut, we might still have to close some schools. 

May and June Well-Resourced Elementary Schools Community Meetings 

Starting this month, we are hosting informational community meetings to get your important input. We want to know how this will impact you and get your suggestions on how to most effectively proceed. 

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. 

What’s Next 

Our superintendent, Dr. Brent Jones, is scheduled to bring preliminary recommendations about consolidation plans for 2025-26 to the Seattle School Board in June. 

We understand that change can be challenging for every one of us. Throughout this process, we will be there to listen to you. We will always prioritize inclusive and high-quality education for our students. 

Superintendent’s Preliminary Recommendation for Closures and Consolidations

• Closure and Consolidation Summary – English
  Español 中文 (中国) Tiếng Việt አማርኛ Af-Soomaali

• School Closures and Consolidations – Published Analysis for Review
• School Closures and Consolidations – Additional Analysis – updated Nov. 4, 2024

Closures and Consolidations Updates

Watch the Nov. 14 Community Meeting

The district hosted a community meeting on Nov. 14. SPS leaders shared information on the decision-making process. Watch the Nov. 14 community meeting recording below.

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FAQ and Submit Question and Feedback

The district has a $1.2 billion budget. Closing a school to save $750,000 to $2.5 million doesn’t seem like it would make a big difference. Aren’t there better ways to cover the deficit?  

One alternative to closing schools would be to have less staff at each individual school. This would mean further reducing school staff — assistant principals, librarians, counselors, social workers, instructional aides, custodians, maintenance workers, security personnel, grounds staff, — and/or reducing the number of teachers by increasing class sizes.

Find answers to frequently asked community questions