Last week, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Raj Manhas announced changes to his preliminary recommendation on school closures, consolidation and student assignments that was presented to the School Board on April 20.
The recommendation would have required 10 of Seattle's public schools to shut down, forcing its students to transfer to nearby schools. Upset by this prospect, parents, student and teachers rallied to challenge the superintendent's proposal and to help keep their neighborhood schools alive.
Due to the great amount of community concern, Manhas announced the removal of school closures from his recommendation for balancing the 2006-07 budget.
In his official statement to the School Board on May 17, Manhas expressed his feelings toward the public's reaction to the initial proposal: "I am proud of the public response that we have received.... We heard how this community cares deeply about our students and their education. We heard how important our community schools are, and why, and we heard the passion to keep schools open."
According to Patti Spencer, school district spokesperson, "The initial proposal was made early on because we wanted to have time to implement it if it was accepted. Now, we have a little more time to determine how to close the [$20 million] gap."
Manhas said he would organize an advisory committee to examine the situation with a fresh perspective.
Looking ahead
Community members have played an active role by offering suggestions to balance the budget. An interactive budget model, available on the Seattle Public Schools website, has allowed individual citizens to offer ideas to help remedy the situation.
Spencer believes that while determining an effective way to balance the 2006-07 budget is at the forefront of discussion, it is important to look further ahead. "We are not only looking for ways to balance the 2006-07 budget, but also to make sure that we have a system that is sustainable for the future," she said.
Principal Barry Dorsey, of Martin Luther King Elementary School, 3201 E. Republican St. - one of the 10 schools that had been targeted for closure - expressed his gratitude to the school for all the hard work and dedication within the last few months.
"I would like to thank my staff [for their dedication] amidst all the uncertainty and the 'what ifs.' They were able to continue to focus on our mission and keep their eye on the prize."
On June 15, the school will host a Family Night to try to increase enrollment in its new Montessori program, which will start this fall. Community members will be able to tour the campus, watch a brief video, enjoy dinner and receive enrollment information should they choose to sign up during the event.
Dorsey asks families who are interested in attending Family Night to call the school to reserve a spot so that the school can provide child care for the evening.[[In-content Ad]]
