Get info from Peter Daniels with school district (206) 252-0203… about on-going deficit problems…. I forwarded his voicemail to you…. Also, ask him how the district is proposing to resolve the $12 Million budget deficit for next year…. And we need to include the transportation piece.. because that’s an important part of the equation…They are proposing to eliminate transportation as well, which means that as the re-allocate programs that kids who don’t live in the neighborhoods where the schools that have the programs.. they will not have access to them… Re-segregating the district and taking the resources to the white areas….

By Jior CameronSeattle School District Recommends Numerous School ClosuresAre They Really “Delivering On The Dream?” The Seattle Public School District has put forth a preliminary recommendation to consolidate area schools in response to a $20 million budget deficit. The proposed closings and “repurposing” will affect elementary, middle, and high schools. (and is drawing opposition from many grassroots organizations in the African American community including the Seattle King county NAACP.) (But more alarming than the potential school closures is the fact that African American community is not mobilized in the same manner as other communities to save their schools. Need QUOTE From Sakarra here about the lack of African American community advocacy to save our schools, and why it is important. Two of the nine central area neighborhood schools are recommended to be closed, Montlake Elementary and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary. T.T. Minor Elementary and Lowell APP (Accelerated Progress Program) are the central area schools that are recommended for building repurposing. T.T. Minor is recommended to be repurposed from a K-5 elementary school to housing the 6-12th grade Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (BOC). The BOC is currently located on Queen Ann. Lowell currently houses the APP and Special Education programs. The Special Education programs will remain, while the excess APP students will be moved to Broadview-Thomson, a school north of the Ship Canal Bridge. This is causing concern among many in the African American community, particularly because it is beginning to seem as if the few advanced programs are moving north to schools where minority enrollment is lacking. According to Seattle School District website, “Lowell is in the center of the city (in north Capitol Hill), while Broadview-Thomson is in the far north of the city. As the elementary APP program grows, it may become desirable to find a third location for elementary APP students in the southern part of the city. At this time, however, the majority of APP students reside north of the Ship Canal Bridge. Its far north location means that transportation costs will be reduced for those students who reside north of the Ship Canal, and students north of the Bridge will have the opportunity to attend school closer to their homes. Freeing up space at Lowell, meanwhile, which is easily accessible by students in the southern part of the city, means that increasing numbers of qualified students who live in the south will be able to access this program.” Of the 2,401 students enrolled in the nine central area neighborhood elementary schools, the recommendation proposes to displace 576 (approximately 24 percent) students with the closings. Additionally, the Seattle Public School District has recommended to “eliminate assignment preference for APP students from Washington [Middle School] to Garfield.” Washington (generally APP program students) students will no longer have a direct pathway into Garfield. MARY BASS AP classes will continue to be provided at Garfield, but all other high schools will have AP classes as well. The Seattle District also has recommendations for schools in South Seattle as well. Rainier View and Columbia (currently houses Orca K-5) are recommended to be closed. Rainier View has strong community partnerships including those with Team Read and Friends of Boeing. In fact Rainier View received a Comprehensive School Reform grant that focuses on culturally relevant teaching. Unfortunately, the third year funding of this grant may be lost if the school is indeed closed as recommended. The district cites under-enrollment and the geographic location as reasons for closure. But the school is only under-enrolled by an average of approximately 23 students (capacity enrollment is 316 and the average enrollment for 2000-2004 is 292.4 students). In addition, the Whitworth Elementary program is recommended to be eliminated. The Whitworth building will be used to house the expanded Orca alternative (K-8) program. Of the 5,558 students enrolled in the 14 South end neighborhood elementary schools, the recommendation proposes to displace 769 (approximately 14 percent) students. In total, eight schools in the Seattle School District are recommended to be closed. Five are recommended to be repurposed. Three schools of major concern to the African American community that will be affected by the district’s consolidation efforts — Martin Luther King, Jr., T.T. Minor, and Rainier View – have a total minority population over 94 percent, which includes 439 African American students and only 32 Whites. “The list of schools currently on the table disproportionately affects children and families of color and or of low income status,” said Seattle King Co. Branch NAACP Educational Chair Sakara Remmu. “The Seattle King County NAACP is against the proposal to close schools for many reasons, but most importantly because we feel that the District has not exhausted all other options.” The slogan for Seattle Public Schools is “Delivering On The Dream: Academic Achievement For Every Student In Every School.” But are they really the delivering on the dream? Or are they just delivering on the dream for some students in some schools? Seattle Public School’s Initial savings from school closures and repurposing in Central and South Seattle: $1,263,672. Total savings from school closures and repurposing district-wide: Under $4 million. Total cost to “deliver on the dream” for all children: Priceless. More about the Seattle Public Schools school closures and repurposing can be found on the Seattle School District’s website seattleschools.org. The question remains how will the closures that Perhaps these recommendations are an effort to better its students and uphold the District slogan, Despite these partnerships and grants “because of its geographic location [Rainier View], is no longer desirable as an elementary school site,” according to the school district website. itis consistently under-enrolled, and, because of its geographic location, is no longerdesirable as an elementary school site. The district Continue to provide AP classes at Garfield, and provide equity and rigor in AP offerings at all other high schools.” -4 million towards a 20 million deficit -had a deficit before Feasibility of eleme. School building (K-5) for old children 6-12. -eliminate busing -Eliminate assignment preference for APP students from Washington to Garfield ( school analysis). Continue to provide AP classes at Garfield, and provide equity and rigor in AP offerings at all other high schools.For that reason, Broadview-Thomson, which has a total capacity of over 700 students but currently enrolls only approximately 500 students, became desirable.