Seattle Public Schools Approves Mass Closure of Elementary Schools to Address Budget Deficit

The Seattle Public School (SBS) board has approved a proposal for a mass closure of up to 20 elementary schools to address a $105 million deficit. The closures were labeled under a consolidation plan board Superintendent Brent Jones called in his report “a system of well-resourced elementary schools” that “will create a new foundation of stability and consistency that our students and staff need to thrive.” According to SPS, the current system is operating at 65 percent capacity. The consolidation would bring operations up to 85 percent capacity. Mr. Jones cited under-enrollment, staffing issues, and “inequitable offerings” at schools. “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,” Mr. Jones said....