Many parents are upset with the management of Seattle Public Schools, and with good reason. 

Superintendent Brent Jones (salary $335,000), with the backing of the school board, has announced his intention to close 20 elementary schools.  Last week he told an audience of 200 parents gathered at Roosevelt High School that the planned closures are due to a “structural deficit” of $100 million (out of a school budget of $1.2 billion).  The implication is that a “structural” deficit is nobody’s fault and not under anyone’s control. 

The Seattle Times reporting shows this excuse is not true. Superintendent Jones and other district leaders made several decisions which created this deficit.  Ignoring his own role in creating the financial shortfall, Superintendent Jones issued this challenge: 

“If there is a better comprehensive option [than closing schools] let us know, but right now we have to do more with less.”   

Seattle School District has plenty of money 

As an education policy analyst, a challenge like this makes my day. 

The district has plenty of money, at least $23,500 per student, more than tuition at most private schools.  Current funding is up by $6,000 per student compared to 2018-19 (see https://fiscal.wa.gov/K12/K12FinanceDistrict).  These figures do not include capital funding, which is ample; $378 million in the current budget.   

Given these ample resources in the wealthiest district in the state, Superintendent Jones has several options to avoid closing schools.  Here are some general ideas:  

Reduce central office spending.  

Work with the union to adjust 2022 contracts.  Children shouldn’t have to suffer because managers signed a union contract that is unrealistic. 

Restore academic standards and a focus on learning.  In recent years woke policies and a resurgence of racial bias have driven 4,370 families out of Seattle Public Schools, resulting in a loss of $62.5 million. 

Now to specifics.  The 2023-24 budget is $1.172 billion, but Seattle’s 104 schools receive only $634.5 million of this total. The balance of $538 million is spent on administration at the John Stanford Center.  Over one-third of all school employees work at the Central Office. 

How to save $100 million 

Reducing Central Office by just 20% would save $107 million, enough to save all 20 elementary schools from the chopping block.  Reductions such as: 

$24 million in Districtwide Leadership meetings, including $6.2 million for “Equity” and $8 million for “Strategic Goals”  

$17 million in districtwide reserves  

$1 million in “Assistant Superintendent Operations”   

$1.5 million in “Assistant Superintendent of Student Support” and “Assoc. Supt. of student Support  

Deputy Superintendent (salary $266,000 and benefits $45,700)  

43 “Other District Administrators” (each receiving $187,000 and $42,000 in benefits)  

The structural problem is that, unlike 32 other states, Washington has a ban on parent-driven school choice programs.  If parents had options Superintendent Jones would treat them like valued customers, instead of saying child learning programs must do “more with less.”   

Or...convert them to charter public schools 

Communities do have one option, however.  Washington’s voter-passed charter school law allows any public school slated for closure to remain open as a charter public school.  The State Charter School Commission website is here. With support from the school board and elected officials there is no reason all Seattle public schools can’t stay open.  In fact, with the right coalition these once written-off schools could emerge stronger than ever. 

Converting, say, Decatur Elementary in Wedgwood, to a charter public school would engage parents, protect teacher jobs and preserve learning services for children.  For families it would certainly be preferable to losing your child’s local school, to be re-assigned to a more crowded, possibly lower-quality school in some distant neighborhood.  With good intentions and good collaboration, all the controversy, disruption and emotional pain caused by closing schools could be avoided.