Budget Deficit Will Force School Closures

SEATTLE - Seattle Public Schools will close some elementary schools to save money and help the district recover from a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, the school board announced Wednesday.

A consultant will be hired to figure out which schools could be closed or consolidated. A community advisory committee will discuss the proposed closures for the 2007-2008 school year, then public comment will be taken at several community meetings in the spring.

Superintendent Raj Manhas proposed closing a handful of the district's 100 schools last spring to save money, but widespread public outrage killed the proposal.

Manhas then appointed 14 people to a committee to explore solutions to the district's financial problems. Last month, the group released its preliminary proposals, which included closing some underused schools.