Anger grows as possible school closures mount
SEATTLE - Outraged parents reacted with anger and concern to Wednesday night's announcement that the Seattle School District may add Rainier Beach High School and an elementary school to the list of possible school closures.
The proposed closures would raise the list of school closures to nine - giving Seattle parents even more reasons to be angry.
The possible school closures were announced at Wednesday night's school board meeting. Also announced was the possibility of merging Rainier Beach and Cleveland high schools.
"Even though it's a new school, it's not a big school, so when you are bringing more students from another school that may cause a problem with overcrowding," said Larry Ezell-Ray, a teacher and a parent whose son is a freshman at Cleveland High.
He, like so many other parents, has concerns.
"I say that it's not a good idea because of the conflict with the students and, in Cleveland and Rainier Beach, they're school rivals," said parent Michelle Frazier.
But the school district says the cuts are necessary to help meet a $37 million budget shortfall. That's $13 million higher than earlier projections. The additional cuts could save the district $3.6 million.
The potential school closures, along with the possibility of programs being slashed at other schools, has agitated many parents who crowded into last night's meeting to speak out.
The district earlier recommended six school buildings, namely Genesee Hill, Lowell, Mann, TT Minor, Pinehurst and Van Asselt, be closed and a seventh building, Old Hay, be closed temporarily with the possibility of reopening in the future.
"The cost savings are significant and they are worth going through closures despite pain in our community," said Steve Sundquist of the Seattle Public Schools.
Ezell-Ray's job in special education is safe. But all the talk of cuts and changes hasn't been easy.
"It's just stressful, it's stressful for everybody," he said.
School district officials are holding workshops Thursday night on the preliminary recommendations for school closures.
The recommendations will be considered during the months of December and January.
The superintendent will release her final recommendations, which will be based on public input and additional analysis, on Jan. 6. The School Board is expected to vote on Jan. 29.
The proposed closures would raise the list of school closures to nine - giving Seattle parents even more reasons to be angry.
The possible school closures were announced at Wednesday night's school board meeting. Also announced was the possibility of merging Rainier Beach and Cleveland high schools.
"Even though it's a new school, it's not a big school, so when you are bringing more students from another school that may cause a problem with overcrowding," said Larry Ezell-Ray, a teacher and a parent whose son is a freshman at Cleveland High.
He, like so many other parents, has concerns.
"I say that it's not a good idea because of the conflict with the students and, in Cleveland and Rainier Beach, they're school rivals," said parent Michelle Frazier.
But the school district says the cuts are necessary to help meet a $37 million budget shortfall. That's $13 million higher than earlier projections. The additional cuts could save the district $3.6 million.
The potential school closures, along with the possibility of programs being slashed at other schools, has agitated many parents who crowded into last night's meeting to speak out.
The district earlier recommended six school buildings, namely Genesee Hill, Lowell, Mann, TT Minor, Pinehurst and Van Asselt, be closed and a seventh building, Old Hay, be closed temporarily with the possibility of reopening in the future.
"The cost savings are significant and they are worth going through closures despite pain in our community," said Steve Sundquist of the Seattle Public Schools.
Ezell-Ray's job in special education is safe. But all the talk of cuts and changes hasn't been easy.
"It's just stressful, it's stressful for everybody," he said.
School district officials are holding workshops Thursday night on the preliminary recommendations for school closures.
The recommendations will be considered during the months of December and January.
The superintendent will release her final recommendations, which will be based on public input and additional analysis, on Jan. 6. The School Board is expected to vote on Jan. 29.