Superintendent's Final Recommendation on School Consolidation
and Closure (Summary)
Northwest Quadrant
Board target: Close two buildings
| Viewlands Elementary |
Close Building |
Merge educational program with Greenwood program at
Greenwood building |
| Greenwood Elementary |
Program merger |
Merge with Viewlands at Greenwood |
| John Marshall |
Close building |
Move programs currently at John Marshall to other
buildings |
Northeast/Central Quadrant
Board target: Close three buildings (*1)
| M.L. King Elementary |
Close building |
Honor community generated proposal to merge
educational program with T.T. Minor for 2006-2007 (previously
approved by Superintendent). Enrolled students would move to T.T.
Minor. Will consider merging M.L. King and McGilvra reference areas
for 2007-2008. Determine how best to honor and retain Dr. Kings
name. |
(1*) The inability to identify two additional schools in the
Northeast/Central quadrant results from demographics and a desire
to adhere to the School Board's principles and criteria in
identifying schools to close.
The district will work on adjustments to assignment plans, and
with communities, and expects another closure conversation during
Fall 2006 to finish the process in this quadrant. Specifically,
(1) The CAC identified excess capacity in the central area of
the equivalent of one school, but recommended the District discuss
with the community and develop the best option for closure of one
of four schools between Bailey Gatzert, Leschi, Thurgood Marshall,
and T.T. Minor.
(2) The Superintendent did not accept the recommendation of the
CAC to close Sacajawea Elementary School. The demographics in
Northeast combined with an assignment plan that does not permit
non-voluntary assignments to alternative schools result in an
inability to find reference area schools for Sacajawea students at
this time. (There is excess capacity in this area of the city, but
the majority of that excess capacity is at Summit K-12 alternative
school).
Southwest Quadrant (2*)
Board target: Close three buildings
| Hughes |
Close building |
Building currently serves as an interim site and will house
South Lake Alternative High School until this program moves into
its newly constructed building at the South Shore site. |
| Fairmount Park |
Close building |
Honor principal-generated proposal to merge educational program
with High Point program at High Point building. |
| High Point Elementary |
Program Merger |
Merge with Fairmount Park at High Point |
(*2) The preliminary recommendation relocated the Pathfinder
program from the Genesee Hill building to the Boren Building and
closing the Genesee Hill building. While Boren has positive
attributes for the 6-8 portion of Pathfinder, it is not well suited
for the K-5 portion. Additionally, staff determined that a higher
use of the Boren site is for continued use as an interim site for
future south Seattle capital projects.
The district will work on adjustments to assignment plans, and
with communities, and expects another closure conversation during
Fall 2006 to finish the process in this quadrant. Specifically,
(1) There is excess capacity in the Southwest quadrant to close
two schools (Hughes serves as an interim site).
(2) The Genesee Hill building is in poor condition and the
district believes the Pathfinder program can be relocated into
another site.
| Whitworth Elementary |
Program merger |
Honor community generated proposal to merge educational program
with Dearborn Park at Dearborn Park building. |
| Dearborn Park Elementary |
Program merger |
Merge with Whitworth program at Dearborn Park. |
| Orca at Columbia building |
Close buidling |
Relocate Orca to the Whitworth building and extend program to
K-8. (*4) |
| Rainier View Elementary |
Close building |
Merge educational program with Emerson program at Emerson
building. (*5) |
| Emerson Elementary |
Program merger |
Merge with Rainier View program at Emerson. |
(*3) Graham Hill was removed from the preliminary recommendation
due to the dispersal of students violating the School Board’s
principles of equity and minimizing disruption. While the Southeast
quadrant does have enough excess capacity to close an additional
school, the majority of that excess capacity is at African American
Academy (an alternative school).
(*4) The CAC recommendation honored the community-generated
proposal to merge the educational programs of Whitworth and
Dearborn Park elementary schools, and to close Whitworth. The
Superintendent has recommended utilizing the Whitworth building for
the Orca program, currently located at Columbia, and expanding the
program to K-8. The Columbia building would be closed.
(*5) The final recommendation changes Emerson for a closure and
dispersal to a merger with Rainier View and adds Rainier View to
the closure list. In the preliminary recommendation, the dispersal
of Emerson students would violate the School Board’s
principle of minimizing disruption. The Emerson building is in good
condition, while the Rainier View building is one of only three
elementary sites in the quadrant that needs to be rebuilt.
