Seattle Public Schools | School Facilities and Programs

Community Advisory Committee's final recommendation on school consolidations and closures announced May 30, 2006.

The School Board has appointed a 15-member Community Advisory Committee (CAC) charged with gathering community input and developing recommendations for Seattle's school facilities and programs that reflect community values and are in the best interests of our school children. Their recommendations will result in school closures and consolidations for the 2007-08 school year. Their work is guided by principles, criteria and targets approved by the school board.

In order to ensure adequate time to plan for a smooth transition for the start of school in fall 2007, the CAC will present its recommendations to the School Board by May 30, 2006. The superintendent will present final recommendations to the School Board in July.

Composed of a diverse group of community members, parents, educators and community leaders with a wide variety of backgrounds, the CAC members are:

Ken Alhadeff, Co-Chair	Pat Murakami	Liz Vivian
Mona H. Bailey, Co-Chair	May Ovalles	Richard Weatherly
John Dunn	Melissa Pailthrop	Melissa Westbrook
T. Marie Floyd	Connie Sandstrom	Nanette Westerman
Joe Kadushin	Mary Sullivan

GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA:
With an overall goal of providing the highest quality education for all Seattle School students, the following board-adopted principles and criteria will guide the School Facilities and Programs planning effort:

Sustain and create academic effectiveness

Keep, relocate, replicate and/or add effective programs
Consolidate schools to enhance resources and community involvement
Demonstrate benefits to students and families

Community Advisory Committee Calendar

CAC Meetings are held most Mondays from 5:30–8:00pm at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
located in Seattle at:
2445 Third Avenue South

Town Hall Meeting Schedule

The CAC heard a tremendous amount of feedback from the community during the Town Hall meetings held in April. The next five Town Hall meetings in May will provide additional opportunities for the community to give input on specific recommendations before the CAC makes its final recommendations to the Superintendent. Limited
childcare as well as interpreters
in Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Somolian will be available at
each meeting. Recommendations of the CAC will affect school closures and consolidations
for the 2007-08 school year.

Equity

Ensure all Seattle Public Schools provide high quality education for students
Ensure needed programs and services in each quadrant of the city

Minimize disruption to students, families and staff

Keep school communities intact
In closing schools, look first for capacity at adjacent schools
Engage the community in finding solutions

Criteria

Effective instruction addressing needs of all students
Opportunities to consolidate schools to drive additional resources for programs and services for students
Opportunities and community commitment to add missing services needed by students in that region through consolidation
Family satisfaction
Building condition
Operating costs per pupil
Building capacity and/or potential for expansion
Effective connections with community

WEBPAGE UPDATES:
CAC meetings are open to the public and information given to the CAC will be available for public review. In the coming weeks
this webpage will grow and expand as we begin to post progress reports, announce the dates and locations of community
meetings, and provide answers to "Frequently Asked Questions."

For printed copies of CAC information, please send your request via:
Email:     cac@seattleschools.org
Mail:     Mail Community Advisory Committee on School Facilities and Programs
           Mail Stop 11-010, P.O. Box 34165 Seattle, Washington 98124-1165

GET INVOLVED
We invite you to stay informed and to provide input as we make decisions that will lead to a stronger, better school district and improved educational opportunities for all of Seattle's children. You can get involved by attending Town Hall Meetings (schedule provided above); or writing or emailing the committee at the addresses noted below. Translators will be available at all town hall meetings for translation in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Somali.

Send your questions and comments to:
Email: cac@seattleschools.org
Mail: Mail Stop 11-010, P.O. Box 34165, Seattle, Washington 98124-1165

For recorded information about the project, call:
CAC Information Hotline: 206.252.0600

9949

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