Seattle Public Schools | Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle Public Schools
Community Advisory Committee on School Facilities and Programs
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the Community Advisory Committee on School Facilities and Programs?
At a special meeting on March 8, 2006, the School Board appointed a 15-member Community Advisory Committee (CAC) on School Facilities and Programs to gather community input, ensure a sound community-based process and develop recommendations for Seattle's schools that reflect community values and are in the best interests of our school children.

Is there a list of schools to be closed?
No, the CAC has just begun to meet. We ask for your patience in the next few weeks as the CAC quickly ramps up to gather the information and resources it will need to carry out its charge. Final recommendations will be made only after the Committee has gathered community input.

Who are the members of the Community Advisory Committee?
Comprised of a diverse group of community members, parents, educators and community leaders with a wide variety of backgrounds, the CAC includes:

CAC Co-Chairs:
Ken Alhadeff
Mona H. Bailey

Committee Members:
John Dunn
T. Marie Floyd
Joe Kadshuin
Pat Murakami
May Ovalles
Melissa Pailthorp
Connie Sandstrom
Mary Sullivan
Michael Thompson
Liz Vivian
Richard Weatherly
Melissa Westbrook
Nanette Westerman

How can I find out more about the CAC and its process?
The CAC has established a website, which you can link to from www.seattleschools.org. The site provides information about the process and will announce upcoming community meetings. Soon the site will offer a discussion forum, answers to frequently asked questions, links to school board motions related to the process, and details on how to contribute a comment or ask a question. The site also provides a link to the Seattle School Board news release that announces the CAC and provides information about its members.

How will the CAC determine which schools will be closed?
The CAC will use the principles and criteria set by the School Board combined with extensive and inclusive community input. It is important to note that the CAC will be looking at both school programs and facilities. The decision to close a facility could result in the closure of the educational program as well, or may result in the program being moved to a different school site.

What are the principles and criteria set by the School Board?
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

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

How does the CAC relate to the Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence (CACIEE)?
The CAC will build on the work and recommendations of the Committee for Investing in Educational Excellence.

Will closing schools save money?
Yes, both directly and indirectly. In the late 1960s, Seattle Public Schools enrolled 100,000 students. Today enrollment is stabilized at approximately 46,000, yet the school district expends a great deal of its resources maintaining the same physical capacity that it has had since 1960. Consolidation could redirect up to $5 million per year from building operations to classroom instruction, resulting in a stronger, better school district and improved educational opportunities for all of Seattle’s children.

Can’t you solve this budget crisis in some other way besides closing schools?
This is not about a budget crisis; rather it is an educational crisis. Until all Seattle schools offer an excellent education, we cannot afford to spend our limited resources unnecessarily on facilities and administration.

What is the role of the consultant?
The consultant will provide expertise and support to the CAC and facilitate the community input process.

Is four months enough time?
Yes, the CAC and community input process will build on the data, analysis and public comments gathered in 2005. The first meeting of the CAC was held on March 20, 2006. Community meetings will be held throughout the spring and the CAC will present its recommendations by May 26, 2006 in order to ensure adequate time to plan for a smooth transition in 2007.

How can I stay informed/get involved?
You can learn about future meetings of the CAC and upcoming community workshops at the CAC website (www.seattleschools.org) or on the CAC Telephone Hotline: (206/252-0600).

Mail: Community Advisory Committee on Elementary and Alternative School Facilities and Programs
Mail Stop 11-010
P.O. Box 34165
Seattle, Washington 98124-1165

Answers to frequently asked questions will be posted to the CAC website at (www.seattleschools.org). All questions and comments will be tracked to ensure their inclusion in the Seattle School Facilities and Programs planning effort.

For recorded information about the project call:
CAC Information Hotline: 206/252-0600

Last updated: April 13, 2006