Summary of SPS + Sacajawea Community Meeting on Nov. 7th, 2024

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The Sacajawea community meeting with SPS officials on November 7th opened with a brief introduction by Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones. Following his remarks, Dr. Marni Campbell and Faau Manu presented the district's preliminary recommendation to close Sacajawea and consolidate with John Rogers. The primary reasons they cited for the closure included building condition, enrollment, and resource allocation. 

This 30-minute presentation was followed by a 45-minute Q&A session facilitated by third-party consultant Jerome Hunter, where community members voiced numerous questions and concerns about the impacts of the proposed closure. Despite the district’s stated intention to address questions openly, many attendees felt frustrated by vague, unsubstantiated, or incomplete responses, with many questions left unanswered altogether.

Following the main session, some SPS staff members and school board representatives, including School Board President Liza Rankin, stayed to speak in small groups with parents. Members of the media were also present, including a Seattle Times reporter and representatives from Kiro, King 5, and Fox 13.

Key District Attendees

More than 20 district representatives attended the meeting, though many were unidentified and sat with the crowd. The panelists from the district included:

  • Well-Resourced Schools Officer: Dr. Marni Campbell

  • Director of Enrollment Planning & Services: Faauu Manu

  • Chief Operations Officer: Fred Podesta

  • Regional Executive Director of Schools, Northeast: Dr. Mike McCarthy

  • Facilitator: Jerome Hunter (ran the Q&A portion)

Also, Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones and School Board President Liza Rankin were in attendance, though they were not part of the panel. They did stay to speak informally with parents after the meeting.

District Presentation Highlights

The district’s presentation emphasized its stance that consolidating schools will provide a better learning environment and more resources for students. However, many attendees felt the presentation lacked transparency and failed to address the community’s real concerns, fostering a high degree of skepticism.

District’s Main Talking Points

  1. Purpose and Goals

    • Dr. Jones stated that the purpose of this meeting was to “share, listen, and gather ideas,” with a focus on “ensuring excellent education for all students.”

    • The closures were described as “preliminary recommendations.”

  2. Reasons for Sacajawea’s Proposed Closure

    • Building Condition: Sacajawea’s facilities received low scores for accessibility, energy efficiency, and infrastructure (4.2 overall of out 5).

    • Enrollment and Resource Allocation: Lower enrollment in some areas, particularly in the Northeast, was cited as a reason to consolidate schools.

    • Learning Environment: The district claimed that Sacajawea’s building layout and classroom sizes are not conducive to effective learning, and they didn’t reference any of the rebuild planning that would address learning environment issues. 

  3. Projected Benefits of Consolidation

    • Fewer split-grade classes, increased teacher collaboration, and a wider range of special education services, all intended to enhance inclusivity and support the goal of “keeping communities together.”

    • John Rogers, as the proposed consolidated site, was positioned as a “safer, modern building with more comprehensive special education services.”

  4. Equity and Financial Responsibility

    • The district expressed that these difficult decisions were necessary to be fiscally responsible while focusing on equity for all students.

    • Notably, this message was met with skepticism from many attendees, who voiced concerns about the impact on their community’s unique needs and existing resources.

Community Q&A: Key Topics and Responses

The Q&A session revealed significant concerns and a prevailing sense of distrust toward the district’s intentions. Below are the key topics discussed, along with community questions and district responses.

Special Education and Inclusion

  • Question: How will special education needs be met at John Rogers, particularly given higher caseloads and increased transportation needs?

    • Response: Dr. Campbell indicated that her “assumption” is that services would be provided at John Rogers and resources will be adjusted based on enrollment of special education students. However, the community found this response vague, with one parent stating that assumptions were not enough to ensure support.

  • Question: How will our unique special education resources, aftercare, and preschool services be retained?

    • Response: District representatives said staffing would be an HR decision, and efforts are being made to work with existing partners like the Boys & Girls Club. They acknowledged uncertainty about specifics, which did not provide the clarity the community sought.

  • Question: I have two children in special education at Sacajawea. I appreciate the idea of moving our entire community, but it’s difficult to feel respected when I don’t see specific plans for special education teachers and support. How can the district consolidate and expand while managing increased caseloads and transportation costs?

    • Response: Dr. Campbell stated that the district assumes necessary services will be provided at John Rogers based on the number of students with special needs who enroll. “It will show up,” she said, though specifics were not provided.

  • Question: I have a neurodiverse child who transferred to Sacajawea this year, and we’ve been very happy with the support. Not every school has staff and aftercare services equipped to support neurodiverse children.

    • Response: The district acknowledged the valuable work of the staff at Sacajawea, adding that larger schools can offer more opportunities for students, including those who are neurodiverse.

Community Integrity and Representation

  • Question: How can SPS assure that our teachers, staff, and support systems will stay intact through the transition?

    • Response: District representatives mentioned only that their “hope” was to maintain consistency, but acknowledged that many staffing decisions fall outside their direct control.

  • Question: When you say that our community will stay together, that includes our teachers, preschool, aftercare, special education services, and more. Why are we only being heard so late in the planning process?

    • Response: The district noted that they have a notetaker for feedback and mentioned that staffing decisions are handled by HR. They are working with the Boys and Girls Club to ensure access to aftercare, though it’s uncertain where Boys and Girls Club services will operate, as John Rogers currently partners with Seattle Parks and Rec. The district is also looking to expand preschool offerings regionally, with preschool services planned at John Rogers. Developmental preschools for 3- and 4-year-olds with IEPs are managed by the Early Learning Department, with boundary changes affecting K-5. Families may also have other school choices. As part of the consolidation, the district may consider renaming the school building, mascot, or colors, acknowledging that this change will impact everyone.

Financial Transparency and Legislative Advocacy

  • Question: How will closing schools save money when most of the budget is dedicated to teacher salaries? What other cost savings will be achieved?

    • Response: Fred Podesta indicated that some potential cost savings would come from reducing non-teaching staff needed to maintain buildings. A financial breakdown was promised but has yet to be provided.

  • Question: Is the district pressing legislators to increase funding, particularly for special education?

    • Response: Dr. Jones is consulting with legislative members, and the school closures have drawn their attention, especially regarding special education funding. The community questioned why more aggressive advocacy wasn’t already underway.

Enrollment Decline and Potential Migration

  • Question: If school closures drive families to leave SPS, how will the district achieve projected cost savings?

    • Response: The district acknowledged enrollment declines and noted they are studying the trend, with findings expected in December. This answer did little to alleviate concerns that closures could actually reduce the district’s financial stability.

  • Question: With 20% of SPS-eligible students opting for private or homeschool options, how will consolidation affect this trend?

    • Response: District representatives stated that this trend is consistent and pointed to recent enrollment increases due to new housing developments. Parents felt this response didn’t fully address concerns over future enrollment losses.

Impact on Facilities and Student Resources

  • Question: If consolidation occurs, what will happen to Sacajawea’s building and grounds?

    • Response: The district plans to retain closed buildings for now, with no immediate plans for divestiture. Community groups may be able to access the facilities, though no clear timeline or guidelines were provided.

  • Question: I don’t see how the math adds up. With 80% of the budget going to teacher salaries, how will closing schools save money? Some option schools serve upper-elite families—why not consider closing those instead?

    • Response: The district explained that Seattle has a large number of smaller schools. Some of these schools are able to fundraise to cover resource gaps, while others, unable to fundraise, must go without resources like art and music. Additionally, there are many non-teaching staff who maintain the buildings, and this is where staffing reductions could occur.

  • Question: I work at John Rogers and love it, but our students have significant needs, including language, special needs and behavioral supports, and we feel very overwhelmed. I’m concerned that we won’t have enough staff to help support these students, especially if we add more through consolidation. It feels like we’re not even at baseline. This year, we were over-enrolled by 80 students and received an additional 3.5 teachers, which has helped with smaller class sizes in some grades but there’s no additional help at recess or lunch. I’m concerned we won’t have the necessary staff to support these kids, including roles like cafeteria workers and recess help since we’re not even at baseline now. I’m also worried about John Rogers potentially losing Title I funding and about neighborhood redistricting in the future.

    • Response: The district acknowledged that last year was challenging for John Rogers due to higher-than-expected enrollment. They explained that the additional 3.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members were delayed because they had to wait for the final enrollment count. The district added that not all staffing details for the consolidated school were included on the presentation slides.

  • Question: Will Sacajawea’s books, playground, and other resources transfer to John Rogers?

    • Response: SPS stated that the district librarian would work with school librarians to decide on which books move and which go to other schools or get weeded based on current best practices.

Future Planning and Transition Support

  • Question: How will students without IEPs be supported in the transition?

    • Response: Transition teams will provide information to school principals, though specifics on student support were limited.

  • Question: How does the district decide which schools get rebuilt? Why wasn’t Sacajawea chosen?

    • Response: The district stated that if they decide to continue operating Sacajawea, the school would eventually be rebuilt. However, they questioned whether it makes sense to invest in a rebuild at the current location.

  • Question: What will happen to school mascots, colors, and names if schools consolidate?

    • Response: The district mentioned the possibility of exploring renaming and rebranding options but provided no clear answers.

Media coverage

What’s Next?

Community Input Period: A 30-day review period is underway for community feedback. The superintendent will make the final recommendation in December. The school board will vote on the final recommendation in January. 

Follow-Up Meeting: The district plans a follow-up meeting for Sacajawea parents to discuss specific impacts, with the format (virtual vs. in-person) to be determined based on community input. The PTA will conduct a survey to gauge preferences.