Seattle Public Schools moves forward with plan to close up to 5 schools

Seattle school board advances five-school closure plan

Tonight, the Seattle Public School Board passed a resolution to advance their plan to close five schools, in order to plug a $100 million budget deficit.

SEATTLE - The school board for Seattle Public Schools voted on a resolution to advance plans to close schools.

At Wednesday's regular school board meeting, the board did not announce which schools would be recommended for closure but passed a resolution that would direct the superintendent to present preliminary recommendations and supporting analysis for up to 5 school closures but no more than five school closures in the 2025-2026 school year, to develop a multi-year plan for fiscal stability and to assemble a task force for the school closures process.

Dr. Brent Jones says he plans to release a preliminary plan by Oct. 21, with engagement sessions and hearings to take place through December and reveal a fiscal plan by June 2025.

The move is a far cry from the district’s proposal last month to close more than 20 schools to plug a $100 million budget deficit for the next school year.

Backlash from parents and students was such that the school district canceled community meetings to rework the proposal.