Open Letter From Southeast Seattle Community Leaders

On behalf of the students served in our Southeast Community, we, the leaders of the organizations below,  offer the following to Seattle Public Schools around school consolidation and the well-resourced schools plan.

While school consolidation presents various challenges, we want to acknowledge that maintaining the status quo only perpetuates the disparities within our education system for the students we serve. Our community is no longer interested in short-term solutions; we must address the root causes of a flawed education system in Seattle. The inequitable distribution of resources—including funding, staffing, and facilities—have continued to leave Southeast schools without the necessary support for student success. 

We are aware the district is going to have to make hard choices in the face of a budget crisis driven by insufficient state funding. Moreover, we are also aware the current deficit is a by-product of the district’s overall failure to consistently align operations to the needs of students of color furthest from educational justice. School consolidations offer a chance to equitably distribute resources in an under-enrolled system through the well-resourced schools vision. However, to effectively address existing shortfalls, it is essential that we approach this process in a fundamentally different way moving forward.

Centering students like those we serve in Southeast Seattle is essential. As the process continues, to ensure the communities we represent are as informed and mobilized– we recommend the following around school consolidation:

1. Inclusive Engagement: Actively involve SE communities, especially those unable to attend school board meetings, non-English speakers, and families struggling to stay informed due to various changes.
2. Accessible Resources: Provide a variety of resources explaining the reasons for the budget deficit, ensuring these materials are available beyond the website, which may only reach those with advanced digital literacy skills.
3. Comprehensive Plans: Develop clear and complete plans outlining how school communities will unite and what resources and supports will be available for buildings affected by consolidation.
4. Transparent Process: Maintain consistency and accountability in the engagement process, adhering to a proposed timeline that allows adequate time for all communities to mobilize effectively.

Moreover, to ensure any future district changes continue to center students– we recommend the following become common practice:

1. Commitment to innovative community engagement strategies:
   • Create mobile engagement units that travel to different neighborhoods, offering resources, information, and opportunities for dialogue in familiar community spaces
   • Host school board director meetings in community spaces, particularly in Southeast Seattle schools 
   • Utilize platforms popular in the community to share information and gather feedback through polls, live Q&A sessions, and interactive discussions (WhatsApp, Social Media)
   • Host Youth Town Halls that allow for real-time feedback and questions from the students affected– including all grade levels
   • Collaborate with local organizations, leaders, and influencers who are trusted within the community to enhance credibility and outreach.
2. Commitment to ongoing community conversations
   • Establish mechanisms for ongoing feedback from community members regarding budgetary planning that includes monitoring enrollment trends, current expenditures (and how these support student success), and revenue streams (including levy funding and allocation).

We recognize this pivotal moment in Seattle public education—one that calls for unity and collective action. The challenges faced by those we serve in Southeast Seattle must be considered at the forefront of decision-making. When done so, school consolidations provide an opportunity to optimize resources and improve outcomes, and we seek to embrace this opportunity and continue to uplift the communities we serve.

With hope for the future, 

Southeast Seattle Education Coalition 

WA-BLOC

East African Community Services 

Atlantic Street Center 

Asian Counseling and Referral Services (ACRS) 

Black Education Strategy Roundtable (BESR)

Urban Impact

Integrated Schools, Seattle Chapter

Community Center for Education Results (CCER)

OneWorld Now 

Kandelia 

Surge Reproductive Justice

Choose 180

STEM Paths Innovation Network

Alliance for Education

School Connect WA

Chinese Information and Service Center

Sawhorse Revolution

Minds Matter Seattle

Villa Comunitaria

Youth Tutoring Program – a program of Catholic Community Services

OneAmerica

FEEST

Community Member Sign-ons: