Sun, Oct 27 1:13pm
We’re all still wrapping our heads around the district’s latest plans to consolidate North Beach into Viewlands for the 25-26 school year. We have a lot of questions and the district is providing us two opportunities this week to talk with representatives from their staff:
- After school on Monday, Oct 28th: Two district reps will be in the North Beach Library immediately after school at 2:25pm. They have not said how long they will stay, but if you are able to come in and chat with them please do!
- During the PTA Zoom meeting on Oct 30th at 6:30pm: A district representative will join our call. We will spend the first 30 minutes discussing next steps with just our North Beach community and then the district rep will join to take questions at 7:00pm.
- We are compiling a list of questions before the meeting on the 30th. Please add your questions and concerns to this form to have your voice heard by both the PTA and the district reps. So far only 8 people have submitted questions and we’d love to hear from more of our community!
As you’re thinking through the new plan and how it might impact your family, we wanted to highlight some key points and concerns that our FundSPS team has compiled:
- Creating the Largest Elementary School in the City. The proposed merger would bring enrollment at Viewlands to 621 students, making it the largest elementary school in Seattle, with 88 more students than the current largest neighborhood school. Other neighborhood schools have more capacity, making this drastic consolidation unnecessary. A mega-school of this size does not foster a community-centered environment and would negatively impact student outcomes. SPS should prioritize plans that align with the best interests of our children, not just utilization rates.
- Inadequate Resources and Staffing: The merged Viewlands/North Beach school would have limited staffing despite a larger student body, including only half a nurse, one counselor or social worker, and half a librarian for over 600 students. The merger is not aligned with the state’s prototypical school funding model, which specifies more comprehensive staffing levels for larger schools. This demonstrates a lack of commitment to increasing resources or funding, leaving families with no more staff and no more money to support students.
- No Plan for Aftercare: The proposed merger lacks a plan for aftercare at the mega-school, which would leave working families without critical support. Currently, Viewlands does not have a contract with Boys and Girls Club for aftercare services, adding further uncertainty for families.
- Rezoning Concerns and Overcrowding Risks: Based on October 2024 enrollment, the merged Viewlands/North Beach school utilization rate would reach 96%. Given that SPS aims for 85% utilization, the proposed merger risks immediate over enrollment, making boundary redrawing necessary. This is particularly concerning given that SPS failed to accurately project October 2024 attendance, which unexpectedly increased district-wide. Without a clear plan to manage capacity, there’s a high likelihood that Viewlands could require portables or rezoning, creating additional instability for students and families.