School merger talks are back. A new study puts numbers to the prospect of children heading to school before sunrise. And parents looking for advice are still calling Mom—even as some turn to AI. Here’s this week’s roundup of news, research and commentary affecting Washington families. Look for the “Take action” prompts for ways to get involved. Here’s the roundup for Oct. 25 to Nov. 1.
SPS restarts school merger talks; 21 schools may be impacted
Seattle families are facing another round of debate about whether their neighborhood schools will remain open or be merged with other schools further from home. Superintendent Ben Shuldiner says district leaders have developed an initial list of possible mergers, but staff and family meetings could change which schools are on it before a proposal reaches the Seattle School Board. According to a report in The Seattle Times, principals from 21 schools have emailed parents to warn them that their school may merge.
So far, only a few schools have been publicly named as merger possibilities, including combinging Sanislo Elementary with Highland Park Elementaryand merging Stevens into Montlake for the 2027–28 school year. No final decisions have been made. Shuldiner’s schedule calls for community meetings later this fall and into January and February, with possible board action in late February or early March. He also says the transfer application period will extend until a week after a possible board decision. Read more.
TAKE ACTION: Check communications from your school for meeting invitations. The district’s school closure policy explains the public review and hearing requirements before a building can close for instructional use.
Ninth Grate Success program really works but funding isn’t guaranteed
Across Washington state, schools rolled out a support system designed to help high school freshmen over the last few years. In the Ninth Grade Success initiative, teachers and other school support staff pair up with students dealing with low grades, truancy, poor behavior and more. A recent state evaluation shows it’s working: More students pass their classes and stay on track to graduate, a report for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction shows.
The program is comparatively cheap, but with the state of Washington’s budgetary affairs, it’s longevity isn’t promised. Those involved with the program are “gravely concerned” about funding. OSPI will be requesting $1.5 million each year over the next four years to keep the program running and to expand it to more schools, said Payne. Read the story.
Get out and Rock the Vote at local ballot boxes
Dropping off a ballot can be a quick errand—and not a lot of fun for kids. But, a series of neighborhood gatherings called “Rock the Box” aims to make turn this exercise of civic duty (and opportunity for kid civic education) into a chance to meet neighbors and celebrate the act of voting.
The event is hosted by Seattle Strike, a local group that organizes voting, marches and nonviolent collective action to defend democratic rights. Group organizers says volunteers will host ballot-box parties at 10 locations in Seattle and Shoreline from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 1, 2 and 3. Residents are invited to return their ballots and spend time with others in their communities. Here’s where to go:
- Ballard Branch Library: Northwest 57th Street and 22nd Avenue Northwest, Seattle
- Seattle Central College: 1701 Broadway, Seattle
- Garfield Community Center: 2323 E. Cherry St., Seattle
- Crown Hill Safeway: 8340 15th Ave. N.W., Seattle
- Green Lake Community Center: 7201 E. Green Lake Drive N., Seattle
- Lake City Library: 12501 28th Ave. N.E., Seattle
- Metropolitan Market, Queen Anne: First Avenue North and Mercer Street, Seattle
- Northgate Library: 10548 Fifth Ave. N.E., Seattle
- Shoreline Library: 345 N.E. 175th St., Shoreline
- Shoreline Park and Ride: 18821 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline
More school mornings in the dark? UW study says its a bad idea
Tired of changing the clocks? The alternative matters, especially for kids who walk or are driven by parents to school. Permanent daylight saving time could increase the number of trips Washington students take before sunrise from an average of about 19 to 53 mornings a year, according to a new University of Washington study.
Researchers analyzed school schedules, enrollment and sunrise times. Assuming students leave home 20 minutes before the bell, they calculated roughly 35 million additional dark school commutes annually in Washington. Their concern goes beyond the mechanics of a morning walk in the dark. The authors’ analysis of fatal-crash records found that crashes before sunrise were about twice as likely to involve school-age pedestrians as those after sunrise. Read the story at UW News.
The researchers favor permanent standard time, which their calculations suggest would reduce Washington’s dark school commutes by about 5 million annually compared with the current system.
Kiddie Academy settles suit over babysitting jobs
An evening babysitting job can help a child care worker cover the bills. But, according to Washington’s Office of the Attorney General, employment policies at seven Kiddie Academy centers in King and Snohomish counties put those opportunities out of reach. The attorney general’s office announced a settlement in the case this week.
The seven Kiddie Academy locations include Seattle Academy, Bellevue Childcare, Bothell Academy, Greenwood Academy, Kenmore Academy, Mill Creek Academy, and Redkirk Academy. Together the franchises will pay $252,500 to workers under an Oct. 23 settlement. The AG’s office estimates more than 600 employees may have been affected. The Kiddie Academy operators deny wrongdoing.
Take note: The consent decree spells out an important distinction on which employees can say yes to outside babysitting gigs if parents with kids in a childcare center ask : Only employees earning less than twice the minimum wage will no longer need to get permission to provide outside care to current or former families served by the centers. And, employees are required to give advance notice their center before babysitting for a currently enrolled family.
TAKE ACTION: Workers can raise concerns with the AG’s Worker Rights Unit. Washington’s outside-employment law includes protections for lower-paid workers, along with exceptions involving safety, scheduling and other legal obligations.
Other states should look to Washington when it comes to birth centers
Where you live—and how you pay—can determine whether a birth center is an option for laboring women. Stateline reports that 10 states have no birth centers, even as research points to benefits of midwife-led care for people with low-risk pregnancies.
A Commonwealth Fund report examines the obstacles: insurance payments that may not cover operating costs, regulatory requirements and a shortage of midwives. Nearly four in 10 families whose babies were born in birth centers paid out of pocket, compared with 3% of those using hospitals. The report argues for better integration with the broader health system, including hospital-transfer arrangements.
While Washington faces all those same obstacles, states without midwife-led birth centers may want to look this direction as a model. Washington is among the states with the most centers, according to Stateline. According to Midwives’ Association of Washington State’s 2025 legislative information there are 26 freestanding birth centers in the state.
Bird flu exposes gaps in monitoring
Bird flu is picking up again as temperatures fall and migrating birds carry the virus to new areas. But a Utah mink-farm outbreak raises questions about how well officials are watching for infections—and protecting workers.
This week New York epidemiology watchdogs Katelyn Jetelina, Megan Maisano, MS, RDN, and Elisabeth Marnik, PhD, authors at Your Local Epidemiologist, described an outbreak that went undetected for two months at the mink farm. Workers weren’t monitored, and one who reportedly developed a red eye—a possible symptom of bird flu—wasn’t tested. Local health officials learned about the outbreak only when reporters contacted them, according to the newsletter. It’s not just Utah. So far in the U.S. nine dairy herds have become infected, and one dairy worker is recovering from infection at home here in Washington.
The authors point out that, mink can catch both human and avian flu. If those viruses infect the same cell, they can exchange genetic material, potentially creating a new virus. That possibility makes prompt testing and coordination important. While the risk to the general public remains low, the authors worry that gaps in surveillance could allow a consequential change to go unnoticed.
Help families find library programs | Op-Ed
A free program does little for a family that never learns it exists. That’s the problem GreatSchools CEO Jon Deane takes on in a Hechinger Report opinion essay published this week.
Libraries offer much more than books, Deane writes. Your library may offer the very thing you’ve been searching for: a free activity for your toddler, a science program for your grade-schooler or help planning for college with your teen. The problem, Deane writes, is that parents don’t always know these services exist—and an online search may not turn them up. He argues that donors and foundations should help libraries hire staff and improve the online tools they use to get the word out. Schools and community groups can help, too, by sharing library programs alongside other activities and resources they recommend to families. Read Deane’s full essay in The Hechinger Report.
TAKE ACTION: Before paying for another enrichment activity, check your library’s offerings. Check out the programs and activities for kids and teens offered by Seattle Public Library and King County Library System. Be a part of getting the word out. Find something useful? Pass it along to another parent.
Parents still turn to Mom
For all the parenting information available on a phone, a familiar voice still carries weight. In a new national survey by Zero to Three, 49% of parents named their own mothers as a source of trusted advice. Partners followed at 37%, and health care professionals at 35%. The survey included input from 2,200 parents of children age 5 and younger and found that parents don’t rely on just one person or website for parenting advice. On average, they consult five different sources, ranging from family members and health care professionals to online searches and parenting websites.
Eighteen percent reported typically using AI for parenting advice or information; among those users, 76% found it helpful. More than half of respondents said the volume of parenting information out there makes it difficult to know whom to trust. Read more on the story from The Hechinger Report.
Kirkland pauses on shared electric rides
Kirkland is considering whether to welcome a shared e-bike and e-scooter program, but council members want more information before moving ahead. According to a report from KUOW this week, e-bike and scooter company Lime approached the city in August and the council opted this month for further study. Potential benefits of bringing bikes to Kirkland include easier connections to transit and lower greenhouse gas emissions. But the council says it needs to explore a few issues, not the least of which overall safety of a Lime program in the city, sidewalk clutter and costs to the city. Council members also want to understand how a program would fit with new rapid bus service and what Kirkland can learn from neighboring cities.
Whether adults and teens use ride-share wheels like those offered by Lime or their own e-bikes and scooters, Public Health — Seattle and King County has been waving the caution flag of late. Check out our article “E‑ride Safety: What parents need to know.”
Families describe the cost of detention
The arrest of a parent can leave a family without income, scrambling for legal help and trying to explain an abrupt absence to children. At press conference last week, Washington immigrant families and advocates described those consequences and urged elected officials to respond. Speakers called for legal assistance and support for families navigating detention and separation. They also urged the state to stop immigration agents’ access to Washington driver’s license information. Their requests come as nonprofit groups that help immigrant communities face funding losses and state lawmakers prepare for another difficult budget debate when the state Legislature convenes for its 2027 session in January. KUOW’s report follows the effects beyond the person detained, including lost household earnings, legal bills and disruptions to caregiving. Check out the full story.
Are you a parent and a veteran or on active-duty? This one’s for you
Seattle’s Museum of Illusions is offering free admission to veterans and active-duty military members Nov. 11–17 as part of its effort to honor those who in the service. Bring a military ID or proof of service to the front desk. The museum also advertises a limited number of family ticket packages for up to four people through the Veteran Tickets Foundation. Those are a separate offer, subject to availability. See the museum’s announcement and check VetTix for package availability and terms. Check out our review: “Seattle’s Museum of Illusions is a mind-bending adventure.”
A Halloween quiz for grown-ups
How much do you, or your kids, know about sugar? Before your littles or you down all that chocolate and other candy, here’s a quiz that’ll make you think: How much do you know about sugar?
