Seattle Public Schools has begun discussions about merging some schools, Superintendent Ben Shuldiner told families in his Oct. 25 newsletter, renewing a conversation that has caused anxiety and fierce opposition among school communities in recent years.
Shuldiner said district leaders have developed an initial list of possible mergers and revised it after meeting with principals. Staff and family meetings are next. After those conversations, he said, he will bring a proposed list to the Seattle School Board and the broader public.
The superintendent did not name the schools under consideration or say how many mergers the district is exploring.
At least two proposals have already been shared with families. West Seattle Blog reported that families at Sanislo and Highland Park elementary schools were invited to discuss a possible merger for the 2027–28 school year. Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported that Stevens Elementary could merge into Montlake Elementary. Both proposals remain subject to further discussion and board action.
Why mergers are back on the table
Shuldiner pointed to declining enrollment and disparities in the experiences offered at different schools. In his newsletter, he said SPS enrollment has fallen from more than 94,000 students in 1964 to fewer than 50,000 today. He described some of that enrollment decline as “self-inflicted,” pointing to inconsistent leadership and decisions he said did not respond to families’ requests for strong academic programs, arts, music, and dual-language learning.
He described schools where teachers have colleagues working at the same grade level and others where a teacher is the only one teaching that grade. Music instruction also varies, he said: Some schools have full-time music teachers, while others receive visits from a teacher once a week or every other week.
Shuldiner said he had seen a K–8 school with fewer than 50 students and an elementary school with fewer than 120. He did not name either school in the letter. He also described classrooms where students in multiple grades learn together, sometimes because enrollment is too low to fill separate classes.
“I don’t want students to spend one more year in a building where bookcases serve as walls, if we don’t have to,” Shuldiner wrote. “I don’t want students to spend one more year in a sixth-seventh-eighth grade split if we don’t have to.”
He also said he wants to avoid situations where teachers are the only educators teaching their grade at a school and to reduce large class sizes.
In an understatement, Shuldiner acknowledged that the possibility of a neighborhood school closing can create “unease and uncertainty” for families.
Which schools could be affected?
Shuldiner said the district wants staff and families at schools being considered for mergers to hear about the discussions before a proposal was presented publicly.
“If your school has not received an invite, we are not considering a closure now and will not in the near future,” he wrote. He added, however, that that promise does not rule out future mergers or program changes.
Among the proposals reported so far:
- Sanislo and Highland Park: Families were invited to a conversation with Shuldiner about a proposed merger for 2027–28. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Highland Park Elementary, 1012 SW Trenton St., according to the invitation published by West Seattle Blog. The principals’ message said the district is in an initial listening phase and has not made a decision.
- Stevens and Montlake: Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported that SPS has introduced a proposal to merge Stevens into Montlake for 2027–28. The outlet reported that the schools’ principals have planned a family listening session for early December. CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News
- West Seattle Blog also reported that families at Sacajawea and John Rogers and at Licton Springs and Salmon Bay K–8 received invitations concerning possible mergers.
What happens next?
Shuldiner said district leaders began discussing potential mergers after reaching a teacher contract agreement with the Seattle Education Association in early September.
In his newsletter, the superintendent outlined this schedule for the next months:
- October and November: Meetings with school staff.
- November through mid-December: Family meetings at proposed receiving schools.
- January and February 2027: Community meetings and public hearings.
- Late February or early March 2027: Possible School Board action.
After hearing from staff and families, Shuldiner said he plans to present a proposed list to the board and community. The School Board would make the final decision.
“I assume staff meetings will change them again, and family meetings will change them again,” he wrote of the possible merger plans.
The district’s school closure policy calls for public review and hearings before the board acts on a proposal to close a school building for instructional use. Among other steps, it requires an analysis of the possible effects of a proposed closure and a hearing for each proposed site.
What about enrollment and transfers?
Because the proposed decision timeline overlaps with school choice, Shuldiner said he will extend the transfer period until one week after a possible board decision. He said that would allow families to apply for open enrollment after learning the board’s decision.
He also promised that students transferring from a school being closed would receive priority during this year’s open enrollment over families seeking transfers who are not affected by mergers.
Shuldiner noted that open enrollment is a lottery, not a first-come, first-served process.
A familiar and contentious debate
The new discussions come nearly two years after SPS abandoned an earlier school closure proposal following months of family opposition and uncertainty.
In 2024, then-Superintendent Brent Jones initially identified as many as 21 elementary and K–8 schools for possible closure before narrowing the recommendation to four: North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo and Stevens. Jones later withdrew the recommendation, and the School Board canceled the planned closure hearings.
Both Sanislo and Stevens are among the schools named in the newly reported merger discussions.
Shuldiner said he hopes that meeting with affected staff and families before presenting a formal proposal will lead to a stronger plan.
“Once we get through this round, I never want to do this again,” he wrote. “You have my word that I will try very hard, once this year is over, to work with what we have.”
