Seattle, WA
Mom, former Bellevue teacher speaks out against Seattle school closures
UW welcomes back students
The University of Washington campus will be bustling this week as students start moving in Tuesday.
SEATTLE – Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is facing a potential wave of school closures, as the district seeks to address a $104 million budget shortfall. Among the 21 schools on the chopping block is North Beach Elementary, where concerned parent Lauren Jensen has a personal connection. As a former teacher in the Bellevue School District, Jensen witnessed firsthand the impacts of school closures on students, staff, and the community. Now, she fears the same fate for Seattle’s students and families.
“It was traumatic in that I had just gone through this in Bellevue,” Jensen shared.
Jensen was a teacher at Wilburton Elementary, a school that closed just a year before, forcing her to transfer.
“It was so hard on the school community, it was so hard for the teachers, students, staff,” Jensen recalled. “We learned through that that it didn’t help the budget cuts that devastated a community and students, and it didn’t really need to happen.”
Jensen’s experience has left her deeply skeptical of the proposed SPS closures, which are being considered under two options — both of which would see schools like Graham Hill shut down. She points to Bellevue’s own miscalculated budget predictions, which led to unnecessary closures.
“The budget predictions were off. The enrollment went up the next year,” she said, noting that Bellevue eventually reversed course on closing middle schools after realizing it wouldn’t solve the budget crisis. “I just don’t want that to happen here in Seattle. There’s a statewide budgeting issue that we need to be looking at, and it needs to be solved top-down, not bottom-up.”
For Jensen, the stakes are high, as her six-year-old daughter is currently a first grader at North Beach, and she wants her four-year-old daughter to have the same positive kindergarten experience her older daughter had.
Beyond the immediate disruption of moving students, Jensen warns that the closures could have long-term effects on the quality of education in Seattle.
“When you’re having to consolidate classrooms and then schools to save a budget, you are inherently consolidating the staff that could support students in a way that at least serves them,” she said.
Jensen also fears for the ripple effect on schools that will be absorbing the displaced students, such as Viewlands Elementary.
“Not only is it impacting all of these students and families and staff who are going to have to move and redistribute, it also impacts the families, staff, and communities who are taking in these students,” she said. “I think it does impact kids the most, which is what we have to think about.”
As a former teacher, Jensen is also concerned about the toll the closures will take on staff morale.
“The morale is pretty low across the country with teachers,” Jensen said. “To say to teachers, we’re going to pull your school, move you… it’s the least motivating thing that can happen as an educator.”
Jensen’s frustration with the district’s handling of the situation is palpable.
“For me, it’s losing faith in public schools, which breaks my heart because I have loved Seattle Public Schools up until this point,” she said. “We are really happy at our school. I love this staff. I just fear that if we have to move, and we are targeted to move to a huge school building, that is not in the best interest of the kids.”
The SPS board has yet to hold a public meeting to discuss the closures, leaving many parents feeling blindsided by the email announcement of the proposed cuts. In response, grassroots groups like *All Together for Seattle Schools* are mobilizing, with a rally planned for Wednesday outside the district headquarters, urging the board to reconsider the decision.
For Jensen, the stakes are personal and profound.
“We already have students who are facing issues of housing, food, divorce… what does it do to those kids who are most at risk to then take away a whole school community where maybe that’s the only stable thing they have in their life right now?”
With enrollment trends not as dire as initially predicted and past lessons from Bellevue fresh in her mind, Jensen hopes Seattle Public Schools can avoid making the same costly mistake.
“I feel like it’s ironic, because in school, we learn history repeats itself, and that’s what’s been happening.”
The district is expected to address the community next Tuesday, September 24. Until then, families like Jensen’s will continue fighting for the future of their children’s education.
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Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
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Seattle’s Ballard to host Pride celebration, FIFA watch party on June 26
Seattle reviews FIFA World Cup 2026 transit options after post-match congestion
Egypt’s World Cup pride, Mohamed Salah’s legacy and one fan’s love for the Pharaohs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
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