Seattle, WA
Seattle School Board President facing recall effort
As Seattle Public Schools faces continued public backlash over proposed school closures, a group of parents is attempting to recall board President Liza Rankin.
In court documents filed with King County, the group argues Rankin adopted a “rushed and improper” school closure process and repeatedly failed to “provide transparency and community engagement on decisions critical to the well-being of the district.”
The parents also contend Rankin failed to uphold her duties as a school board member to adequately oversee the district and “ensure the district delivers student educational outcomes.”
“As Board President, Liza Rankin must uphold the highest standards in public office, especially in a time of urgent crisis like that which Seattle Public Schools now faces,” Ben Gitenstein, one of the petitioners, said in a statement. “Instead, Rankin has committed violations that have worsened our district’s crisis.”
“Now more than ever, it is necessary to recall Rankin in order to save our students and Seattle Public Schools from her leadership,” added Gitenstein, the parent of two SPS students and a former school board candidate.
Janai Ray, Nancy Bacon, Annie Becker, and Rebekah Binns are also named as petitioners on the recall paperwork.
Rankin was first elected to the board in 2019, and represents the northernmost parts of Seattle, including the Crown Hill, Broadview, Northgate, and Lake City neighborhoods. She was reelected for a second four-year term last fall.
A King County Superior Court judge must approve the recall before the petition can be circulated to voters. The petition would then need to get over 48,000 valid signatures from legal voters before getting on a ballot.
Gitenstein said the group isn’t planning to recall other board members “at this time.”
The recall effort comes as Washington’s largest public school system moves ahead with proposals to close four schools — a scaled down version of a previous plan that called for up to 21 schools to be shuttered next year. The board is expected to vote on a final closure plan by the end of January.
RELATED: 4 Seattle schools up for closure revealed
In an interview with KUOW on Tuesday, Rankin said she stands by her actions as school board president and denied any accusations of malfeasance or wrongdoing.
“I have actually been taking it very seriously, that my duty as board president is to help ensure that we are abiding by laws and rules around compliance,” she said.
Rankin also argued the closure process hasn’t been rushed, pointing out that she was among several board members to push back on the mass closure plan first proposed in September.
‘It’s literally a skeleton.’ Seattle School Board critiques plan for mass closures
“What we received didn’t justify that level of change, and so we said ‘no thank you, please try again,’” Rankin said. “I think rushing would have been to accept it anyway, knowing that it didn’t have all the information we needed. And we definitely didn’t do that.”
This is Rankin’s second attempted recall. She and the entire board were targeted for recall in 2021, amid accusations they failed to prepare for schools to reopen during Covid. A judge later dismissed the petition.
Seattle, WA
Seattle mayor grilled over public safety, affordability, CCTV
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson answered pressing questions about the city’s most pressing issues, including the steps she’s taking to protect residents’ public safety and affordability, while also touching on activating CCTV cameras across the city.
Seattle, WA
New Ben & Jerry’s location opening at Seattle waterfront’s Pier 54
Anyone waiting for the ferry, taking a stroll along the revamped Seattle waterfront or visiting the Seattle Aquarium just got a new option for finding a sweet treat: Ben & Jerry’s is coming to Pier 54.
A lease announcement last week shared that the new shop will be operated by local franchise owners Lance and Moria Blair, owners of the Green Lake and Gig Harbor Ben & Jerry’s locations. They pair is also opening another Seattle location in Northgate soon.
The permanent shop announcement comes after Ben & Jerry’s operated a pop-up at the waterfront location last simmer.
“As a Seattle native, the waterfront holds a special place in my heart,” Lance Blair said in a news release. “I could not be more excited to be a part of bringing Ben & Jerry’s to Pier 54 and continue building connections with the local community while serving visitors from around the world.”
The new location comes as local ice cream chains Molly Moon’s and Salt & Straw have also expanded into the downtown area in the past year.
Where is the new Ben & Jerry’s location?
The new Ben & Jerry’s is located at Pier 54 on the Seattle Waterfront: 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104.
The shop will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where are the other Ben & Jerry’s locations in Seattle?
The ice cream chain operates four other locations in the Seattle area:
- Alki Beach: 2742 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
- Bellevue: 166 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue, WA 98004
- Green Lake: 7900 E Green Lake Drive N Suite 104, Seattle, WA 98103
- Kirkland: 176 Lake Street South, Kirkland, WA 98033
How many locations does Ben & Jerry’s have in Washington?
Ben & Jerry’s has ten locations across Washington, including two in Issaquah and three in the Spokane area. See the full list of locations at benjerry.com/ice-cream-near-me.
Zachary Fletcher is a trending news reporter with USA TODAY Network’s Washington state team. Keep up with him on X (@zdfletch), BlueSky (@zfletcher.bsky.social) or reach him at zfletcher@usatodayco.com.
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Mayor Wilson proposes renewing, expanding Seattle Transit Measure by doubling the sales-tax percentage that funds it.
Through the end of this year, 0.15% of the sales tax you pay funds the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. That would double to 0.30% if the City Council and Seattle voters approve the renewal/expansion that Mayor Katie Wilson officially introduced this afternoon. She said it’ll make living in Seattle more affordable by enabling more people to “live car-free or car-light.” She acknowledged that raising the sales tax isn’t ideal but noted that it’s one of the few revenue-raising tools available under state law. Besides paying for more transit – 280,000 additional Metro bus trips a year, 100,000 more than the current measure funds – it also would pay for 22,000 free ORCA transit passes, more than double what the city provides now, said acting SDOT director Angela Brady during the announcement event at City Hall. The passes are now available to Seattle Promise scholars, low-income Seattle Preschool Program families, and Seattle Housing Authority residents. The measure’s renewal/expansion would also make those passes available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.
The mayor’s announcement says the Transit Measure isn’t just about buses: It also would “support the design and delivery of Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension, Ballard Link Extension, and Graham Street Station.” The 0.30% sales tax would generate an estimated $138 million average per year for the 10 years of this measure, which is proposed to go to voters in November. Council review starts this Thursday and will be led by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council committee that oversees transportation. We’ll add the specific text of the proposal when we get it; the slide deck for Thursday’s council meeting is now available, and we’ll add some highlights from that soon.
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