Seattle, WA
Critics say SPS capital levy will result in 'mega schools' and school closures
Meeting on Seattle Public Schools levies ahead of election
This February, when voters head to the polls, they’ll be deciding on replacing two Seattle Public Schools levies that are expiring this year.
SEATTLE – When voters send back their ballots in February, they’ll be deciding on replacing two Seattle Public Schools levies that are expiring in 2025.
The district relies on local voter-approved levies like those to help pay for operations and to fund building construction and repairs.
What they’re saying:
While the year’s operation’s levy hasn’t had much pushback, critics say the capital levy is causing controversy, including concerns it will lead to school closures.
Some of those affiliated with the Save our Schools group say the capital levy is also prompting concerns that it will lead to “mega schools.”
“Seattle Public Schools has 106 schools. We have facility needs we are going to place before the voters,” said Richard Best, Executive Director of Capital Projects, Planning and Facilities of Seattle Public Schools.
School officials say there could be serious consequences for students if two propositions fail to pass February 11.
“That would be, I won’t say catastrophic, but there will be declining systems that could have consequential implications in that, when we do implement that system repair, it costs more,” said Best.
The operations levy would provide schools with $747 million, replacing the last EP&O levy approved in 2022.
It wouldn’t reduce the deficit, but would continue a current funding source, for things like salaries, school security, special education and multilingual support staff.
This was a breakdown that SPS provided of the operations levy online:
Operations Levy Details 2026-2028
- Proposed Levy Amount: $747 million
- Levy Collected: 2026–2028
- Replaces: Expiring EP&O Levy approved in 2022
- Current tax rate is 63 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The second proposition, the $1.8 billion Building Excellence Capital Levy, would provide money for building projects and technology.
This was a breakdown of that proposition by SPS:
Building Excellence VI Capital Levy Details
- Proposed Amount: $1.8 billion
- Capital Projects Funding: $1,385,022,403
- Technology Funding: $$414,977,597
- Estimated Levy Rates: 93 cents to 79 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value
- Levy Collected: 2026-2031
A parent who didn’t want to share his name for privacy reasons told us he was concerned about the school closure plan that was scrapped last year, and wondered if the situation was “sustainable.”
Critic Chris Jackins belies the capital levy, as written, could result in the closure of schools.
“This is a continuation of an effort to close more schools,” said Jackins.
He wrote the statement in the voter pamphlet arguing against proposition 2. He says it would allow the construction of “mega schools,” which will in turn be used to then close more schools.
“On the capital levy, they have two projects which will create two more mega-sized schools, they are both scheduled at 650 students. They both cost more each, more than $148 million,” he said. “They are continuing their construction to add even more elementary school capacity when they say they have too much. It doesn’t make sense.”
The district’s website reads that major renovations and replacement projects would include replacement of at least one elementary school in northeast Seattle.
“The two schools they are talking about, one they didn’t name, so nobody knows, and one is Lowell, which is an existing school, but they are planning to destroy most of it and make it much larger,” Jackins said.
“I have worked designing schools since 1991 and since that period, I have never designed a school smaller than 500 students,” said Best. “We use a model for 500 students, which is three classrooms per grade level.”
Best explained further.
“The term is not ‘mega schools.’ We design schools to be schools within schools. You have a first-grade cohort, maybe 75 or 100 students. They stay together. Middle schools are 1,000 students. Those are very common throughout the state of Washington.”
Best says school closures aren’t on the table right now, but may be revisited at some point.
“We are going to engage in the conversation about schools, school capacity, looking at elementary schools, our focus right now is getting these two levies passed,” he said.
Meantime, Jackins is asking people to vote down the capital levy, and then to ask that it be resubmitted in a form that uses the funds to fix up existing schools in order to keep them open.
The ballots are expected to go out to voters around January 22. The election is set for February 11.
The Source: Information from this story is from Seattle Public Schools officials and the Save our Schools group.
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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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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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