Seattle, WA
Parents worried Seattle's Dual Language Immersion schools could be on 'chopping block'
SPS holds forums for possible school closures
Seattle Public Schools hosted a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss a plan to close 20 elementary schools within the district. The move would help make up a budget deficit of more than $100 million that the district says it’s facing.
SEATTLE – Seattle Public Schools hosted a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss a plan to close 20 elementary schools within the district. The move would help make up a budget deficit of more than $100 million that the district says it’s facing.
The list of school closures has not yet been released, and the uncertainty is causing some to worry.
“I’m concerned that it could be on the chopping block,” said Adriana Casas Gorski, whose son attends John Stanford International, a dual language immersion school (DLI).
“My husband is of Japanese heritage, and I am Mexican, so this school offers Spanish and Japanese,” said Gorski.
She’s worried that her son’s school and McDonald International Elementary might be on the closure list.
“I have seen the wonderful work that the staff and admin have done there, and I’m concerned others won’t have that opportunity,” she said.
As a teacher herself at a Spanish cooperative preschool, she says demand for the DLI schools is already so high, the district is losing students to private schools.
“Every year we have parents that are heartbroken because their child did not get into an immersion school. We are losing students each year to PCPE that should be coming to SPS,” said Gorski.
At Tuesday’s virtual meeting, SPS leaders answered written questions only. When asked how DLI schools would be impacted, no promises were made to keep certain schools open, but the superintendent said the district planned to maintain programming.
“We are actually talking about, ‘how do we shore them up?’ Our dual language programming should sustain as we go forward. So, I wanted to give some people some reassurance on that,” said Dr. Brent Jones, Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.
School officials said Tuesday, generally speaking, even if some schools stay open, students could still be moved.
“It is very possible students would be moving from their current school, even if it’s not a school that is closing,” said Dr. Marni Campbell, the executive operations director at Seattle Public Schools.
Tuesday’s virtual meeting comes on the heels of an in-person meeting last week during which the crowd was frustrated they weren’t allowed to comment.
Gorski was one of the parents who said they wanted to be heard. She says if dual language immersion schools close, SPS will miss the moment.
“I mean, we are a world city. Seattle is a world city, and we need to prepare our students that way,” said Gorski.
SPS says the consolidated schools would be called “well-resourced” schools and would include high-quality educators and modern classroom resources and technology, inclusive curriculum and foster a supportive environment.
A public hearing is scheduled for June 10.
SPS has said that the closures will be distributed evenly across the district and the superintendent will be presenting recommendations to the board later in the month.
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Olympians Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Erin Ambrose have all been placed on long-term injured reserve by their PWHL clubs after sustaining injuries during the Milan Cortina Games.
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Knight, a five-time Olympian and captain of the United States team that won gold, will be out of the lineup for the Seattle Torrent indefinitely after sustaining a lower-body injury in Italy, the team announced Friday.
Knight had three goals and three assists for the U.S. at Milan Cortina including a goal in the 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the final. She has three goals and seven assists during the current PWHL season.
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“While we’re eager to be at full strength and recognize the anticipation of Hilary’s return, we’re focused on putting her and our team in the best position for a playoff push,” Torrent general manager Meghan Turner said in a statement.
Minnesota Frost captain Coyne Schofield was placed on long-term injured reserve on Friday retroactive to Feb. 19 with an upper-body injury. Coyne Schofield scored three goals for the United States during the Olympics.
“I am incredibly proud of all our Frost Olympians who demonstrated true excellence on the world stage,” general manager Melissa Caruso said in a statement. “We are fully committed to supporting Kendall throughout her recovery, and our medical team will be working diligently to help her prepare for her return to the ice.”
The moves by the Torrent and Frost came a day after the Montreal Victoire announced that Ambrose has been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 19 for a lower‑body injury suffered while representing Canada in the gold medal game. Ambrose had a pair of assists at the Olympics.
The Victoire’s Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada’s captain in Italy, was listed as day-to-day with an Olympics-related injury.
Victoire general manager Daniele Sauvageau said of the team’s Olympians “we are confident that they will be back in the lineup in the near future.”
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SEATTLE — Firefighters are responding to a car that drove into a ditch near Lake Washington Boulevard East and East Foster Island Road on Friday, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Crews arriving at the scene reported that three people are trapped inside the car.
Firefighters were working to stabilize the car and get everyone out safely. Crews worked to remove the roof of the car to get everyone out, according to fire officials.
Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area while emergency crews respond.
The crash occurred in the area between the Montlake and Broadmoor neighborhoods, and traffic can be expected as emergency crews respond.
No additional information was immediately available.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Holloway had a hat trick and added an assist in his return from a sprained ankle, Joel Hofer made 23 saves and the St. Louis Blues came off the Olympic break to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Thursday night.
St. Louis Blues 5, Seattle Kraken 1: Box score
Jordan Kyrou and Holloway — activated from injured reserve before the game — scored in a 23-second span early in the second period to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead.
Pius Suter added a goal and two assists to help the Blues end a three-game losing streak.
Holloway completed St. Louis’ first hat trick of the season with 3:01 left, scoring into an empty net for his 11th of the season.
Kaapo Kakko tied it at 1 for Seattle in the first period, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 shots. The Kraken were coming off a 4-1 loss in Dallas on Wednesday night.
Kyrou made it 2-1 at 1:12 of the second off a feed from Pavel Buchnevich on a break. Holloway poked the puck past Grubauer off a scramble at 1:35. Suter scored at 1:56 of the third.
St. Louis’ Cam Fowler appeared in his 1,100th game, becoming the 10th active defenseman in the NHL to reach the mark.
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