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 Mariners outfielder Victor Robles is dealing with some nagging injuries as the team gets set to open up a new series with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park.

Per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com on social media:

Late on this — but Victor Robles exited yesterday’s game with soreness in his leg unrelated to the hip flexor issue he’s dealt with for most of the summer, Dan Wilson said.

Wilson added that Robles “should be good to go” for the Mariners’ upcoming series vs. the Yankees.

That’s certainly good to hear, but it’s also worth monitoring moving forward. Robles is invaluable to the M’s lineup as they are chasing their second playoff berth in three seasons. Since arriving in Seattle in early June, he’s hitting .333 with four homers, 20 RBI and 25 stolen bases. He has yet to be caught stealing yet as a member of the Mariners. He’s also played excellent defense in center and right field and has provided the organization with some much-needed energy.

He pairs with Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez to make up an exciting outfield that should also be the core of the team in 2025.

The Mariners and Yankees will open up the series on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. PT. M’s young ace Bryan Woo will get the ball on the mound against right-hander Luis Gil.

Woo is coming off a start in which he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres. He’s 8-2 for the season.

NEW PODCAST IS OUT: The latest episode of the “Refuse to Lose” podcast is out as Brady Farkas talks about the meaning of the M’s loss on Thursday to the Texas Rangers and the dominance of Bryan Woo on Wednesday against the Padres. He’s joined by Joe Doyle of the “Over Slot” podcast to talk about the M’s roster and looming issues, and then he talks with Kevin Kugler of FS1, who was on the call for Woo’s start. CLICK HERE:

GOLD GLOVE JOSH?: We’re hearing a lot about catcher Cal Raleigh perhaps winning a Gold Glove Award, but what about Josh Rojas? The numbers are impressive. CLICK HERE:

SLICK VIC: Victor Robles is leading baseball in this awesome category over the last few weeks, showing how valuable he is to the Seattle Mariners. CLICK HERE:

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) arrested a 12-year-old boy following his suspected involvement in an attempted carjacking in the West Seattle neighborhood at the end of last month.

Late in the morning of Aug. 30, SPD officers responded to reports of “an in-progress carjacking by multiple juvenile suspects” in the 4300 block of Holgate Street, according to a post from the department’s SPD Blotter.

Members of the SPD located one of the suspects, who was unintentionally left behind by his accomplices. Officers also detained a male bystander who was armed with a gun.

Officers determined the owner of the vehicle found four or five suspects inside of that vehicle and were attempting to steal it. Bystanders and witnesses confronted the suspects who exited the vehicle, leaving a cell phone behind, the SPD Blotter post states.

The suspects later returned for the phone and charged at one of the involved individuals. A bystander then fired at least one shot at the suspects’ getaway vehicle. From there, the suspects fled the scene leaving one child behind. Officers arrested that child for attempted theft of a motor vehicle.

Officers also arrested the bystander for aiming or discharging a firearm. The SPD reported he was released from custody at the scene pending further investigation. The firearm used was recovered as evidence. In addition, two shell casings were recovered.

The SPD has, to this point, failed to locate any other suspects.

Crime blotter: Looking more at the crimes committed in the Puget Sound region

Looking more at juvenile crimes in Washington

Looking at arrest data, the top crimes for juveniles in Washington in 2023 were liquor law violations, drunkenness, robbery and vehicle theft. Strachan believes more juveniles are living a life of crime.

“More than 20% of arrestees for motor vehicle theft in 2023 were juveniles,” Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) Executive Director Steve Strachan said during a press session earlier this summer. “And we’ve seen an increase just from 2022 to 2023 of 24% in juveniles arrested.”

The data from the WASPC’s recent reports show there were 6,234 juvenile arrests in 2022 and 7,730 in 2023. (A PDF of the organization’s 2022 Crime in Washington report can be seen here. A PDF of the 2023 version of the report can be viewed here.)

Moving over the city of Renton, juvenile crime is skyrocketing in that Western Washington city, Police Chief Jon Schuldt said earlier this year.

“There’s no other way to put it, but what we are seeing is more and more juveniles involved in violent and property crimes. In some cases, rates are doubling and tripling year over year,” Schuldt stated in an X post.

Schuldt cited some startling numbers, noting that juvenile assaults jumped 40%, stolen vehicles swelled 342% and armed robberies of gas stations skyrocketed a stunning 900% from 2022 to 2023.

The Renton police chief posted his message in March, the day after two 15-year-olds were arrested for driving a stolen car and carrying a loaded handgun.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.