A Message from Ben Shuldiner

Dear Seattle Public Schools Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. I am happy to write to you all this week.

In 1964, Seattle Public Schools had an enrollment over 94,000 students. Today, our student count sits under 50,000. Over the last half century, there have been years of growth and decades of decline. The reasons are varied and complex, from the Boeing Bust in the late 1960s and early 1970s, to incredible wealth creation and huge private school enrollment.

Some of the decline was out of the district’s control, but some was self-inflicted: a lack of clarity of vision and purpose, a revolving door of disparate and problematic leadership, fits and starts of numerous programs and policies, each seemingly in contrast with the previous iteration. But through it all, there seemed to be a district that did not privilege students and their families.

Decisions seemed to be made in direct opposition to the expressed needs of our community. When parents asked for rigor, we thought of cutting advanced programming. When families asked for clarity, they got obfuscation. When we hear about the desire for more arts, music, and dual language programs, we seem to cut those first. When community members want to donate, volunteer, or support the district, we create roadblock after roadblock.

Now here we are, late October 2026, inheriting this complicated, often wonderful, but unarguably messy system. And the time for change is now. For years, the specter of school mergers has hung over the district like a pall, shadowing every decision. Over the years, the district has opened and closed schools, with seemingly questionable plans and lack of forethought. The district has been known to close a building only to open it again, even though very little changed. I know the fear of closing a school, your school, creates unease and uncertainty. And of course, this further exacerbates the move toward private, charter, or other districts’ schools.

Since the moment I was hired, I have said that everything is on the table, a not-so-subtle hint that school mergers were possible. I didn’t want to commit to anything, until I had a better sense of the district, seeing firsthand the experience of our children, staff, and families. What I saw shocked me.

Some students were in beautiful buildings with bright, airy, light-filled classrooms, while others spent their days in buildings without interior walls, traipsing through poorly lit hallways and hearing the scurry of much smaller beings in the rafters. I saw robust learning communities with teachers who could share within their grades amongst colleagues and schools with just one second grade teacher who had to fend for themselves. I saw schools that got itinerant music teachers once a week or even once every two weeks, while others had full-time teachers firmly part of the school community. And what I saw over and over again was forced split classes. Room after room of second and third graders trying to learn together. Fourth and fifth graders struggling because of the inherent difficulty of teaching “up” or “down” or two grades at once.

I also saw a K-8 school with less than 50 students, where multi-grade classes are the norm. I saw a K-5 school with less than 120 kids trying to contort and contrive as best it could to serve our students. But no matter how great the staff is, this is an extra burden to bear.

I hear communities with very low enrollment say, “But Ben, just give us a year, give us two years, we will get students to come. Give us a PR budget and we will draw tens if not hundreds of students. Just redraw district lines and force students into our school.” I appreciate that all, but each idea takes time and would either cannibalize other schools or be based on wishful thinking. In times like these I often think of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. This is the time for vigorous and positive action.”

I don’t want students to spend one more year in a building where bookcases serve as walls, if we don’t have to. I don’t want students to spend one more year in a sixth-seventh-eighth grade split if we don’t have to. I don’t want teachers to be the only teacher in the grade if we don’t have to. I don’t want to accept large class sizes if we don’t have to. So, the conversation around school mergers begins.

However, as I have always said, these conversations first need to be with those impacted. We need to talk, work together, and iterate so that we don’t make too many mistakes if we embark on these decisions. And that is why you are probably hearing about meetings being held with different important folks.

I appreciate that the entire community wants to know what is going on and wants their voice heard. I understand, and that will occur, but first, the principals needed to be at the table, then the staff, then the families, then the community writ large. I think it is ethical and moral to discuss first with those who might be impacted before we bring anything to the Board and broader community. The reason I am writing about this now and not last week is that we wanted staff and families to know about the proposed mergers and meetings before the general public. Again, the moral thing to do in my eyes. To quote a phrase attributed to a different Martin Luther, “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.”

And please know, once I bring a plan to the Board, there is still a months-long process of community hearings and conversation. But as we saw in previous attempts, the last thing anyone wants is for me to present a half-baked plan eviscerated by the people we are purporting to serve. What I present to the Board and community should have the voice of families and staff, remembering of course that the Board and community will have their say as well.

Many of you might be wondering why now? What is the timeline? What is the rationale? Fair questions all.

As you know, this summer we were negotiating the SEA union contract. That CBA is hundreds of pages long and impacts a panoply of machinations of the school district. No serious conversation around school mergers could occur before the SEA contract was signed and settled. That happened the first week of September. From that moment, once we knew the parameters of class ratios, staffing concerns, and scheduling agreements, we as a leadership team could engage in thoughtful conversations about possible mergers. For the first two weeks in September, I met with senior leaders, especially our Executive Directors who supervise all 100+ schools. We talked about what might make sense, what could work and be best for kids and staff. Once we had a draft list, we met with the principals of the possible merger schools. These meetings were difficult and profound, but also collaborative and for the most part very positive. We heard why a specific merger might make sense or didn’t. And out of those meetings, we iterated and changed the initial list.

Starting this week, I, along with the Executive Directors of Schools, will be visiting with the staff of all possibly impacted schools. Each meeting will involve a deep conversation about what a merger could look like. We will talk about specific needs and special programs we would like to transfer. For instance, in one proposed merger the sending school has a fantastic program they did on Wednesdays. When the proposed receiving school heard about this, the two principals talked about how they could not only transfer it but strengthen it. This is why we have the meetings.

These staff meetings will take time. We want to be thoughtful and diligent, meet in their space and listen. These meetings are scheduled through the beginning of November. Once those occur, we are holding family meetings at each proposed receiving school, starting in November and finishing in the middle of December. Then, and only then, after hearing from staff and families, will I formally present to the Board and community our proposed list. Then there is about a 60-day window for open forums in the communities of the impacted mergers. And then the Board will have the final decision.

So to reiterate:

• Senior Leadership meetings – First two weeks in September
• Principal meetings – September and October
• Staff meetings – October and November
• Family meetings – November and December
• Community meetings/public hearings – January and February
• Board possible action – Late February or early March

This is a long timeline, with plenty of opportunity to listen, understand, and iterate. But it also bleeds into our open choice window. What I can promise is that we will extend our transfer period until one week after a possible Board decision. That way families can apply for open enrollment, if they want, after seeing what the Board does. And as a reminder, open enrollment is a lottery, not first come first serve. So, if you put your child’s name in at the last minute (before the deadline), they are treated just like everyone else.

The other promise I am making is that if you are transferring from a school being closed, you will get priority this year, during open enrollment, over families who want to transfer but are not impacted by mergers.

Another promise is that if your school has not received an invite, we are not considering a closure now and will not in the near future.

What I cannot promise is that these are all the mergers or program shifts we will ever do. Things change and we have to react. Currently, we are in conversations about our Bridges programs and Interagency sites, but if we address those, it would be more about site locations and not Bridges or Interagency as a whole shutting down. Both are wonderful programs we want to support in earnest. We are also thinking critically around our awesome Seattle World School and possible ways to strengthen their programming by working with one or more comprehensive high schools.

However, what I can promise is that once we get through this round, I never want to do this again. You have my word that I will try very hard, once this year is over, to work with what we have. Large-scale change is fundamentally unsettling, even if it eventually leads to positive outcomes.

This letter is already far too long for a weekly newsletter, but I wanted to address the most pressing issues. Over the next few months, I will continue to update and explain. I appreciate that folks might want me to write “the list of schools” or go through each possible merger right now, explaining why and what and how. There will be time for that. But first, the most important actions in this structured timeline are the meetings with staff and families. We will discuss and iterate, listen and learn together. What we present to the schools might change in large or small ways. Just as principal meetings changed our initial plans, I assume staff meetings will change them again, and family meetings will change them again.

And then, once we hear from staff and families, I look forward to hearing from the broader community. I know school mergers are fraught with a myriad of feelings, mostly negative, especially in light of recent attempts. I do hope with this approach, together, we can meet with positive intent and an open mind.

Thank you all for believing in SPS. With your help and hard work, SPS truly will be the best urban public school district in the country.

Ben

Emerson Elementary has a vibrant new outdoor mural celebrating creativity, learning and community!

Inspired by ideas from Emerson students and staff, the mural was designed by local artist Jen Vickers through Urban ArtWorks and brought to life with help from Amazon volunteers and Emerson fifth graders.

The colorful artwork features the Emerson Eagle along with playful details representing friendship, kindness, school subjects, the playground and students learning and spending time together.

The mural is part of a larger back-to-school partnership with Amazon that also included a $5,000 donation for school supplies and Fire TV sticks for classrooms.

Read the full story and see more of the mural!

Seattle Public Schools invites students, families, staff, and community members to join the next Superintendent Community Engagement Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. These meetings provide an opportunity to share feedback directly with district leadership and help shape the future of SPS schools and services.

Building on conversations from previous meetings, the Oct. 27 session will continue discussions around academic rigor, school design, and school safety and security. Community input will help inform future engagement opportunities and district planning efforts.

To support broad participation, language interpretation in Amharic, Chinese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) services, will be available. Light refreshments and activities for children will also be provided.

Your voice matters. We hope you'll join the conversation.

View the full meeting schedule and learn more on the SPS website.

The Office of African American Male Achievement (AAMA) welcomed students, families, facilitators, and community partners to its annual Kingmakers Black to School Night on Oct. 8, bringing the Seattle Public Schools community together for an evening of connection, celebration, and support.

Kingmakers is an elective program for Black male middle and high school students that fosters cultural identity, leadership, and social-emotional growth through mentorship and community-building opportunities led by Black male facilitators.

During the event, students and families connected with the AAMA team, facilitators, and community partners, enjoyed a shared meal, and explored resources and services through an interactive passport activity.

The evening celebrated the strength of the Kingmakers community and the partnerships that help students thrive in school and beyond.

Learn more about how the Kingmakers program is empowering young Black scholars across Seattle Public Schools

We’re excited to kick off this year’s search for SPS All-Stars—district staff who go above and beyond their call of duty and exemplify our core values of excellence, teamwork, and commitment.

This month, we’re spotlighting our Super Support Staff—those who may not be in the classroom but play a vital role in building a positive culture across our schools. We want to hear about bus drivers, custodians, athletic coaches, and school lunch workers - any staff member who helps keep our schools running smoothly.

Submit nominations by Friday, Oct. 30, and help us celebrate the incredible individuals who make SPS shine!

Nomination form link: SPS All-Star Nomination: Super Support Staff – Fill out form

Catharine Blaine K-8 continues to earn recognition for its commitment to academic excellence and student success.

In 2026, U.S. News & World Report ranked Catharine Blaine as the No. 11 middle school in Washington and the top-ranked middle school in Seattle. The school has also been recognized by the Washington School Recognition Program for the past three years for academic achievement, student attendance, and student growth.

Photo credit Jen Hancock

These honors reflect the dedication of educators, students, and families and the school's ongoing commitment to creating engaging learning opportunities and supporting student achievement.

Read the full story to learn how Catharine Blaine's educators, students, and families are working together to support student success.

Students at Cedar Park Elementary joined people across Washington on Oct. 15 for the Great Washington ShakeOut, practicing the important earthquake safety response to “drop, cover, and hold on.”

The school welcomed Maximilian Dixon, Hazards and Outreach Section Supervisor with the Washington State Emergency Management Division, who observed Ms. DelRosso’s fifth-grade class participate in the drill while students were in the library.

The annual drill gives students an opportunity to put emergency preparedness into practice and build familiarity with what to do during an earthquake. More than 1.5 million people registered to participate in this year’s statewide drill.

Read more about how Cedar Park students put earthquake preparedness into action.