WEST SEATTLE SCHOOLS: District’s ‘staffing balance’ shuffles students into new classrooms after a month
When the Seattle School Board meets later today, they’ll hear from numerous people signed up to speak about a districtwide controversy: One month into the new school year, some elementary students at 40 schools around the district are suddenly being shuffled to different classrooms with different teachers. Some are being moved to split-grade classrooms. We’ve heard from parents at two of the West Seattle schools that are affected. The district explains the situation in this post from last Friday, saying it has to “balance” class sizes in order to get millions of dollars in state funding:
Every fall, all Washington school districts review class size and staffing ratios. To focus on early learning, Washington state law encourages school districts to staff kindergarten through third grade at a smaller class size.
Seattle Public Schools values smaller class sizes for our youngest learners. Our review showed a staffing imbalance that needs to be corrected to meet state requirements at several schools.
What this means for Students and Families
To balance our educator staffing, some students may be moved to new classrooms or have a new teacher by the end of October.
If this adjustment means a change for your elementary or K-8 school, you will receive a separate message from your principal.
Why is this year different?
In previous years, SPS was able to provide extra funding to schools to minimize classroom staffing assignment changes. However, due to the current budget shortfall, SPS is unable to cover that cost for the 2023-24 school year.
The focus is on maintaining the 17:1 staffing ratio for K-3 general education classrooms to secure full state funding. This is a districtwide ratio that includes the classroom teacher and additional educators such interventionists and specialists.
To ensure SPS is eligible to receive $3.6 million in Washington state funding, we must have appropriate staff-student ratios for our elementary grade classrooms.
One of the local schools affected is Alki Elementary; a parent there forwarded us the newsletter in which principal Mason Skeffington explained how it would play out for Alki (which is holding classes at the former Schmitz Park Elementary because of the future rebuild). He explained that the staff-planning process starts with enrollment projections in spring, and continues with “actual student numbers” in August. Alki, the principal wrote, is currently “over … target” in kindergarten class size “but otherwise at or below classrooms caps in all other grade levels.” He wrote that he spent a week of meetings with district officials “pleading our case for why our current staffing makes the most sense for students and learning,” but “received a directive to adjust my class sizes” to what the district wanted to see. The results include two split-grade classes. The principal indicated that families would receive information on “shifts and changes to class placements” yesterday, and tomorrow will be “‘moving day’ where students will join new homeroom classes and have a chance to get settled into their new classroom spaces and routines.” There are no classes district-wide on Friday – in-service day for staff – but the principal also promised that a support staffer “will be on site next week and available to meet with students and classes to help process feelings connected to this adjustment.”
We’ve also heard from a Roxhill Elementary parent who told us that at their child’s school, “A 3rd/4th split class has to be created, which will affect 3rd-5th grade students who have to be moved around and potentially switch teachers. Luckily, we are not losing any staff, but it’s obvious that this will cause a huge disruption for students and teachers.” This parent says, “We want to encourage people to write to the board, watch (tonight’s) meeting and advocate for stability.” Board contact info is online here; tonight’s meeting starts with public comment at 4:30 pm – the agenda is here – you can watch the meeting livestream here. As for other local schools affected – we’ve asked the district for a list of schools but so far have not received it.
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