Seattle Public Schools Considering Closures as Enrollment Declines

Seattle Public Schools will likely close some schools as it struggles with budget cuts and declining enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The district has no plans to close any of its 106 schools in the next school year. However, the district may consider closing some of its schools as early as the 2024-2025 school years. The Seattle Times reported Last week.

The district projects that a $28 million budget deficit could be avoided by consolidating schools in 2024-2025. 

The 2019-2020 school year saw a drop in student enrollment to just over 50,000 from 54,000. School administrators are expecting 49,000 students by 2032. If the worst happens, enrollment could drop to 43,000. 

This decline in enrollment is due to the fact that homeschooling rates almost doubled in Washington during the COVID pandemic. They are still high at higher levels starting with the 2019-2020 school years. 

Jen Garrison Stuber, Washington Homeschool Organization, told Fox News However, homeschool enrollment in Seattle is now lower than pre-pandemic. 

“I really think that what Seattle’s seeing, where those students have gone are either to private schools or they’ve left the school district and have moved elsewhere,” She said.