Seattle Public Schools cancels upcoming community meetings amid closure uproar

- Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is canceling all upcoming community meetings in the midst of a public uproar, following the district's decision to close 21 schools to address a looming budget crisis.

SPS Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones announced Monday evening that upcoming community meetings surrounding the imminent closure of 21 schools would be canceled. The district says they will release a new schedule of "engagement sessions" soon.

"I understand the closure of schools is a very serious topic. After receiving thoughtful feedback from many of you, it is clear we need more time to carefully consider our next steps," reads part of a statement from Dr. Jones, obtained by FOX 13 Seattle.

The announcement comes as parents and families pack the school district's community hearings.

Seattle Public Schools, facing a $104 million budget shortfall , plans to close nearly two-dozen schools to ease their budgetary woes by October. According to Jones in his most recent letter, that proposal was just an "initial approach," which they "are now reworking."

"While our financial challenges are real and it's our fiscal responsibility to resolve them, it is very clear we need more time to listen and earn your trust as we resolve our structural deficit and revisit our timeline," wrote Jones. "I am sorry our proposed options created anxiety for many families who rely on the key programs and innovations within our schools. We are retooling our plans to address these concerns."

Jones says student enrollment has dropped by 4,000 over the past seven years, no doubt exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which have left lingering effects on students' mental health, behavior and academic ability . Jones says state funding has not kept up with education costs, and the school district has been left running the same amount of schools with less students.

"This has been a challenging time, especially the last few weeks, and our school system's issues will take all of us to solve — in our city and in our legislature," wrote Jones.

It is not yet known what the new engagement sessions will look like or when they will take place.

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