Education

Public education advocate Melissa Westbrook breaks down the issues facing Seattle Public Schools as four of seven seats on the school board are up for grabs this election and a new superintendent is about to be installed.

Last week, the Seattle School Board rejected a year-long pilot program to install a police officer inside Garfield High School in a 5-2 vote. School board directors cited a chaotic process, community distrust, and a need to finetune the plan.

The Union Bay Natual Area is 74 acres of public open space with miles of trails, but the University of Washington has rebuffed advocates pushing to remove a fence and add a trail to improve access. Here's why they should reconsider.

Last week, the Seattle School Board was scheduled to vote on a pilot program that would return police to Garfield High School, but delayed the vote to October 8. Critics have argued better ways exist to promote safety, and that a return of police could contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline and disparate outcomes for Black and brown students.

A majority of the Seattle School Board joined the push for additional neighborhood growth centers last week, pointing to a link between additional housing density and stable student enrollment.

King County is capping school impact fees on multifamily projects, hoping to lessen the burden on homebuilders. The move sparked a debate on how to help overcapacity school districts while avoid undue burdens on builders.

Only three of 15 high schools analyzed in King County have carpooling incentives: Issaquah, Redmond, and Interlake high schools. Expanding carpooling incentives would allow schools to encourage greener commutes while getting more utility out of limited parking spaces.

Last week school board director Liza Rankin wrote a memo to her colleagues suggesting a major new round of austerity for the Seattle Public Schools that could revive a plan to close numerous schools. Robert Cruickshank argues that's the wrong approach.