Seattle Public Schools Short Term Capacity Management Community Meeting   

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

7-8:30pm at the Auditorium, John Stanford Center, 2445 3rd Ave. S., Seattle

-From SPS

Enrollment is growing at Seattle Public Schools, with almost 50,000 students this year. Projections show continued year-to-year increases in enrollment for the next five years, with an enrollment of more than 57,000 students by the 2021-22 school year, if current trends continue.

While the School Board approved a list of projects that would be funded if the Building Excellence (BEX IV) levy is approved by voters in February, the BEX revenue would not be available to meet next year's needs.

In the meantime, the District is developing a Short Term Capacity Management Plan, which will outline recommended changes to schools to ensure the District has enough seats to meet enrollment next fall. This plan will likely include some minor renovations and could add portable classrooms for next year.

The District invites the public to learn about the latest recommendations at a community meeting from 7-8:30pm on Tuesday, December 11. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions.

In addition, the Seattle School Board will hold a Work Session Wednesday, December 5 to study both the Short Term Capacity Management Plan and the New Student Assignment Plan (NSAP) Transition Plan for the 2013-14 school year.

Both issues are scheduled to be introduced at the January 9, 2013 School Board meeting, with board action on both short-term capacity management and NSAP Transition Plan scheduled for the January 23, 2013 board meeting.

For more information on BEX IV. 

For more information on capacity management.

Seattle Council PTSA Appoints Betsy Hudson to Serve as Committee Chair for SPS Building Use Issues for Before and After School Programs

Want to know who is Funding Education?

Thursday, December 6

7-8:30pm at Coe Elementary in the Gym

Join with other parents to learn about education funding and the upcoming School Levy. Do you know who makes the decisions on the state level? What is the McCleary Decision? Why do schools have to do so much fundraising? Why do we need Levies? Come learn about the bigger funding picture.

Speakers include: Senator Jeanne-Kohl-Wells; Michael Debell, School Board; Lisa MacFarlane founder of Schools First (Levy Campaign), and Kerry Cooley-Stroum of Schools First. We'll end with a question and answer session.

• 15 submissions per PTA/PTSA maximum; there is no minimum
• All art work submitted to the Council will be exhibited at the Harrison St. Gallery, Seattle Center, December 10-31
• An Artists' Reception, with light refreshments, open to all, will be held Sunday, December 16, 2-4pm, at the Harrison St. Gallery
• Notification of artists' work selected to move up to the State level will be announced in early January, at our Reflections award ceremony (location, date and time TBD)
• All Reflections submission requirements can be found at the National PTA Reflections website: http://pta.org/2032.asp
• The Council deadline for submissions is Monday, December 3 -- submissions will be accepted in the lobby of the John Stanford Center between 9am and 5pm on December 3; Council Reflections co-chairs will be present to accept art work and assist with paperwork

Upcoming Reflections Refresher Webinars

Do you need a refresher course on Reflections? Please note the upcoming Webinars for PTA council's and local PTA units.

Upcoming Refresher Webinars  

For PTA Councils

December 12 1pm ET/10am PT Registration Web Link

January TBD

For Local PTA Units

December 13 1pm ET/10am PT Registration Web Link

January TBD   

SCPTSA Votes to Endorse Operations and Capital Levies Renewal

Help Support Continued Funding for Our Schools by Scheduling a Schools First Levy Presentation at Your Next PTA Meeting

Renewal of two critically important Seattle school levies will be on the February 12, 2013 ballot. The campaign to ensure successful renewal begins now and we need each and every PTA's support!

• The Operations Levy provides more than a quarter of the funds needed to operate the Seattle Public Schools.  This levy provides funding for basic day-to-day operations, teachers, instructional assistants, textbooks, classroom supplies, bilingual and special education services, bus transportation, student activities such as athletics, arts, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, professional development and training.  

• The Capital Levy (BEX IV) renews our commitment to providing safe, quality schools for our kids.  This levy will provide much needed funding to maintain and improve our aging existing schools and provide earthquake safety upgrades at 37 schools.  BEX IV will renovate and build schools to help meet the substantial and continued growing enrollment in Seattle's public schools, 1,400 additional students this school year alone!

PTA's have been the backbone of every successful campaign to ensure our critical school levies are renewed.  Get involved today!

• Schedule a brief presentation by Schools First for your November board or general meeting.  Schools First is the volunteer network of parents and education advocates that campaigns for renewal of our school levies. 

You and your school community are essential to our school levies renewals for all our schools and all Seattle Public Schools students! 

• Contact Kerry Cooley-Stroum at kcs@seanet.com for more info and to schedule a Schools First (www.schoolsfirstseattle.org) presentation at your next PTA board or general meeting.