A strategy for closing schools in Seattle

TWO years ago, Seattle Public Schools closed seven buildings in a strategic step toward running a more efficient system.

The district needs to pare down more, closing and merging some schools. The 46,500-student system simply isn't growing enough to justify 93 schools.

Families won't like the prospect of shuttering a school any more than they liked the idea last time. But Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and the School Board are approaching the task armed with clear data and strong arguments.

For one, Seattle has 9,000 more seats than students. A particularly egregious example of such inefficiency is Rainier Beach High School, where roughly 900 classroom seats aren't occupied.

A state audit estimated Seattle could save $28.5 million on utilities, maintenance and custodial staff by closing schools. That's no small sum for a district predicting a $24 million budget shortfall. Seattle's financial picture will likely grow more sober as the state grapples with its own projected $3 billion deficit.

Reconfiguring the schools allows Goodloe-Johnson to better balance the district's offerings. Seattle has a reputation for uneven academic quality because many of its programs are housed in a few buildings, making them inaccessible by families citywide. The district's long-standing plan to broaden bilingual services, special-ed and gifted programs is made more likely to happen by having fewer schools.

Schools are funded on a per-pupil basis. Fully enrolled schools garner budgets that can pay for well-rounded curricula, from special services to music.

At its meeting tonight, the board ought to support the superintendent's plan to proceed toward implementation next fall. Strong demographic data and a weak economy renews the case for closures.