The landscape of public education in Seattle is poised for a seismic shift, with Seattle Public Schools proposing the closure of nearly 20 elementary schools, according to KING5 News. Last week, Superintendent Brent Jones, who highlighted the underutilization of these schools—hovering at just 65% capacity—presented the plan to the board, which has now voted to move forward with discussions set for a June meeting.

The move by the school district is a response to a district-wide strain where elementary schools operate below the capacity seen in middle and high schools. The proposal aims to increase school usage to 85%, a figure that mirrors the attendance of higher-grade institutions. In what could be a major upheaval for thousands of Seattle families, Jones has been given the nod to draft a plan for closures that could see the landscape change considerably by 2026, per KOMO News.

However, the proposal has met with immediate pushback from the communities involved. Parents and teachers expressed deep concern over the proposal at Wednesday's meeting. "It's not 20 schools, it's 20 communities. All the kids who thought they knew who their next year teacher would be, all the local mom and pop stores that sell ice cream to the kids after school, they're all going to be seriously impacted," Ben Gitenstein, a parent in the district, told KIRO 7. The board will hear a preliminary recommendation from Jones on June 10, with a final decision expected in the fall.

If the board ultimately rejects the plan, the district warns of drastic alternatives: boosted student-teacher ratios, staff reductions, the axing of preschool programs, or further resource constraints could be the reality facing Seattle's public schools. The district's proclamation comes amidst a discussion of what will become of 29 under-enrolled schools that serve fewer than 300 students each—a reality that paints a vivid picture of the scale of change that Seattle's educational system may soon face, KIRO 7 reported.