[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6262975,"mediaKeyId","3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f","parentId",3109839,"title","Board pauses vote on Emerald Learning Center contract after public safety concerns; item moved to May 14","audioSeconds",8442,"startMs",2883000,"endMs",11325000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f&start=2883&end=11325","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f/thumbnail_2883000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6262975/Washington/Board-pauses-vote-on-Emerald-Learning-Center-contract-after-public-safety-concerns-item-moved-to-May-14","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262975-3843b82724afb53130c4b03f58cf17d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096475&Signature=d1be01hXsw~FVzirp~uF4LhFp67JfkSe83dBw0JHy84jjQmtnF3hQGZSyvrD4F1gSLJO3hMu3xD6uwc~o0mWIRcHuJts5TYcJKH29Ci0f3r1YC6mv8Ssw27YnuB1dIfJDc32idvbqp6zcuWRtZTe6YOoU4TcCuzA90g3hMJTjsFuEJnI0J9-QDCTyYAjplFduNo3nkXCuw4JHrdR8IdBNI50Z1Gptj8NMtLJ66WhoKzqURBICM7Ox2jUeZFqIZ7mBwJUWQ1jwKLi7Nrb8sDwB0NdWFr206QsA3sy1vuCE4jmNRiaQi2oXkaMDfLxar2oYL-R0AtjeAwCjN276lwWig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Seattle School District No. 1, Washington","date","2025-04-24T12:50:49.967Z","article","Directors pulled a consent-agenda item to amend the Emerald Learning Center contract for the 2024-25 school year after public testimony raised concerns about the vendor\u0000s relationship to a previous provider and the district\u0000s oversight of out-of-district special education placements.

A public commenter who identified herself as Janice White urged the board to remove items 6 and 7 from the consent agenda and asked whether district staff know how many students are placed out of district and whether families are fully informed before consenting to ABA services. She referenced a Seattle Times article about Northwest School and cautioned the board against repeating past mistakes.

Board members asked staff to verify whether Emerald Learning Center is the same operator or connected to the previously cited program and to provide details before the board authorizes a contract amendment. Assistant superintendent Kurt Budleman told the board staff had heard the concern and would follow up with the vendor for clarification.

When Director Rankin moved to postpone consideration of Item 7 to the board\u0000s May 14 meeting, Director Mizrahi seconded the motion. The roll call vote was unanimous in favor of postponement.

The district\u0000s presentation included the dollar amounts on the consent item: a proposed amendment of $414,407 for 2024-25 that would raise the total contract to $1,329,287. Director Rankin and others asked staff to confirm whether the provider at the listed address is a new organization or the same operator previously criticized by families and local reporting.

Board President Topp indicated the item would return to the May 14 meeting after staff verification. Directors and staff emphasized protecting vulnerable students while ensuring district compliance with special-education placement rules and family protections.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Seattle Schools Board Meeting April 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board members delayed a contract amendment for the Emerald Learning Center after public commenters raised concerns linking the provider to a prior program (Northwest School) with a documented history of complaints; directors asked staff to verify vendor identity and return with more information.","taxTitle","Seattle School District No. 1, School Districts, Washington","taxId",14626,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6262979,"Rainier Beach High School opens new building; alumnus credits student-workforce agreement for career turnaround",1451,133000,1584000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f&start=133&end=1584","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f/thumbnail_133000.jpg","/articles/6262979/Washington/Rainier-Beach-High-School-opens-new-building-alumnus-credits-student-workforce-agreement-for-career-turnaround","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262979-750d4746e04a4a786a4ac650c0b27d11/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096475&Signature=ovTAprP7MG8tlIU8VPAy1RNpOHVEgfC2cbWFwO4NThg9yKVjP0u0zlBlvmq9bXjHQQi1fqpMFeFQkSFZacTcNQkWv~Ur4YkSF1E3k-a-r0AD3f3ktDPywl85jb0a5NoHHaWY8fREVV4GYpgDUThcwiOGaqRRlDWZMDOQo5fUnr7ahcCUqCtLY8LI~MA3ZDvnUgx67iQNLNS-HTABjvlvoA41KLuRzwT5yvN~k~un2JXxbfyxrK4vf0pjkKs5OhC4wooQ3DCmcweFnvUyN9bDMvt5ksYcagaguWQVEIJDHjP9kTVO59XxTOr447JD3pIClDIcY3GmG4208Qxws2~K0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Seattle Public Schools celebrated the opening of the new Rainier Beach High School building at the April 23 board meeting and screened a district \"First Bell\" video highlighting student achievement and recent school milestones.

Superintendent Brent Jones told the board the new building \"is truly spectacular both in design and in spirit,\" and said students reported immediate pride and belonging on opening day.

Board members, staff and students praised the facility\u0000s learning spaces and career-technical education opportunities. Directors said the building response reflected the decade-long capital planning work and the support of voters who approved measures that funded the project.

The board invited Rainier Beach alumnus Israel Presley to speak about the Student and Community Workforce Agreement, an apprenticeship and workforce partnership used on the Rainier Beach project. Presley described how the agreement gave him on-the-job training as an apprentice carpenter, enabled him to work on local schools, and helped him buy his first home at age 23.

\"It allowed for students like me whose original plan fell apart to have a second chance,\" Presley told the board, citing the apprenticeship\u0000s role in giving him skills, steady employment and community connection. \"Every nail I struck, I had an image of that community. I wouldn't trade that for the world.\"

Directors noted the story as an example of investment in career and technical education and workforce partnerships that connect construction jobs and other apprenticeships to students and neighborhood residents. School leaders said they will continue to promote CTE, Bridges programs and other local pathways that support students pursuing postsecondary careers.

The opening and the student video were part of the superintendent\u0000s remarks at the start of the meeting. The board also noted that other staff and district representatives were at national conferences and training during the meeting, and thanked community partners for philanthropic support of professional development opportunities.","Superintendent Brent Jones and board members celebrated the opening of Rainier Beach High School's new building and heard from alumnus and apprentice carpenter Israel Presley, who credited the Student and Community Workforce Agreement with providing training, work experience and a pathway to homeownership.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6262984,"School board hires executive-search firm HYA to run superintendent search; directors request transition timeline",814,10746000,11560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f&start=10746&end=11560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f/thumbnail_10746000.jpg","/articles/6262984/Washington/School-board-hires-executive-search-firm-HYA-to-run-superintendent-search-directors-request-transition-timeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262984-3ec93bfd7be112c9ee6c841228e35778/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096475&Signature=jTlVtRBjCzvpiMOdxZEVAccU8mGVKQzoftZ5yLovMKwUbTYXHlsEizsHakwK-UPxhkqzJVi7IvGTATbZIx1ZkNlebLCrue4zLDEd0QMqHCpysidyYLl1ZvgKlKls3B3rDQ220c3YxJid8jyZiBWGS6Djw5WbSRz~Wi1S0PTX08GN9F3ofW2cuZTpqAWUqSSOl~bc-7TFFz27IPkmSwhoLsEnhEKql~L4qUVNDhUx11oNJZHO4eIjAk5FWrCr02gibAEeFAsaVYUkpAQHpylaqo6fTGzcDmQx~DDwUU7bCAruUrTjLHbqIP1sIlUP75Sk25kVSnyej-e1C5k43ndAIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Seattle School District No. 1 board on April 23 voted unanimously to authorize board leadership to contract with HYA (HYA Leadership Partners) to run the superintendent search after interviewing three finalist firms.

Vice President Briggs moved the contract authorization and Director Mizrahi seconded; the roll call vote was recorded as unanimous in favor.

The vote followed several meetings at which the board evaluated proposals and interviewed finalists. Board members stressed the importance of including student, family and staff engagement in the search process, and asked the selected firm to help define timelines and decision points for an interim leader if a permanent hire is not completed before the incumbent\u0000s departure.

\"We need to be really clear about by what date we would pivot to an interim,\" Director Rankin told the board during discussion. \"We want to pick the right successor. We don't want to pick a candidate just to pick a candidate.\"

Superintendent Brent Jones announced his upcoming departure earlier in the season; staff and directors said they expect the search firm to support public engagement, candidate vetting and confidentiality for finalists. Several directors requested the firm\u0000s help in identifying \"pinch points\" in the timeline: dates when the board should formally reassess whether to continue searching for a permanent candidate or engage an interim superintendent while the search continues.

Miss Wilson Jones (board staff) called the roll for the final vote. The board recorded aye votes from Director Hersey, Director Mizrahi, Director Rankin, Director Sarju, Vice President Briggs, Director Clark and President Topp.

Board members said they expect the search firm to help plan the community engagement schedule and to advise the board on transition logistics; directors agreed staff would schedule follow-up conversations with the firm so the board can set firm milestones and clarify expectations for the incumbent\u0000s transition period.

No candidate was selected on April 23; the board\u0000s action was limited to engaging a firm and authorizing contract execution.","The board voted unanimously to authorize Board President to execute a contract with HYA to lead the search for superintendent Brent Jones's successor; directors asked for clearer transition timelines and benchmarks for when an interim should be considered.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6262989,"Seattle Public Schools faces community backlash over wait lists, staff warn major shifts would ripple through dozens of schools",4325,2758000,7083000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f&start=2758&end=7083","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3109839-329839090ea71fa40a56f09b9600869f/thumbnail_2758000.jpg","/articles/6262989/Washington/Seattle-Public-Schools-faces-community-backlash-over-wait-lists-staff-warn-major-shifts-would-ripple-through-dozens-of-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262989-f934540fca060c3b60b0237761c3faaf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096475&Signature=JBcQzdsmprvmmbt7zcABTMuyIanhr~G4nE-ezqA-brthQ7cUV-bUKtmZkVi-OXrBnZ1U1CqvCnOTBog0Zkpw02kNT4sUNYSFtsxKd20Y3rpzITFrdtbpDWg~CxXAGzFsdNJmZ2RFm1LnZcfPRMMBK5Kscv~OdVd~BYQlPcX3wIH3Y69UY5iYqbfhu3d-5f7TAJ5Es65hlUJLVEV6m-gx1M9qk-vOIXzmnXWcbU1fQJ8la2LmlmJ481v6EdOrwgJqXVM6uKUF6SHxgFZ824eAC--yeDRz8fsqq3dzboyjKmBDI1SYFzVoQHSP79PKV7x8-QqGGxpwM3vnqfEfQI8jlg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hundreds of parents, students and advocates told the Seattle School District No. 1 board on April 23 that wait lists and enrollment caps are leaving families without promised options and pushing some to leave the district.

Speakers from across the city described long wait lists for neighborhood and option schools, dual-language programs and highly capable (HC) cohorts, and said the district\u0000sometimes refuses to fill open seats even when classrooms have space.

The Feb. to-May choice window and the district\u0000\u0000s assignment process were the focus of the meeting\u0000s public testimony. Parents and student speakers said the district\u0000s current approach favors stability at some small schools but hurts families seeking programs such as dual-language immersion, advanced math and option-school programs. Several speakers said the result is families leaving SPS.

\"We have to enroll families in interested schools that have physical space to accommodate them,\" said Lindsey Blom, a parent and Seattle Student Options Coalition member, describing her school\u0000s experience. \"If enrollment policy doesn't change, these schools and the success stories they embody are going to wither and die on the vine.\"

District staff described the tradeoffs in operational terms and warned that moving many wait lists at once would change staffing allocations across the district. Enrollment planners said the most recent projections and the district\u0000s staffing model show that shifting students from one school to another could trigger classroom reconfigurations and staff reassignments at as many as 80 schools.

\"If we say 'give everybody what they want,' we can do that, absolutely,\" Chief Financial Assistant Fred Podesta told the board. \"But it will result in turbulence around staffing and some core things.\" The enrollment team noted on-board that many wait-list moves are handled through a February open-enrollment window intended to give planners time to staff schools.

Parents and students described specific harms. At John Stanford International School, parent Alicia Drucker said her family was refused a fifth-grade DLI seat despite openings and that district staff told her \"we do not have any seats available in fifth grade,\" which she called \"dishonest.\" At Cleveland High School in the South End, Tammy Morales said 29 students remain on a wait list for a high-demand option program and that \"pushing kids away\" drives families toward charters.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing families and advocates also urged clearer assignment rules and priority for programs that consolidate scarce services, citing difficulty securing interpreters and culturally accessible placements. \"We want priority enrollment for my CODA child in Seattle Public Schools with the deaf and hard of hearing program such as TOPS,\" said Will Roach, a deaf community member who testified by interpreter.

District staff said families who contact the enrollment office do receive follow-up and that the office provides on-language support for acceptance offers when needed. Enrollment staff also said on-time applications are given priority and that the district attempts to place as many students as possible during the February assignment and in the months before school starts.

Next steps: the board directed staff to gather more community feedback. Superintendent Brent Jones told directors the district will bring recommendations and engagement results to a May board engagement session; staff also said they will circulate a survey and outreach plan before formal recommendations are drafted.

The board did not vote on policy changes April 23. Directors and staff said the matter requires further community input and time to analyze the resource and staffing consequences of potential rules changes.","Hundreds of parents and students urged changes to enrollment and wait-list policies at the April 23 Seattle School Board meeting, arguing the district\u0000is keeping spots empty while families sit on lists; staff warned abruptly moving wait lists would require staffing and course changes across many schools.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board pauses vote on Emerald Learning Center contract after public safety concerns; item moved to May 14

Rainier Beach High School opens new building; alumnus credits student-workforce agreement for career turnaround

School board hires executive-search firm HYA to run superintendent search; directors request transition timeline

Seattle Public Schools faces community backlash over wait lists, staff warn major shifts would ripple through dozens of schools