Parents and students press Seattle Public Schools over changes to highly capable services; board hears enrollment study

Dozens of parents, students and community members urged the Seattle School District to pause changes to its highly capable (HC) cohort program and to preserve library staffing, saying neighborhood schools lack ready alternatives.

The board heard a presentation of representative survey results from Strategies 360 that found widely shared concern about the “quality of education” is a top reason families leave the district; staff then gave an update on implementing Policy 2190 and said a fuller HC plan will come to the board for approval in the spring.

Parents and students focused much of public testimony on the district’s move toward a neighborhood‑school HC model and the sunsetting of cohort schools. Arthur Neshmonen, a student who said he has been in Cascadia’s HC cohort since 2022, told the board, “I’m asking you to please pause sunsetting the HC program at Cascadia until there’s a real equivalent option at our neighborhood schools.” He said his younger brother qualified but would lose access if the cohort is closed.

Jessica Chong, a parent at Bryant Elementary, said neighborhood schools currently provide only limited enrichment: “When a high cap student finishes their assignments early, they’re given a device for screen time for grade‑level enrichment in a poorly designed app.” She warned that if cohorts stop…