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 enrolling new classes, “SPS has no alternative for educating high cap students.”

Several speakers described social and behavioral benefits they attribute to the cohort model. Eighth‑grader Lillian Adams described her Madison Middle School librarian as “a mentor… the one person in the building that knows everyone’s name.” Other students described libraries as safe learning spaces they visit daily. Multiple parents linked cuts to library staff with broader concerns about student safety, belonging and access to resources.

Strategies 360 presented findings from a representative survey of adults with school‑aged children in Seattle. David Kornaren, senior vice president for research at Strategies 360, summarized key results: among caretakers of currently enrolled students, 86% reported overall satisfaction with Seattle Public Schools, while caretakers of formerly enrolled students reported much lower overall satisfaction. When asked why families leave, the top reasons were concerns about academic quality, the curriculum being taught and the perception that a “better option” was available elsewhere. Kornaren told the board that in quantitative testing, “quality of education rises to the top” as the most cited reason for considering disenrollment.

Superintendent Jones summarized steps staff are taking and framed the update as an obligation under the board’s recent revision to Policy 2190. Associate Superintendent Torres Morales gave a status update on implementation: universal screening adopted after the 2021 policy change has increased identification of students labeled highly capable across several historically underrepresented groups; district data cited an increase in identified Black/African‑American students from roughly 70 (pre‑2021) to about 195 more recently. Torres Morales also said completion rates for the district’s first phase of curriculum‑embedded assessments are about 80% in year one of implementation and that the district is moving to phase two of assessments and expanded principal and teacher professional learning.

Board members and community speakers pressed for specific implementation details and timelines. Director Rankin said state rules require districts to submit an annual HC plan to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and to have the district plan formally approved by the board each year; she demanded the substance of the plan be delivered to the board promptly. In response Superintendent Jones and staff told the board they would bring the detailed plan elements required by Policy 2190 before the board and then submit the plan to OSPI; staff indicated a target of returning with the required plan information by April 1 for board review ahead of submission.

Directors asked for accountable, time‑bounded escalation procedures for families whose children are not receiving the services described in the plan, and for clearer means to align professional development, curriculum‑embedded assessment results and MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) implementation. Several board members said the district must provide clearer, district‑wide baseline expectations and supports so families can rely on consistent services across schools.

What’s next: staff said they will revise the superintendent procedure implementing Policy 2190, continue work on the MTSS/UDL (Universal Design for Learning) implementation, finalize a detailed budget for advanced learning services in the upcoming budget cycle, and return to the board with a full HC plan and associated implementation timeline prior to submitting the plan to OSPI.

Ending

Public testimony at the Feb. 12 meeting made clear the urgency families attach to HC services and library staffing. The board directed staff to deliver the detailed HC plan required by policy for board review this spring; parents and students said they will continue to press for concrete, time‑bound assurances that district promises will translate to consistent services in neighborhood schools.