Seattle Hall Pass

Thanks for this shoutout from @ronpdavis! ronpdavis.substack.com/p/a-victory-fo…

Follow Jasmine Pulido and Christie Robertson's new Seattle Public Schools podcast at @rainyrecess. Trailer up now, logo coming soon.

Follow Jane at janedemel on the Blue Sky site, where she’ll share updates on her future projects.

Though Seattle Hall Pass is coming to an end, this isn’t goodbye. Christie and Jasmine Pulido will be continuing to cover Seattle Public Schools goings-on under a new name in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Seattle Hall Pass Podcast Bids Farewell: After an incredible journey filled with engaging conversations, unique perspectives, and plenty of laughter, Christie Robertson and Jane Tunks Demel have decided to end the Seattle Hall Pass podcast, citing creative differences.

Thanks for the incredible reporting, Hall Pass!

@seattlehallpass I learned so much, feel so much more connected to what’s going on thanks to you guys ❤️

Sorry for the end of this extremely valuable podcast on all things #SPS during a time of enormous upheaval in the district!

Thank you for being part of this incredible ride. Here’s to new adventures! Contact Jane at janetunks@gmail.com and Christie at xiebob@gmail.com

All 60 episodes of Seattle Hall Pass will continue to be available on streaming platforms, offering a heartfelt reflection on their journey and a celebration of the podcast’s legacy.

Seattle students are doing better than peer districts overall, but we have a bigger gap in student outcomes based on demographics. seattlehallpass.org/2230213/episod…

Also, in our interview with school board director Gina Topp, we learned that she was not aware of this until we told her. seattlehallpass.org/2230213/episod…

In case folks missed it in the middle of this episode, we want to emphasize that not ALL kids from the closing schools are slated to move together. Some kids getting special education services will be shunted to other schools seattlehallpass.org/2230213/episod…

Need a break from your wallowing on the state of the nation? Hear from school board director Gina Topp re: school closures, budget, and Student Outcomes Focused Governance. seattlehallpass.org/2230213/episod…

@yukarirome @millcreekview Yup, the custodian thing really struck us.

@millcreekview Rule #1 is to take the information provided by the district with a giant grain of salt, k? In reality, those “central office” jobs aren’t truly “cuts” but are only “to be unfilled” for now and mostly comprised of Custodians, OT Asst, Special Ed, etc. but not mini superintendents.

Based on the provided *information, here are some key points about the Seattle Public Schools budget: •Fiscal Year 2019-2020: The budget was $1,044,890,979. •Fiscal Year 2024-2025: The adopted budget is $1.25 billion, with a focus on balancing the budget and addressing a $131 million deficit in the previous year’s budget. •Per Student Funding: Seattle Public Schools receive more funding per student than most private schools, with a budget of $19,740 per student for the 2019-2020 school year. •Central Office Spending: Nearly half of the budget (46%) is spent at the district’s central office, with a significant portion going towards high pay and benefits for administrators. •Budget Cuts: To address the deficit, the district is liquidating its entire rainy day fund and cutting 70 positions within central staff, including $20.8 million in employee costs. •No Teacher Position Cuts: Despite budget constraints, no teacher positions are being cut for the 2023-2024 school year. •School Closures: The district is considering possible school closure lists to help address the $100 million budget deficit, with two lists announced in September 2024. These points provide an overview of the Seattle Public Schools budget, highlighting both the significant funding per student and the challenges the district faces in balancing its budget. *AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.

@yukarirome @SeaPubSchools Interesting! Thanks for sharing @yukarirome.

@seattlehallpass Stephen Nielsen is wrong for saying “there’s no villain” for SPS’s situation where the costs were allowed to exceed the actual levels of services. Replacing the staff’s brains with the CGCS’s should have never happened. If only, the @SeaPubSchools has ever done self-examination.

S2E11 - Can SPS go bankrupt? We sit down with former SPS CFO Stephen Nielsen to understand “binding conditions” and potential state oversight for SPS if it can’t close its budget gap. seattlehallpass.org/2230213/episod…

There's nothing can be done but wait for the polls to close, so you might as well listen to Seattle Hall Pass. seattlehallpass.org/2230213/episod…