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SEPT. 18, 2024
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VOL. 105, NO. 38
By Tacoma Weekly
Photo by Laura Marie Rivera
Parents advocate to save public schools Staff Report
There will be a rally before today's School Board meeting. Last week, Seattle Public Schools announced their school closure plan, calling it the Well-Resourced Schools Planning and Recommendations. In an effort to balance the budget and close a $100 million gap, they are offering two proposals. The first concept closes 21 schools, eliminates all option school choices, and has an alleged savings of $31.5 million. The second closes 17 schools, potentially saves $21.5 million, and keeps one K-8 option school in each region of the city.
Neither plan closes the budget gap or retains the highly sought after programs of dual language immersion, highly capable and advanced learning, or some of the special education communities and medically fragile students. Both plans are highly disruptive for their students and the wider communities. Brendan Levy is a parent of two SPS students and volunteers with the All Together for Seattle Schools advocacy group. He said, “The SPS proposed plans are bad plans. These SPS closures won’t solve the deficit - they just plunge the district further into chaos.” He cited the harmful outcomes for displaced students, as seen in other cities that SCHOOLS Page 5Æ
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SEATTLE, WA PERMIT 1271
With the 2024 General Election coming this Nov. 5, the two candidates for State Treasurer are reaching out to voters to share their respective platforms. The following interviews are not intended to take sides or advocate for any individual candidates but rather to incite a sense of involvement among voters and help encourage participation in our country’s democratic process on election day. In the race for Washington State Treasurer, Mike Pellicciotti (D) is working to retain his seat against candidate Sharon Hanek (R).
MIKE PELLICCIOTTI Mike Pellicciotti was elected Washington State Treasurer in 2021. This followed his run in the State House from 2017-2021 representing North Pierce County and South King County, his first time to hold public office. During this time, he was also an assistant attorney general, his “day job” in addition to the parttime work required in the legislature. Pellicciotti chose to run for Mike Pellicciotti State Treasurer because, “A lot of the work I had been doing in the state legislature was focused on issues of greater government transparency, especially financial transparency,” he said. “Issues of financial transparency are very important to me, and I felt there was a need for greater transparency in public finances.” Pellicciotti said that the position of State Treasurer not only plays an important role from the good government standpoint of making sure that public finances are well managed, but also that the public can have better access to the funds that belong to the public. This is what influenced him to establish a “Transparency Portal” on the State Treasurer ELECTION Page 4Æ