Seattle Schools Weigh 10 Merger Groups

The district has identified 21 schools across 10 potential groupings as it grapples with declining enrollment and an ongoing budget crisis.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Administration

Vector editorial illustration of three brick school buildings of uneven height joined by a covered walkway under a pale sky. — Seattle Public Schools has identified 10 possible merger groupings involving 21 schools as it confronts declining enrollment and a budget crisis. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your local school district merge schools to cut budget deficits?

Seattle Public Schools has identified 10 potential merger groupings involving 21 schools, most of them elementary schools. No final decisions have been made, and three schools previously slated for closure in 2024 are again under consideration.

Why it matters

The district is combining smaller schools to improve educational opportunities while responding to declining enrollment and a persistent budget crisis. The effort follows a 2024 closure plan that was scaled back and then abandoned.

The district has confirmed 10 potential merger groupings involving 21 schools, down from the 21 schools proposed for closure in 2024 to address a $94 million projected deficit. The final composition of any merger has not been determined, and the School Board has not yet received recommendations.

The players

Seattle Public Schools

The Seattle school district is the public school system serving the city of Seattle and is overseeing the consolidation review.

Ben Shuldiner

Ben Shuldiner is the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools who outlined the merger process to families.

The details

Superintendent Ben Shuldiner outlined the merger process in a letter to families last week, and the district will consult families and staff before presenting recommendations to the School Board. The district says consolidating schools could reduce split-grade classrooms and give students access to specialist teachers.

Staff and family meetings will run through December 2026.
Public hearings are scheduled for January and February 2027.
The School Board is potentially voting by early March 2027.

Season Trajectory

The renewed review comes after the district's 2024 closure plan was scaled back to four schools and then dropped entirely. Sacajawea, Sanislo, and Stevens schools are again under consideration, marking a second attempt to address enrollment decline in the district.

Families at the 21 schools under review should watch for district meetings and hearings this winter, since final recommendations will shape which campuses remain open. Parents of students at Sacajawea, Sanislo, and Stevens schools in particular may want to follow the process closely.

The takeaway

Families interested in the outcome should track the upcoming public hearings, since community input will be gathered before the School Board takes any vote. Staying engaged during the consultation period is the most direct way to influence which schools are ultimately merged.

What happens next

Staff and family meetings run through December, public hearings are expected in January and February, and the School Board is potentially voting by early March.