A mediator has been brought in and is attempting to get both sides to an agreement. SEA is planning a rally at the district offices Tuesday at 5 p.m.
The superintendent of Seattle Public Schools (SPS) warned the district’s financial problems are complicating discussions with the Seattle Education Association (SEA), which may go on strike ahead of Wednesday’s start of the school year.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, Superintendent Ben Shuldiner defended the district’s offer of around a 9% pay increase over the next three years for district educators.
“As everybody knows, we’re broke, so we have to be really thoughtful around how we spend the money,” Shuldiner said. “If we had the money, I would love to give it to everybody. But the problem is we don’t.”
The district is facing a budget gap of around $100 million, and prior cost reduction proposals, including the closure of schools, have been met with resistance from staff and the community. In 2024, the district floated the idea of consolidating schools to stabilize the district's finances.
SPS scrapped the proposal for closures and said it would focus on other operational efficiencies and pushing for new funding from the legislature and levy revenue. In the meantime, enrollment in the district has continued to drop, with approximately 5,000 fewer students enrolled now when compared to 2019.
When Shuldiner was hired earlier this year, he warned the district was facing a dire financial situation.
"The first thing we have to do is stop spending money we don't have," Shuldiner said in February.
He also described what he perceived as a “misuse” of facility space and staffing.
“I was at a school that had one child in a classroom, two adults — that can't possibly be OK,” Shuldiner said, adding that school closures would be on the table again in future years.
On Sunday, Shuldiner posted a public letter about negotiations with SEA, saying the current budget situation is leading to insolvency in the district.
RELATED | A Message from Ben Shuldiner
Let me be absolutely clear, SEA does not have to strike. Period, full stop. If they do, that is completely up to them. They have a contract that they signed and it will continue. The current contract they are working under remains in place. We are not the NFL owners who lock out our players trying to exact concessions or give-backs. We are good faith bargainers who are trying desperately to negotiate a contract that is good for staff and students. And the district has been clear that we would always be willing to provide retroactive pay, if they don’t strike, when a new contract is signed. There is absolutely no reason to strike other than to flex power. No one is 'forcing' the union to strike. There is no Special Education agreement unless the union votes for one. There is only a desire to work together for the betterment of the district.
"The district is now refusing to have conversations on any other topics until we find agreement on Special Education," the SEA said in an update Sunday night. "Yet, our team has spent countless hours, brought in additional Special Education members, used our creativity and brainstormed as hard as we could, but could not find a way to accommodate their plans without undermining the supports and learning our students need. In our session this evening, we gathered with the district, and Special Education teachers and IAs shared some of our experiences with them."
A mediator has been brought in and is attempting to get both sides to an agreement. SEA is planning a rally at the district offices Tuesday at 5 p.m.
