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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: What Will Happen the First Day of School? (Part One)

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: What Will Happen the First Day of School? (Part One):


What Will Happen the First Day of School? (Part One)

Dorothy Neville sent an e-mail to the Board with her concerns over the what is likely to be more than one school opening its doors next Wednesday understaffed. She said it well so below is her e-mail entitled Avoidable chaos:

"Let me get this straight.
  • We are ending this fiscal year about 6 million in the black, which is about 2 million dollars more than expected.
  • We are in an enrollment upswing, but we don't have a clear understanding of how many kids will actually show up next week.
  • We need to be fiscally conservative because the state's going to cut


  • What Will Happen the First Day of School? (Part Two)
  • CFO Bob Boesche sent Dorothy Neville a reply and a follow-up to her questions about understaffing and its ramifications on the first day of school.  I personally was a bit confused by some of his answers and I guess the only answer at this point is to wait and see.  But, keep in mind, the Board and the staff knew that any poor outcomes were entirely possible and did nothing to protect the most likely to be overenrolled schools.

    His first e-mail said this (and I edited it down):

    The attached document should provide additional specifics, but I want to clarify that this is not a “hiring freeze” in the traditional sense.  

    Hiring freezes are often long-term in nature.  In this case, we will be making key adjustments within the first two weeks of the school year.  Decisions will be based upon actual enrollment, addressing schools which are under,