Seattle Schools Community Forum: Nightmare Charter School Scenarios

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Nightmare Charter School Scenarios:

Nightmare Charter School Scenarios

by Charlie Mas

The more I think about this charter school thing, the more my imagination runs wild.

Real Estate View. There is only one public school building in Seattle where a charter school can open. Every other school building in Seattle is either already occupied by a public school, planned for use by the District in BEX IV, or leased. The new law would only grant charter operators a right of first refusal to purchase or lease school district property, but that only matters if the District decides to sell or lease a property. The law would not empower CMOs to claim real estate from the District. The only space available is Magnolia. TT Minor, Webster, and Lake City are already leased. Genesee Hill, Fairmount Park, E C Hughes, Boren, Columbia, Van Asselt, John Marshall, Wilson-Pacific, and Cedar Park all figure in the BEX IV plan and will not be offered for lease. Schmitz Park, Boren, Columbia, Van Asselt, and John Marshall may become available down the road, as might Webster, but charter schools can't have them if the District decides not to sell or lease them. So I have to wonder: where could a charter school find space?


Conversion Idea. I had this thought that about 40% of Seattle's public schools could win the votes needed for