Skip to content

Public schools. Public promise.

SAVE SEATTLESCHOOLS.

Our position

  • Keep great public schools open. Schools anchor communities. Families need stability to plan years ahead. Closure threats weaken trust and push families away.
  • Closures won’t fix the budget. Other districts have lost students and funding to large-scale closures. Promised efficiencies haven’t fixed their budgets.
  • Make public schools work for everyone. Maintain academic excellence and support every learner. Keep families from every socioeconomic background invested.

A school worth knowing

Dunlap
Elementary.

A Rainier Valley school with deep roots.

Dunlap has been part of Rainier Valley life for more than a century. Its campus combines a preserved historic core with newer classrooms and shared spaces, connecting generations of neighborhood children. [1]

Get to know this school
Dunlap Elementary, photographed 2000Rainier Beach, Seattle
Dunlap Elementary, 2000. Photo: © Mary Randlett / SPS Archives · Cropped
Rainier BeachK–5Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1898
Students · September 2026 [2]
248
Original playground levy estimate · 2018 plan · not actual spending [23]
$175K

01Community consent

Don’t close Dunlap without community consent.

SPS included Dunlap in September 2024 closure Option A. It was not among the final four schools recommended that October. The board withdrew that proposal in November 2024. [4][5][6]

The leadership has changed since then. The 2025 election brought Kathleen Smith and Jen LaVallee onto the board, alongside returning directors Vivian Song and Joe Mizrahi. [27] Brent Jones resigned in 2025. After Fred Podesta served as interim superintendent, Ben Shuldiner took over in February 2026. [28][29]

Plan for more students, not fewer schools. Rebuild trust, maintain academic excellence and help families discover what their local school offers. Give this community the stability and support to grow enrollment—and a direct say in its future.

The years after the proposals

  1. 263October 2024
  2. 251October 2025
  3. 248September 2026

SPS student headcounts [2]

02Nearby schools

Longer commutes. More crossings.

Closing a neighborhood school can mean longer school runs, time away from work and more busy streets for children to cross. Apparent savings to SPS are paid for in families’ time. Moving costs off the district’s books does not make them disappear.

Compare the 3 nearest SPS elementary or K–8 campuses to Dunlap Elementary, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

Walking routes from Dunlap and available neighborhood attendance areas.

DunlapSouth Shore PreK-8Rising StarWing Luke
DunlapNearby schoolsAttendance areasWalking routesArterial crossings

© SPS 2025–26 GIS [20] · 2026–27 attendance map [21] · © SDOT / King County [22] · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Route data (ODbL)

Travel time for families.

Campus to campus · Driving: round trip per drop-off or pickup · Walking & distances: one way

SchoolParent driving Round tripChild walking One wayArterial crossings On foot

South Shore PreK-8

10 min0.5 mi
4 min0.2 miNone mapped

Rising Star

12 min1.0 mi
21 min0.9 mi4 mapped crossings: BEACON AVE S · M L KING JR WAY S · RENTON AVE S · S CLOVERDALE ST

Wing Luke

12 min1.0 mi
20 min0.9 mi3 mapped crossings: M L KING JR WAY S · RENTON AVE S · S CLOVERDALE ST

Driving: 2× one-way estimate, without traffic · Walking routes [18][19]

03Enrollment

More kids in Seattle. Fewer in public schools.

Enrollment & the city

2010–2024 · Each line uses its own color-matched scale.

  • Dunlap students
    2612024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

Dunlap enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Dunlap students use the left scale, 0 to 500. The right-hand axis pairs blue labels for Seattle residents under 18, 0 to 150,000, with red labels for private K–12 share, 0 to 30 percent. All scales start at zero. Dashed segments and hollow points show linear interpolation for the missing 2020 city data. Exact values, survey margins and definitions are in Data & sources.012525037550000%50k10%100k20%150k30%Dunlap students, 2010: 429Dunlap students, 2011: 390Dunlap students, 2012: 410Dunlap students, 2013: 357Dunlap students, 2014: 408Dunlap students, 2015: 320Dunlap students, 2016: 302Dunlap students, 2017: 291Dunlap students, 2018: 304Dunlap students, 2019: 323Dunlap students, 2020: 301Dunlap students, 2021: 248Dunlap students, 2022: 290Dunlap students, 2023: 248Dunlap students, 2024: 261Seattle children under 18, 2010: 95,293; 90% margin ±5,001Seattle children under 18, 2011: 98,585; 90% margin ±3,957Seattle children under 18, 2012: 97,199; 90% margin ±4,372Seattle children under 18, 2013: 100,535; 90% margin ±5,296Seattle children under 18, 2014: 99,837; 90% margin ±4,811Seattle children under 18, 2015: 99,795; 90% margin ±4,654Seattle children under 18, 2016: 105,996; 90% margin ±5,142Seattle children under 18, 2017: 114,411; 90% margin ±5,315Seattle children under 18, 2018: 111,713; 90% margin ±5,986Seattle children under 18, 2019: 110,672; 90% margin ±5,207Seattle children under 18, 2020: 104,893; linearly interpolated between neighboring yearsSeattle children under 18, 2021: 99,114; 90% margin ±5,548Seattle children under 18, 2022: 100,014; 90% margin ±5,563Seattle children under 18, 2023: 109,297; 90% margin ±5,966Seattle children under 18, 2024: 109,519; 90% margin ±6,349Private K–12 share, 2010: 19.4%; 90% margin ±2.7 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2011: 20.7%; 90% margin ±2.2 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2012: 22.1%; 90% margin ±2.8 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2013: 23.2%; 90% margin ±2.6 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2014: 19.9%; 90% margin ±2.3 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2015: 21.1%; 90% margin ±2.7 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2016: 21.2%; 90% margin ±2.7 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2017: 18.3%; 90% margin ±2.5 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2018: 21.7%; 90% margin ±2.2 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2019: 21.8%; 90% margin ±2.4 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2020: 23.3%; linearly interpolated between neighboring yearsPrivate K–12 share, 2021: 24.9%; 90% margin ±3.5 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2022: 17.3%; 90% margin ±2.2 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2023: 25.1%; 90% margin ±2.6 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2024: 25.8%; 90% margin ±3.4 percentage points (approx.)2010201520202024Dunlap enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Dunlap students use the left scale, 0 to 500. The right-hand axis pairs blue labels for Seattle residents under 18, 0 to 150,000, with red labels for private K–12 share, 0 to 30 percent. All scales start at zero. Dashed segments and hollow points show linear interpolation for the missing 2020 city data. Exact values, survey margins and definitions are in Data & sources.012525037550000%50k10%100k20%150k30%Dunlap students, 2010: 429Dunlap students, 2011: 390Dunlap students, 2012: 410Dunlap students, 2013: 357Dunlap students, 2014: 408Dunlap students, 2015: 320Dunlap students, 2016: 302Dunlap students, 2017: 291Dunlap students, 2018: 304Dunlap students, 2019: 323Dunlap students, 2020: 301Dunlap students, 2021: 248Dunlap students, 2022: 290Dunlap students, 2023: 248Dunlap students, 2024: 261Seattle children under 18, 2010: 95,293; 90% margin ±5,001Seattle children under 18, 2011: 98,585; 90% margin ±3,957Seattle children under 18, 2012: 97,199; 90% margin ±4,372Seattle children under 18, 2013: 100,535; 90% margin ±5,296Seattle children under 18, 2014: 99,837; 90% margin ±4,811Seattle children under 18, 2015: 99,795; 90% margin ±4,654Seattle children under 18, 2016: 105,996; 90% margin ±5,142Seattle children under 18, 2017: 114,411; 90% margin ±5,315Seattle children under 18, 2018: 111,713; 90% margin ±5,986Seattle children under 18, 2019: 110,672; 90% margin ±5,207Seattle children under 18, 2020: 104,893; linearly interpolated between neighboring yearsSeattle children under 18, 2021: 99,114; 90% margin ±5,548Seattle children under 18, 2022: 100,014; 90% margin ±5,563Seattle children under 18, 2023: 109,297; 90% margin ±5,966Seattle children under 18, 2024: 109,519; 90% margin ±6,349Private K–12 share, 2010: 19.4%; 90% margin ±2.7 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2011: 20.7%; 90% margin ±2.2 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2012: 22.1%; 90% margin ±2.8 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2013: 23.2%; 90% margin ±2.6 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2014: 19.9%; 90% margin ±2.3 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2015: 21.1%; 90% margin ±2.7 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2016: 21.2%; 90% margin ±2.7 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2017: 18.3%; 90% margin ±2.5 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2018: 21.7%; 90% margin ±2.2 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2019: 21.8%; 90% margin ±2.4 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2020: 23.3%; linearly interpolated between neighboring yearsPrivate K–12 share, 2021: 24.9%; 90% margin ±3.5 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2022: 17.3%; 90% margin ±2.2 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2023: 25.1%; 90% margin ±2.6 percentage points (approx.)Private K–12 share, 2024: 25.8%; 90% margin ±3.4 percentage points (approx.)20102012201420162018202020222024

Dashed segments interpolate the 2020 gap. Sources: NCES and Census ACS. [3][16][17]

Seattle’s under-18 population grew from about 100,000 in 2022 to 110,000 in 2024. Private schools’ share of K–12 enrollment rose from 21.8% in 2019 to 25.8% in 2024. [16][17]

Uncertainty weakens public schools.

Continued closure uncertainty gives families who can afford private school another reason to leave. With them go students, funding and advocates. Instead of protecting a safety net, we erode the public support that sustains it. Public schools need families from every socioeconomic background invested in their success.

1986–2024: the longer enrollment record
Dunlap annual enrollment, 1986–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300400500198620052024261Dunlap annual enrollment, 1986–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300350400450500198620052024261
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
198624515
198733617
198833116
198925717
199025612
199124313
199222113
199322115
199423414
199522813
199623413
199724815
199829217
199931719
200045227
200141325
200243325
200345324
200439324
200540724
200636825
200737922
200839122
200942424
201042925
201139026
201241026
2013357—
201440830
201532025
201630224
201729122
201830424
201932324
202030126
202124822
202229022
202324825
202426124

The series follows this school’s NCES identifier. Grade spans and programs have changed over time. [3]

Recent district enrollment counts
SPS P223 monthly headcounts; total includes preschool where present
Count dateAll studentsFunded students
October 2019328269
October 2020303253
October 2021255219
October 2022294242
October 2023259224
October 2024263220
October 2025251218
September 2026248202

September and October counts are different snapshots. [2]

04Public investment

Invest here. Then walk away?

Keep these investments working for students and their neighborhoods.

$175K

Original playground levy estimate

2018 plan · not actual spending [23]

  • Playground$175,000

BEX VI · 2026–31

Technology for this school.

Student and staff devices, digital learning and cybersecurity. [13]

  • Audio, visual and security upgradesScheduled Dec. 2025–March 2026 · BTA V / BEX VI [25]
Projects, amounts & sources

Earlier projects and levy plans

  • Playground

    2018 levy estimate · BEX V · Original levy estimate [23]

    $175,000

Construction record

  • Playground replacement

    Completed 2020 · BEX V [24]

  • Audio, visual and security upgrades

    Scheduled Dec. 2025–March 2026 · BTA V / BEX VI [25]

Contracts shared with other schools

These amounts cover multiple schools and are excluded from this school’s totals.

  • Playgrounds at 10 schools

    Shared completed project · 2021 closeout [26]

    $1,710,063

School spending.
District allocations.

School-coded spending is the annual operating expense recorded under the school’s own accounting code, including any shared costs assigned to it. The reported total includes a broader share of districtwide spending allocated to the school in the state’s expenditure report.

These figures show what SPS spent to serve students that year. A closure proposal must show which expenses would actually end, after accounting for transition costs, transportation and funding lost when families leave.

2024-25 actual expenditure

Spending coded to Dunlap [8]

$5.57M

$5,573,989 · $20,357 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$7.89M

$7,893,861 · $28,830 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 273.81 full-time-equivalent students, the school year’s average enrollment. [7][8]

6 years of reported actual spending
OSPI actual expenditure in nominal dollars
School yearSchool-coded spendingTotal with allocationsStudent FTEReported per pupil
2019-20—$6,085,804291.09$20,907
2020-21—$7,370,585277.65$26,546
2021-22—$7,342,602254.19$28,886
2022-23—$8,696,973259.82$33,473
2023-24$5,608,483$7,788,221273.44$28,482
2024-25$5,573,989$7,893,861273.81$28,830
15 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2010-11$3,096,62340536.0$7,646
2011-12$3,294,93341838.4$7,883
2012-13$3,128,22838437.7$8,146
2013-14$3,314,22936139.0$9,181
2014-15$3,611,60937441.9$9,657
2016-17$3,656,24732438.1$11,285
2017-18$3,297,35528132.5$11,734
2018-19$3,898,29127937.2$13,972
2019-20$3,914,27123134.6$16,945
2020-21$4,694,15328139.0$16,705
2021-22$4,394,28624434.5$18,009
2022-23$4,501,83421433.6$21,037
2023-24$5,062,99024936.7$20,333
2024-25$5,232,50721838.3$24,002
2025-26$4,987,76820636.3$24,212

Budget allocations are distinct from actual expenditure. 2025-26 budget: [9]

2010-11 source ↗2011-12 source ↗2012-13 source ↗2013-14 source ↗2014-15 source ↗2016-17 source ↗2017-18 source ↗2018-19 source ↗2019-20 source ↗2020-21 source ↗2021-22 source ↗2022-23 source ↗2023-24 source ↗2024-25 source ↗2025-26 source ↗

Teacher headcounts
OSPI teacher headcounts, distinct from funded staff FTE
School yearTeachersStudents in this report
2017-1826328
2018-1929305
2019-2027323
2020-2128301
2021-2226248
2022-2327290
2023-2430248
2024-2525261

[15]

05Learning

Student outcomes.

Academic excellence for every student builds families’ trust. Keep expectations high, give each learner the support to succeed and measure progress honestly. SPS should improve outcomes, not dilute the metrics used to judge them. That is how Seattle can become the nation’s No. 1 urban school district.

Share of tested students meeting the state standard, across tested grades. [10]

30.0%

English language arts · 2025–26

23.3%

Mathematics · 2025–26

36.8%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 49.1%2022-23 · English language arts: 42.5%2023-24 · English language arts: 47.1%2024-25 · English language arts: 47.3%2025-26 · English language arts: 30.0%2021-22 · Mathematics: 30.7%2022-23 · Mathematics: 30.2%2023-24 · Mathematics: 35.0%2024-25 · Mathematics: 27.0%2025-26 · Mathematics: 23.3%2021-22 · Science: 32.6%2022-23 · Science: 32.3%2023-24 · Science: 47.5%2024-25 · Science: 30.6%2025-26 · Science: 36.8%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 49.1%2022-23 · English language arts: 42.5%2023-24 · English language arts: 47.1%2024-25 · English language arts: 47.3%2025-26 · English language arts: 30.0%2021-22 · Mathematics: 30.7%2022-23 · Mathematics: 30.2%2023-24 · Mathematics: 35.0%2024-25 · Mathematics: 27.0%2025-26 · Mathematics: 23.3%2021-22 · Science: 32.6%2022-23 · Science: 32.3%2023-24 · Science: 47.5%2024-25 · Science: 30.6%2025-26 · Science: 36.8%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1533.9%36.6%28.3%
2015-1641.0%41.0%30.2%
2016-1732.8%32.8%15.9%
2017-1834.8%33.9%33.3%
2018-1952.4%34.9%39.4%
2021-2249.1%30.7%32.6%
2022-2342.5%30.2%32.3%
2023-2447.1%35.0%47.5%
2024-2547.3%27.0%30.6%
2025-2630.0%23.3%36.8%

Suppressed results stay blank in the chart. Science assessments changed during this period; the trend above covers the current testing era. [10][11][12]

06History & community

Rooted in Rainier Beach.

A Dunlap school was operating by 1898 in the independent Columbia district. The current school opened in 1924. Its historic core was preserved through a major renovation and addition that reopened in 2000, reorganizing classrooms and shared spaces around the school’s educational needs. [1]

  1. 1898

    A Dunlap school was operating by this year.

  2. 1924

    Current historic school opened.

  3. 1953–1954

    Classroom and gym addition.

  4. 1998

    Historic exterior designated a Seattle landmark.

  5. 2000

    Renovation and major addition completed.

The renovation received a design-achievement award from School Planning & Management in 2003. [1]

07Research

Sources & citations.

  1. 01

    SPS / HistoryLink

    Building for Learning: school and building history, 2022

    Origins, building chronology and community history.

  2. 02

    Seattle Public Schools

    Monthly P223 enrollment reports

    October 2019–2025 and September 2026. Total headcount includes preschool where offered.

  3. 03

    NCES / Urban Institute

    Common Core of Data: annual school enrollment

    A consistent school identifier; grade spans and program locations can change.

  4. 04

    KUOW

    September 11, 2024: the two closure alternatives

    Option A named 21 schools; Option B named 17. Their union contains 22 distinct schools.

  5. 05

    Seattle Public Schools

    October 24, 2024: preliminary recommendations

    North Beach, Sacajawea, Sanislo and Stevens, with named receiving schools.

  6. 06

    Seattle School Board

    November 26, 2024: withdrawal record

    Board action on withdrawal of the preliminary school-closure recommendation.

  7. 07

    Washington OSPI

    Actual school-level expenditures, 2019–2025

    Report-card spending includes district allocations; denominator is annual-average student FTE.

  8. 08

    Washington OSPI

    F-196 expenditures by school location

    2023–24 and 2024–25 school-coded actuals. These may already include costs allocated by the district.

  9. 09

    Seattle Public Schools

    School budgets and funded staffing

    School allocations and planned staff FTE; separate from actual expenditures and employee headcounts.

  10. 10

    Washington OSPI

    State assessment results, 2021–2026

    All Students, All Grades, general assessments; percent meeting standard among tested students.

  11. 11

    Washington OSPI

    Historical state assessments, 2014–2017

    Different subjects/test regimes retained separately; suppressed results remain unpublished.

  12. 12

    Washington OSPI

    Historical state assessments, 2017–2019

    General assessments; results for tested students.

  13. 13

    Seattle Public Schools

    BEX VI: approved 2025 capital levy

    $1.8 billion districtwide, collected 2026–2031. School project lists are not school-specific expenditure totals.

  14. 14

    Seattle Public Schools

    School directory and levy projects

    School address, programs and dated building projects.

  15. 15

    Washington OSPI

    Teacher counts and student–teacher ratios

    Classroom teacher headcounts, 2017–18 through 2024–25; distinct from staff FTE.

  16. 16

    U.S. Census Bureau

    Seattle children: ACS B09001

    Seattle residents under 18, including preschool-age children; annual estimates through 2024.

  17. 17

    U.S. Census Bureau

    Seattle public and private enrollment: ACS B14002

    Private share of city residents enrolled in K–12. The 2020 chart gap is interpolated.

  18. 18

    Valhalla / FOSSGIS / OpenStreetMap

    Campus-to-campus route estimates

    Cached pedestrian and shortest-distance driving routes, October 2026. No live traffic in these source records.

  19. 19

    Seattle Department of Transportation

    Official arterial street classifications

    Principal, minor and collector arterial street geometry.

  20. 20

    Seattle Public Schools GIS

    Elementary attendance areas, 2025–26

    Published geographic boundaries; option schools do not have ordinary attendance areas.

  21. 21

    Seattle Public Schools

    Current district attendance-area reference

    2026–27 district PDF map; a separate vintage from the available GIS.

  22. 22

    King County GIS

    Major waterbodies

    Geographic context for the campus maps.

  23. 23

    Seattle Public Schools

    BEX V levy resolution and original project estimates

    Oct. 30, 2018 board action packet. Budget attachment is labeled preliminary; estimates precede escalation and later project changes. PDF pp. 18–19.

  24. 24

    Seattle Public Schools

    SPS recent completed construction projects

    Completed work and funding sources, including 2019–25 summer projects. Accessed Oct. 9, 2026.

  25. 25

    Seattle Public Schools

    Audio, visual and security project schedule

    Phases 2 and 3 funded by BTA V and BEX VI. Schedule is not a completion certificate. Accessed Oct. 9, 2026.

  26. 26

    Seattle Public Schools

    2020 playground improvements at 10 schools: final acceptance

    2021 closeout: shared completed project $1,710,063. No school-level split. Amount appears on PDF p. 3.

  27. 27

    Seattle Public Schools

    New Directors Sworn in to Seattle School Board

    Dec. 8, 2025. Kathleen Smith and Jen LaVallee joined; Joe Mizrahi and Vivian Song continued after the November election.

  28. 28

    Seattle Public Schools Archives

    SPS directors and superintendents

    2025 revision, page 9. Brent Jones resigned in 2025; Fred Podesta served as interim superintendent.

  29. 29

    Seattle Public Schools

    New Superintendent Begins Tenure Leading Seattle Public Schools

    Feb. 2, 2026. Ben Shuldiner began leading the district.