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
Highland Park
Elementary.
More than a century on the hill.
Highland Park began in 1913 when neighbors secured a classroom so children would not have to walk down the hill to South Park. The community moved into its current school in 1999. [3]
Highland Park, SeattleUpdateOctober 20, 2026
Possible merger
School that may move
Possible receiving school
These reported pairings are unconfirmed; no adopted SPS plan has been verified.
01History & community
A school neighbors made possible.
The district agreed to provide a portable if residents supplied a site. Sixteen children attended the first classroom. A permanent school followed in 1921, and later additions served a growing southwest Seattle neighborhood. [3]
Highland Park and Sanislo already share a history. Students assigned to the new Sanislo waited in Highland Park portables until their school opened in December 1970. [3]
The current building opened in September 1999 after students spent construction at E.C. Hughes. Salvaged bricks formed an entrance archway. The district history describes family events, English classes for parents and, from 2015, an after-school program for Native American students. [3]
- 1913
Neighbors help open the first Highland Park classroom. [3]
- 1921
Permanent school opens. [3]
- 1970
Future Sanislo students leave Highland Park portables for their new school. [3]
- 1999
Replacement Highland Park campus opens. [3]
1012 SW Trenton St., Seattle, WA 98106 [1]
Visit the school website ↗02School records
Sources & citations.
- 01
Seattle Public Schools
Highland Park Elementary: district profileCurrent school name and address, verified October 20, 2026.
- 02
- 03
Seattle Public Schools Archives
Building for Learning: Highland Park ElementaryDistrict history documents the school’s origins, community and campus changes, with archival photographs.
Highland Park Elementary. Your community. Your say.
Would you support or oppose closing this school?
Closure poll
- Opposed95%
- Neutral3%
- Support2%
Real results unlock after 10 confirmed votes at Highland Park Elementary.