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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

John Hay
Elementary.

Room for art, nature and imagination.

John Hay’s Queen Anne community has helped shape arts programs, a wildlife habitat and a memorial garden. Those contributions reflect a school where families and neighbors help make learning richer. [1]

Get to know this school
John Hay Elementary, photographed 2000Queen Anne, Seattle
John Hay Elementary, 2000. Photo: © Mary Randlett / SPS Archives · Cropped
Queen AnneK–5Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1905
Students · September 2026 [2]
246
Capital budget · 2026–27 [24]
$48K

01Community consent

Don’t close John Hay without community consent.

SPS included John Hay in both September 2024 closure alternatives. 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. [26] Brent Jones resigned in 2025. After Fred Podesta served as interim superintendent, Ben Shuldiner took over in February 2026. [27][28]

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. 287October 2024
  2. 261October 2025
  3. 246September 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 John Hay Elementary, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

Walking routes from John Hay and available neighborhood attendance areas.

John HayQueen AnneCoeBenjamin Franklin Day
John HayNearby 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

Queen Anne

6 min0.5 mi
10 min0.5 miNone mapped

Coe

10 min1.1 mi
24 min1.2 mi4 mapped crossings: QUEEN ANNE AVE N · W MCGRAW PL · W MCGRAW ST

Benjamin Franklin Day

20 min1.9 mi
37 min1.9 mi5 mapped crossings: BOSTON ST · FREMONT TURN RD · N 38TH ST · N 39TH ST · RAYE 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.

  • John Hay students
    2572024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

John Hay enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. John Hay students use the left scale, 0 to 600. 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.015030045060000%50k10%100k20%150k30%John Hay students, 2010: 488John Hay students, 2011: 529John Hay students, 2012: 546John Hay students, 2013: 542John Hay students, 2014: 520John Hay students, 2015: 500John Hay students, 2016: 499John Hay students, 2017: 491John Hay students, 2018: 480John Hay students, 2019: 497John Hay students, 2020: 383John Hay students, 2021: 305John Hay students, 2022: 271John Hay students, 2023: 264John Hay students, 2024: 257Seattle 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.)2010201520202024John Hay enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. John Hay students use the left scale, 0 to 600. 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.015030045060000%50k10%100k20%150k30%John Hay students, 2010: 488John Hay students, 2011: 529John Hay students, 2012: 546John Hay students, 2013: 542John Hay students, 2014: 520John Hay students, 2015: 500John Hay students, 2016: 499John Hay students, 2017: 491John Hay students, 2018: 480John Hay students, 2019: 497John Hay students, 2020: 383John Hay students, 2021: 305John Hay students, 2022: 271John Hay students, 2023: 264John Hay students, 2024: 257Seattle 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
John Hay annual enrollment, 1986–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300400500600198620052024257John Hay annual enrollment, 1986–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300350400450500550600198620052024257
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
198635622
198742721
198846921
198940418
199045122
199153121
199244322
199347021
199445123
199548223
199648622
199747223
199848923
199946624
200046024
200144824
200245926
200342425
200443125
200545625
200645025
200744926
200846126
200946826
201048825
201152927
201254630
2013542—
201452035
201550029
201649930
201749128
201848031
201949730
202038331
202130523
202227121
202326419
202425723

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 2019497497
October 2020383383
October 2021305305
October 2022270270
October 2023269269
October 2024287258
October 2025261232
September 2026246211

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

$48K

Capital allocated this year

2026–27 adopted budget [24]

  • Fire alarm$48,258

Annual allocations cover one fiscal year; they are separate from total project costs.

BEX VI · 2026–31

Technology for this school.

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

Projects, amounts & sources

Earlier projects and levy plans

  • Playground

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

    $175,000

Construction record

  • Playground improvements

    2022 closeout · BEX V [25]

Earlier SPS project listings [14]

  • 2013: Replaced roof and resealed exterior masonry. Installed solar hot water panels.
  • 2012: Installed phase II of ground source heat pump system. Installed occupancy sensors for energy efficiency
  • 2011: Installed phase I of ground source heat pump system. Installed energy-efficient pathway lighting controls.
  • 2011: Installed new gym lighting.
  • 2009: Classroom carpets were replaced and floor tiles refinished. In the lunchroom, a new tile floor was installed. New roller shades replaced vertical louver blinds in the classrooms and offices.
  • 2006: Mechanical Upgrades
  • 2004: Heat Pump

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 John Hay [8]

$5.77M

$5,771,716 · $22,149 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$7.98M

$7,979,496 · $30,622 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 260.58 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—$8,294,562502.20$16,516
2020-21—$7,233,684374.28$19,327
2021-22—$7,134,832299.63$23,812
2022-23—$6,575,226272.45$24,134
2023-24$4,436,014$6,545,762264.66$24,733
2024-25$5,771,716$7,979,496260.58$30,622
15 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2010-11$2,756,23445334.1$6,084
2011-12$3,016,48949535.9$6,094
2012-13$3,281,77052138.4$6,299
2013-14$3,460,65255139.8$6,281
2014-15$3,701,88452043.6$7,119
2016-17$4,032,15053143.4$7,594
2017-18$4,037,93148840.0$8,274
2018-19$4,695,50049246.1$9,544
2019-20$4,980,35246243.2$10,780
2020-21$5,222,28446844.7$11,159
2021-22$4,584,74337038.4$12,391
2022-23$4,241,87430133.8$14,093
2023-24$3,969,71025431.1$15,629
2024-25$5,076,94626139.3$19,452
2025-26$5,326,09725440.8$20,969

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
2017-1836491
2018-1939481
2019-2038497
2020-2134383
2021-2233305
2022-2332272
2023-2424268
2024-2524287

[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]

54.9%

English language arts · 2025–26

53.4%

Mathematics · 2025–26

61.8%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 75.9%2022-23 · English language arts: 59.4%2023-24 · English language arts: 67.3%2024-25 · English language arts: 55.0%2025-26 · English language arts: 54.9%2021-22 · Mathematics: 63.9%2022-23 · Mathematics: 54.0%2023-24 · Mathematics: 54.3%2024-25 · Mathematics: 49.1%2025-26 · Mathematics: 53.4%2021-22 · Science: 73.3%2022-23 · Science: 64.6%2024-25 · Science: 35.9%2025-26 · Science: 61.8%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 75.9%2022-23 · English language arts: 59.4%2023-24 · English language arts: 67.3%2024-25 · English language arts: 55.0%2025-26 · English language arts: 54.9%2021-22 · Mathematics: 63.9%2022-23 · Mathematics: 54.0%2023-24 · Mathematics: 54.3%2024-25 · Mathematics: 49.1%2025-26 · Mathematics: 53.4%2021-22 · Science: 73.3%2022-23 · Science: 64.6%2024-25 · Science: 35.9%2025-26 · Science: 61.8%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1586.6%83.5%91.9%
2015-1684.0%74.2%92.7%
2016-1782.8%74.8%89.7%
2017-1883.8%75.3%83.1%
2018-1984.6%73.8%76.1%
2021-2275.9%63.9%73.3%
2022-2359.4%54.0%64.6%
2023-2467.3%54.3%Suppressed
2024-2555.0%49.1%35.9%
2025-2654.9%53.4%61.8%

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 Queen Anne.

John Hay began in 1905 at the building now used by Queen Anne Elementary. The current school opened in 1989 on the former Queen Anne High School athletic field. Families and neighbors have helped shape its arts programs, wildlife habitat and memorial garden. [1]

  1. 1905

    Original John Hay school opened.

  2. 1989

    Current school opened at 201 Garfield Street.

  3. 1993

    Festival of the Arts launched.

  4. 2001

    Pathway Garden created with community support.

Artist Jacob Lawrence visited a student performance based on his book during the school’s first Festival of the Arts. [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

    2026–27 adopted capital budget

    Annual project allocations, not lifetime costs or remaining balances. PDF pp. 185–187; printed pp. 178–180.

  25. 25

    Seattle Public Schools

    May 18, 2022 board meeting

    Final acceptance of shared John Hay and Gatewood playground work.

  26. 26

    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.

  27. 27

    Seattle Public Schools Archives

    SPS directors and superintendents

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

  28. 28

    Seattle Public Schools

    New Superintendent Begins Tenure Leading Seattle Public Schools

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