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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

Lafayette
Elementary.

West Seattle roots. Generations of possibility.

Lafayette’s West Seattle history began in 1893. Neighbors once voted to keep its predecessor school when critics called it too large; the school later served more than 1,000 children. [1]

Get to know this school
Lafayette Elementary, photographed 2000Admiral, Seattle
Lafayette Elementary, 2000. Photo: © Mary Randlett / SPS Archives · Cropped
AdmiralK–5Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1893
Students · September 2026 [2]
460
Capital budget · 2026–27 [24]
$65K

01Community consent

Don’t close Lafayette without community consent.

SPS included Lafayette 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. [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. 533October 2024
  2. 525October 2025
  3. 460September 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 Lafayette Elementary, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

Walking routes from Lafayette and available neighborhood attendance areas.

LafayetteAlkiGenesee HillFairmount Park
LafayetteNearby 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

Alki

8 min1.3 mi
23 min1.2 mi2 mapped crossings: 49TH AVE SW · SW ADMIRAL WAY

Genesee Hill

12 min1.5 mi
27 min1.3 mi1 mapped crossings: SW CHARLESTOWN ST

Fairmount Park

22 min2.4 mi
44 min2.2 mi5 mapped crossings: FAUNTLEROY WAY SW · SW ALASKA ST · SW CHARLESTOWN ST · SW GENESEE ST · SW OREGON 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.

  • Lafayette students
    5322024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

Lafayette enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Lafayette 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%Lafayette students, 2010: 524Lafayette students, 2011: 547Lafayette students, 2012: 548Lafayette students, 2013: 568Lafayette students, 2014: 505Lafayette students, 2015: 488Lafayette students, 2016: 450Lafayette students, 2017: 405Lafayette students, 2018: 420Lafayette students, 2019: 435Lafayette students, 2020: 429Lafayette students, 2021: 457Lafayette students, 2022: 476Lafayette students, 2023: 504Lafayette students, 2024: 532Seattle 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.)2010201520202024Lafayette enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Lafayette 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%Lafayette students, 2010: 524Lafayette students, 2011: 547Lafayette students, 2012: 548Lafayette students, 2013: 568Lafayette students, 2014: 505Lafayette students, 2015: 488Lafayette students, 2016: 450Lafayette students, 2017: 405Lafayette students, 2018: 420Lafayette students, 2019: 435Lafayette students, 2020: 429Lafayette students, 2021: 457Lafayette students, 2022: 476Lafayette students, 2023: 504Lafayette students, 2024: 532Seattle 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
Lafayette annual enrollment, 1986–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300400500600198620052024532Lafayette annual enrollment, 1986–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300350400450500550600198620052024532
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
198632523
198736822
198839222
198941421
199042621
199141720
199243120
199344022
199447924
199548124
199650425
199744624
199845821
199943521
200043622
200143022
200241421
200341921
200443721
200545322
200645422
200744523
200845023
200952225
201052425
201154727
201254829
2013568—
201450532
201548824
201645025
201740522
201842025
201943525
202042927
202145727
202247629
202350429
202453230

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 2019438425
October 2020429414
October 2021457448
October 2022478469
October 2023506492
October 2024533514
October 2025525508
September 2026460452

September and October counts are different snapshots. [2]

04Public investment

Invest here. Then walk away?

Keep these investments working for students and their neighborhoods.

$4.7M

Budget for completed upgrades

2021 budget · work completed 2021 [23]

  • Seismic, fire suppression and HVAC$4,686,225

$65K

Capital allocated this year

2026–27 adopted budget [24]

  • Site improvements$65,202

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

BEX VI · 2026–31

Lighting and technology.

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

Projects, amounts & sources

Earlier projects and levy plans

  • Seismic, fire suppression and HVAC

    2021 revised budget · BTA III / BEX IV · Project budget [23]

    $4,686,225

Construction record

  • Seismic, HVAC and fire suppression

    Completed 2021 · accepted 2023 · BTA III / BEX IV [25]

Earlier SPS project listings [14]

  • 2011: Installed new energy-efficient windows, skylights and roof monitors. Replaced exterior doors. Replaced window blinds and shades with new shades.
  • 2009: Flooring replaced in all classrooms and offices. Girls’ lavatory upgraded to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). New exhaust fans installed and the heating system has been updated.
  • 2005: Wide Area Network, Waterline replacement – Phase 1
  • 2001: Roof, Exterior Restoration
  • 2001: WAN Phase I
  • 2000: Wide Area Network

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 Lafayette [8]

$6.84M

$6,842,954 · $12,913 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$11.33M

$11,332,819 · $21,386 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 529.93 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—$7,236,797441.98$16,374
2020-21—$7,311,912430.33$16,991
2021-22—$8,997,354460.42$19,542
2022-23—$10,469,156479.01$21,856
2023-24$6,230,691$10,302,234510.76$20,170
2024-25$6,842,954$11,332,819529.93$21,386
15 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2010-11$2,887,03451732.7$5,584
2011-12$3,048,13355434.9$5,502
2012-13$3,055,73056335.9$5,428
2013-14$3,244,55856937.1$5,702
2014-15$3,131,22554635.1$5,735
2016-17$3,126,36745332.6$6,901
2017-18$3,102,74441529.9$7,476
2018-19$3,679,00839835.7$9,244
2019-20$4,275,36340838.0$10,479
2020-21$4,839,71242841.6$11,308
2021-22$4,930,10842641.2$11,573
2022-23$5,671,62746543.9$12,197
2023-24$5,900,11047144.0$12,527
2024-25$6,053,05149443.0$12,253
2025-26$6,719,49150847.3$13,227

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
2017-1825407
2018-1931420
2019-2030435
2020-2135429
2021-2233457
2022-2332476
2023-2434505
2024-2536533

[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]

79.1%

English language arts · 2025–26

72.1%

Mathematics · 2025–26

77.8%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 69.3%2022-23 · English language arts: 60.4%2023-24 · English language arts: 68.4%2024-25 · English language arts: 69.8%2025-26 · English language arts: 79.1%2021-22 · Mathematics: 64.6%2022-23 · Mathematics: 65.4%2023-24 · Mathematics: 71.9%2024-25 · Mathematics: 66.3%2025-26 · Mathematics: 72.1%2021-22 · Science: 68.7%2022-23 · Science: 72.1%2023-24 · Science: 76.2%2024-25 · Science: 75.3%2025-26 · Science: 77.8%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 69.3%2022-23 · English language arts: 60.4%2023-24 · English language arts: 68.4%2024-25 · English language arts: 69.8%2025-26 · English language arts: 79.1%2021-22 · Mathematics: 64.6%2022-23 · Mathematics: 65.4%2023-24 · Mathematics: 71.9%2024-25 · Mathematics: 66.3%2025-26 · Mathematics: 72.1%2021-22 · Science: 68.7%2022-23 · Science: 72.1%2023-24 · Science: 76.2%2024-25 · Science: 75.3%2025-26 · Science: 77.8%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1577.5%73.8%84.5%
2015-1667.6%71.8%84.2%
2016-1767.5%62.7%74.3%
2017-1869.3%65.6%60.7%
2018-1974.0%67.6%70.7%
2021-2269.3%64.6%68.7%
2022-2360.4%65.4%72.1%
2023-2468.4%71.9%76.2%
2024-2569.8%66.3%75.3%
2025-2679.1%72.1%77.8%

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 Admiral.

Lafayette’s predecessor opened in 1893. When critics called the mostly empty building too large, residents voted to retain it. Enrollment later exceeded 1,000. The 1949 earthquake damaged the old school beyond repair; its replacement opened in 1950. [1]

  1. 1893

    West Seattle School opened; later renamed Lafayette.

  2. 1918

    School adopted the Lafayette name.

  3. 1950

    Replacement school opened after the 1949 earthquake.

  4. 1953

    Six-classroom wing added.

  5. 2021

    Seismic upgrades.

Families formed Friends of Lafayette Music in 2005 to sustain music instruction during budget cuts. [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

    Lafayette seismic, fire suppression and HVAC: project budget

    2021 award: $4,686,225 revised total budget, including the $275,000 transfer.

  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

    Jan. 18, 2023 board meeting

    Final acceptance of Lafayette upgrades, Graham Hill playground and McGilvra field.

  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.