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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

Orca
K–8.

Learning by doing. Growing together.

Orca’s alternative-school roots stretch back to 1972. At its Whitworth campus, a garden, greenhouse and science building connect hands-on learning with the world outside the classroom. [1]

Get to know this school
Whitworth, now home to Orca, photographed 2000Columbia City, Seattle
Whitworth, now home to Orca, 2000. Photo: © Mary Randlett / SPS Archives · Cropped
Columbia CityK–8Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1972
Students · September 2026 [2]
212
Capital budget · 2026–27 [24]
$4.4M

01Community consent

Don’t close Orca without community consent.

SPS included Orca 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. [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. 280October 2024
  2. 245October 2025
  3. 212September 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 Orca K-8, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

Walking routes from Orca K-8 and available neighborhood attendance areas.

Orca K-8Graham HillMartin Luther King, Jr.Hawthorne
Orca K-8Nearby schoolsAttendance areasWalking routesArterial crossings

Option school; no attendance area · © 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

Graham Hill

12 min0.9 mi
20 min0.9 mi1 mapped crossings: S ORCAS ST

Martin Luther King, Jr.

16 min1.1 mi
21 min1.0 mi3 mapped crossings: RAINIER AVE S · S GRAHAM ST · S ORCAS ST

Hawthorne

14 min1.2 mi
24 min1.1 mi1 mapped crossings: S GENESEE 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.

  • Orca students
    2782024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

Orca enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Orca 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%Orca students, 2010: 502Orca students, 2011: 488Orca students, 2012: 492Orca students, 2013: 483Orca students, 2014: 476Orca students, 2015: 415Orca students, 2016: 372Orca students, 2017: 391Orca students, 2018: 395Orca students, 2019: 406Orca students, 2020: 422Orca students, 2021: 394Orca students, 2022: 398Orca students, 2023: 355Orca students, 2024: 278Seattle 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.)2010201520202024Orca enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Orca 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%Orca students, 2010: 502Orca students, 2011: 488Orca students, 2012: 492Orca students, 2013: 483Orca students, 2014: 476Orca students, 2015: 415Orca students, 2016: 372Orca students, 2017: 391Orca students, 2018: 395Orca students, 2019: 406Orca students, 2020: 422Orca students, 2021: 394Orca students, 2022: 398Orca students, 2023: 355Orca students, 2024: 278Seattle 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.

1988–2024: the longer enrollment record
Orca annual enrollment, 1988–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300400500600198820062024278Orca annual enrollment, 1988–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300350400450500550600198820062024278
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
19881841
19891971
199023211
199123513
199223513
199324613
199425113
199524213
199624312
199727313
199829915
199932916
200023812
200124513
200224414
200323815
200424014
200525513
200627414
200733418
200840418
200948725
201050225
201148826
201249225
2013483—
201447627
201541525
201637223
201739123
201839526
201940623
202042226
202139432
202239827
202335523
202427823

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 2019401401
October 2020415415
October 2021384384
October 2022398398
October 2023362362
October 2024280280
October 2025245245
September 2026212212

September and October counts are different snapshots. [2]

04Public investment

Invest here. Then walk away?

Keep these investments working for students and their neighborhoods.

$4.4M

Capital allocated this year

2026–27 adopted budget [24]

  • HVAC$1,432,452
  • Fire alarm$650,067
  • Door and window alarms$137,872
  • Exterior doors$131,440
  • Roof replacement$2,000,000

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]

  • Roof replacement2026 project · BTA III, as listed by SPS [26]
Projects, amounts & sources

Earlier projects and levy plans

  • Playground

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

    $100,000

Construction record

  • Seismic improvements

    Completed 2020 · BEX IV [25]

  • Roof replacement

    2026 project · BTA III, as listed by SPS [26]

Earlier SPS project listings [14]

  • 2012: Replaced roof.
  • 2008: Greenhouse and science room, portable modular greenhouse
  • 2004: Heat Pump (HVAC upgrade) at Whitworth
  • 1999: Wide Area Network at Whitworth

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 Orca [8]

$4.99M

$4,990,129 · $17,944 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$7.35M

$7,346,264 · $26,417 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 278.09 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—$7,203,305400.59$17,982
2020-21—$7,292,063419.20$17,395
2021-22—$7,994,778398.40$20,067
2022-23—$8,873,860394.51$22,493
2023-24$4,542,815$7,320,100348.40$21,011
2024-25$4,990,129$7,346,264278.09$26,417
15 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2010-11$3,027,17649036.1$6,178
2011-12$3,335,35650039.0$6,671
2012-13$3,097,85148536.5$6,387
2013-14$3,295,42250038.1$6,591
2014-15$3,269,46849036.7$6,672
2016-17$3,352,55839834.8$8,424
2017-18$3,667,71139635.3$9,262
2018-19$3,973,47541537.7$9,575
2019-20$4,432,43938936.7$11,394
2020-21$4,666,61342137.7$11,085
2021-22$5,033,11543739.8$11,517
2022-23$4,711,43142133.7$11,191
2023-24$4,491,22439231.3$11,457
2024-25$4,652,20836831.7$12,642
2025-26$3,784,21926725.2$14,173

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
2017-1831391
2018-1930397
2019-2029406
2020-2135424
2021-2241395
2022-2332399
2023-2436357
2024-2535278

[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]

48.7%

English language arts · 2025–26

47.8%

Mathematics · 2025–26

45.5%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 46.5%2022-23 · English language arts: 39.1%2023-24 · English language arts: 43.1%2024-25 · English language arts: 49.2%2025-26 · English language arts: 48.7%2021-22 · Mathematics: 42.0%2022-23 · Mathematics: 39.3%2023-24 · Mathematics: 39.6%2024-25 · Mathematics: 40.8%2025-26 · Mathematics: 47.8%2021-22 · Science: 52.1%2022-23 · Science: 37.6%2023-24 · Science: 46.4%2024-25 · Science: 47.3%2025-26 · Science: 45.5%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 46.5%2022-23 · English language arts: 39.1%2023-24 · English language arts: 43.1%2024-25 · English language arts: 49.2%2025-26 · English language arts: 48.7%2021-22 · Mathematics: 42.0%2022-23 · Mathematics: 39.3%2023-24 · Mathematics: 39.6%2024-25 · Mathematics: 40.8%2025-26 · Mathematics: 47.8%2021-22 · Science: 52.1%2022-23 · Science: 37.6%2023-24 · Science: 46.4%2024-25 · Science: 47.3%2025-26 · Science: 45.5%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1552.1%35.4%50.0%
2015-1654.2%45.2%57.0%
2016-1754.6%48.8%62.7%
2017-1861.7%43.1%59.4%
2018-1966.1%46.6%42.3%
2021-2246.5%42.0%52.1%
2022-2339.1%39.3%37.6%
2023-2443.1%39.6%46.4%
2024-2549.2%40.8%47.3%
2025-2648.7%47.8%45.5%

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 Columbia City.

Orca began as the Allen Free School in 1972 and moved through several campuses. It moved from Columbia to Whitworth in 2007 and expanded to K–8. The present brick school was built in 1989; its garden, greenhouse and science building support experiential learning. [1]

  1. 1972

    Program began as the Allen Free School.

  2. 1989

    The current Whitworth building opened.

  3. 2007

    Orca moved to Whitworth and began its K–8 expansion.

  4. 2008

    Greenhouse, garden and science building opened.

  5. 2020

    Seismic and special-education building work.

The program has maintained a hands-on approach through multiple moves and changes in grade span. [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

    SPS recent completed construction projects

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

  26. 26

    Seattle Public Schools

    SPS current construction projects

    2026–28 work, funding sources and explicit completion markers. Accessed Oct. 9, 2026.

  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.