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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

Rainier View
Elementary.

A neighborhood school worth bringing back.

Rainier View’s story shows the enduring value of a local school. After closing in 2007, it was renovated and reopened in 2011 as district enrollment grew, welcoming children back to their neighborhood campus. [1]

Get to know this school
Rainier View Elementary, photographed circa 1973Rainier View, Seattle
Rainier View Elementary, circa 1973. Photo: SPS Archives · Cropped
Rainier ViewK–5Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1953
Students · September 2026 [2]
155

01Community consent

Don’t close Rainier View without community consent.

SPS included Rainier View 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. [25] Brent Jones resigned in 2025. After Fred Podesta served as interim superintendent, Ben Shuldiner took over in February 2026. [26][27]

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. 168October 2024
  2. 167October 2025
  3. 155September 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 Rainier View Elementary, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

Walking routes from Rainier View and available neighborhood attendance areas.

Rainier ViewEmersonSouth Shore PreK-8Dunlap
Rainier ViewNearby 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

Emerson

18 min1.6 mi
30 min1.5 mi2 mapped crossings: RENTON AVE S · S BANGOR ST

South Shore PreK-8

14 min1.9 mi
38 min2.0 mi6 mapped crossings: 51ST AVE S · RENTON AVE S · S BANGOR ST · S HENDERSON ST · S ROXBURY ST

Dunlap

20 min2.3 mi
42 min2.1 mi6 mapped crossings: 51ST AVE S · RENTON AVE S · S BANGOR ST · S HENDERSON ST · S ROXBURY 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.

  • Rainier View students
    1672024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

Rainier View enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Rainier View students use the left scale, 0 to 400. 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.010020030040000%50k10%100k20%150k30%Rainier View students, 2011: 170Rainier View students, 2012: 181Rainier View students, 2013: 197Rainier View students, 2014: 194Rainier View students, 2015: 230Rainier View students, 2016: 225Rainier View students, 2017: 240Rainier View students, 2018: 240Rainier View students, 2019: 245Rainier View students, 2020: 241Rainier View students, 2021: 221Rainier View students, 2022: 239Rainier View students, 2023: 200Rainier View students, 2024: 167Seattle 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.)2010201520202024Rainier View enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Rainier View students use the left scale, 0 to 400. 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.010020030040000%50k10%100k20%150k30%Rainier View students, 2011: 170Rainier View students, 2012: 181Rainier View students, 2013: 197Rainier View students, 2014: 194Rainier View students, 2015: 230Rainier View students, 2016: 225Rainier View students, 2017: 240Rainier View students, 2018: 240Rainier View students, 2019: 245Rainier View students, 2020: 241Rainier View students, 2021: 221Rainier View students, 2022: 239Rainier View students, 2023: 200Rainier View students, 2024: 167Seattle 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.

2011–2024: the longer enrollment record
Rainier View annual enrollment, 2011–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300201120182024167Rainier View annual enrollment, 2011–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300201120182024167
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
20111706
201218112
2013197—
201419413
201523014
201622515
201724017
201824017
201924517
202024118
202122119
202223915
202320014
202416713

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 2019244244
October 2020230230
October 2021224224
October 2022240240
October 2023200200
October 2024168168
October 2025167167
September 2026155155

September and October counts are different snapshots. [2]

04Public investment

Keep our investment in the community.

Keep these investments working for students and their neighborhoods.

BEX VI · 2026–31

Technology for this school.

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

  • Audio, visual and security upgradesScheduled June–Sept. 2026 · BTA V / BEX VI [24]
Projects, amounts & sources

Construction record

  • Additional classroom space

    Completed 2021 · Capital capacity program [23]

  • Audio, visual and security upgrades

    Scheduled June–Sept. 2026 · BTA V / BEX VI [24]

Earlier SPS project listings [14]

  • 2012: Replaced water faucets
  • 2011: Modernized all major building systems including seismic, ADA/accessibility and playground. Opened for 2012-2013 school year
  • 2007: Building closure/school consolidation with Emerson
  • 2002: Reroof
  • 2001: Reroofing, Seismic, Fire Alarm and Technology Upgrades

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 Rainier View [8]

$3.00M

$2,999,379 · $18,218 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$4.39M

$4,394,301 · $26,690 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 164.64 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—$4,542,562242.72$18,715
2020-21—$4,815,382240.50$20,022
2021-22—$4,751,723221.70$21,433
2022-23—$5,252,627236.00$22,257
2023-24$2,572,083$4,133,787195.91$21,100
2024-25$2,999,379$4,394,301164.64$26,690
14 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2011-12$1,079,39510012.4$10,794
2012-13$1,518,71420817.1$7,302
2013-14$1,729,62020019.8$8,648
2014-15$1,923,93419821.2$9,717
2016-17$2,293,89423722.5$9,679
2017-18$2,416,13623922.5$10,109
2018-19$2,737,16424624.3$11,127
2019-20$3,200,89125126.3$12,753
2020-21$3,042,47224524.1$12,418
2021-22$3,327,67025425.1$13,101
2022-23$3,153,77722923.2$13,772
2023-24$3,151,45723422.0$13,468
2024-25$2,638,84119116.5$13,816
2025-26$2,344,07214815.3$15,838

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

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
2017-1818240
2018-1924242
2019-2024245
2020-2122241
2021-2222221
2022-2322241
2023-2421200
2024-2519168

[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]

39.5%

English language arts · 2025–26

34.9%

Mathematics · 2025–26

30.8%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 47.5%2022-23 · English language arts: 39.6%2023-24 · English language arts: 38.9%2024-25 · English language arts: 32.1%2025-26 · English language arts: 39.5%2021-22 · Mathematics: 37.4%2022-23 · Mathematics: 28.8%2023-24 · Mathematics: 27.8%2024-25 · Mathematics: 26.9%2025-26 · Mathematics: 34.9%2021-22 · Science: 40.6%2022-23 · Science: 25.8%2023-24 · Science: 46.9%2024-25 · Science: 33.3%2025-26 · Science: 30.8%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 47.5%2022-23 · English language arts: 39.6%2023-24 · English language arts: 38.9%2024-25 · English language arts: 32.1%2025-26 · English language arts: 39.5%2021-22 · Mathematics: 37.4%2022-23 · Mathematics: 28.8%2023-24 · Mathematics: 27.8%2024-25 · Mathematics: 26.9%2025-26 · Mathematics: 34.9%2021-22 · Science: 40.6%2022-23 · Science: 25.8%2023-24 · Science: 46.9%2024-25 · Science: 33.3%2025-26 · Science: 30.8%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1576.6%68.8%65.2%
2015-1660.9%64.1%47.8%
2016-1770.7%73.5%69.7%
2017-1853.7%61.3%65.8%
2018-1943.0%50.4%51.6%
2021-2247.5%37.4%40.6%
2022-2339.6%28.8%25.8%
2023-2438.9%27.8%46.9%
2024-2532.1%26.9%33.3%
2025-2639.5%34.9%30.8%

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 View.

Rainier View began in portables in 1953 and moved into its permanent building in 1961. SPS closed it in 2007 and reassigned students to Emerson. After enrollment grew across the district, Rainier View reopened in 2011 following a $7.2 million renovation. [1]

  1. 1953

    Southeast Beacon Hill school opened.

  2. 1961

    Permanent Rainier View building opened.

  3. 2007

    School closed; students reassigned to Emerson.

  4. 2011

    $7.2 million renovation and reopening.

  5. 2021

    National ESEA Distinguished School recognition.

The reopening investment included windows, doors, flooring, building systems and seismic mitigation. [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

    SPS recent completed construction projects

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

  24. 24

    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.

  25. 25

    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.

  26. 26

    Seattle Public Schools Archives

    SPS directors and superintendents

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

  27. 27

    Seattle Public Schools

    New Superintendent Begins Tenure Leading Seattle Public Schools

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