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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

Thurgood Marshall
Elementary.

A shared future, built on a powerful legacy.

Named for the Supreme Court justice who fought school segregation, Thurgood Marshall connects neighborhood education with a lasting civil-rights legacy. Its campus and adjoining freeway-lid playground give children a place to learn and play together. [1]

Get to know this school
Thurgood Marshall Elementary, photographed 2000Judkins Park, Seattle
Thurgood Marshall Elementary, 2000. Photo: © Mary Randlett / SPS Archives · Cropped
Judkins ParkK–5Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1991
Students · September 2026 [2]
550
Capital budget · 2026–27 [24]
$349K

01Community consent

Don’t close Thurgood Marshall without community consent.

SPS included Thurgood Marshall in September 2024 closure Option B. 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. [28] Brent Jones resigned in 2025. After Fred Podesta served as interim superintendent, Ben Shuldiner took over in February 2026. [29][30]

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. 501October 2024
  2. 571October 2025
  3. 550September 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 Thurgood Marshall Elementary, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

Walking routes from Thurgood Marshall and available neighborhood attendance areas.

Thurgood MarshallLeschiBailey GatzertKimball
Thurgood MarshallNearby 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

Leschi

8 min1.1 mi
25 min1.1 mi4 mapped crossings: 31ST AVE S · E YESLER WAY · M L KING JR WAY S · S JACKSON ST

Bailey Gatzert

14 min1.3 mi
28 min1.3 mi2 mapped crossings: 23RD AVE S · S JACKSON ST

Kimball

12 min1.4 mi
30 min1.4 mi6 mapped crossings: 23RD AVE S · RAINIER AVE S · S COLLEGE ST · S MASSACHUSETTS ST · S MCCLELLAN ST · S PLUM 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.

  • Thurgood Marshall students
    5002024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

Thurgood Marshall enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Thurgood Marshall 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%Thurgood Marshall students, 2010: 423Thurgood Marshall students, 2011: 450Thurgood Marshall students, 2012: 456Thurgood Marshall students, 2013: 494Thurgood Marshall students, 2014: 511Thurgood Marshall students, 2015: 527Thurgood Marshall students, 2016: 549Thurgood Marshall students, 2017: 560Thurgood Marshall students, 2018: 510Thurgood Marshall students, 2019: 487Thurgood Marshall students, 2020: 459Thurgood Marshall students, 2021: 433Thurgood Marshall students, 2022: 473Thurgood Marshall students, 2023: 468Thurgood Marshall students, 2024: 500Seattle 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.)2010201520202024Thurgood Marshall enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. Thurgood Marshall 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%Thurgood Marshall students, 2010: 423Thurgood Marshall students, 2011: 450Thurgood Marshall students, 2012: 456Thurgood Marshall students, 2013: 494Thurgood Marshall students, 2014: 511Thurgood Marshall students, 2015: 527Thurgood Marshall students, 2016: 549Thurgood Marshall students, 2017: 560Thurgood Marshall students, 2018: 510Thurgood Marshall students, 2019: 487Thurgood Marshall students, 2020: 459Thurgood Marshall students, 2021: 433Thurgood Marshall students, 2022: 473Thurgood Marshall students, 2023: 468Thurgood Marshall students, 2024: 500Seattle 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.

1990–2024: the longer enrollment record
Thurgood Marshall annual enrollment, 1990–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300400500600199020072024500Thurgood Marshall annual enrollment, 1990–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300350400450500550600199020072024500
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
199021918
199125315
199225216
199327120
199438320
199537720
199636318
199736319
199832617
199935421
200034523
200133723
200238323
200335822
200429722
200529221
200630822
200729223
200826822
200945125
201042325
201145026
201245629
2013494—
201451134
201552730
201654934
201756031
201851032
201948731
202045931
202143333
202247332
202346833
202450033

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 2019493478
October 2020459448
October 2021434424
October 2022473464
October 2023471454
October 2024501482
October 2025571555
September 2026550539

September and October counts are different snapshots. [2]

04Public investment

Invest here. Then walk away?

Keep these investments working for students and their neighborhoods.

$4.2M

Original roof levy estimate

2018 plan · not actual spending [23]

  • Roof replacement$4,173,439

$349K

Capital allocated this year

2026–27 adopted budget [24]

  • Fire alarm$123,561
  • Playground$225,000

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]

  • Play structures, surfaces and traffic gardenCompleted 2026 · BEX VI [26]
  • Audio, visual and security upgradesScheduled Dec. 2026–March 2027 · BTA V / BEX VI [27]
Projects, amounts & sources

Earlier projects and levy plans

  • Roof replacement

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

    $4,173,439

Construction record

  • Roof replacement

    2026 closeout · BEX V [25]

  • Play structures, surfaces and traffic garden

    Completed 2026 · BEX VI [26]

  • Audio, visual and security upgrades

    Scheduled Dec. 2026–March 2027 · BTA V / BEX VI [27]

Earlier SPS project listings [14]

  • 2012: Installed occupancy sensors for energy efficiency.
  • 2011: Installed energy-efficient pathway lighting controls.
  • 2011: Replaced fluid cooler.
  • 2008: Interior and ADA upgrades
  • 2004: Heat Pump
  • 2001: Wide Area Network, PBX System
  • 2001: PBX Sys/IS

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 Thurgood Marshall [8]

$8.10M

$8,097,740 · $15,901 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$12.41M

$12,412,561 · $24,373 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 509.27 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—$8,782,974491.56$17,868
2020-21—$8,425,724451.50$18,662
2021-22—$9,667,699437.42$22,102
2022-23—$11,125,044473.92$23,475
2023-24$7,087,750$10,895,915477.72$22,808
2024-25$8,097,740$12,412,561509.27$24,373
15 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2010-11$2,878,44240735.8$7,072
2011-12$3,080,13342938.9$7,180
2012-13$3,522,52947543.4$7,416
2013-14$3,658,66948944.1$7,482
2014-15$3,724,28550644.2$7,360
2016-17$4,352,83154647.0$7,972
2017-18$4,596,13853546.4$8,591
2018-19$5,125,41056749.5$9,040
2019-20$5,368,13746447.3$11,569
2020-21$5,675,24045048.5$12,612
2021-22$5,975,56245148.7$13,250
2022-23$6,332,96343848.5$14,459
2023-24$6,718,68446350.5$14,511
2024-25$7,108,09941850.3$17,005
2025-26$7,557,01445552.6$16,609

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
2017-1835572
2018-1938510
2019-2037487
2020-2137461
2021-2243434
2022-2345473
2023-2444469
2024-2544501

[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]

74.7%

English language arts · 2025–26

72.6%

Mathematics · 2025–26

64.8%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 73.1%2022-23 · English language arts: 73.4%2023-24 · English language arts: 68.3%2024-25 · English language arts: 74.2%2025-26 · English language arts: 74.7%2021-22 · Mathematics: 68.3%2022-23 · Mathematics: 69.9%2023-24 · Mathematics: 72.7%2024-25 · Mathematics: 81.3%2025-26 · Mathematics: 72.6%2021-22 · Science: 78.6%2022-23 · Science: 70.1%2023-24 · Science: 64.9%2024-25 · Science: 81.2%2025-26 · Science: 64.8%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 73.1%2022-23 · English language arts: 73.4%2023-24 · English language arts: 68.3%2024-25 · English language arts: 74.2%2025-26 · English language arts: 74.7%2021-22 · Mathematics: 68.3%2022-23 · Mathematics: 69.9%2023-24 · Mathematics: 72.7%2024-25 · Mathematics: 81.3%2025-26 · Mathematics: 72.6%2021-22 · Science: 78.6%2022-23 · Science: 70.1%2023-24 · Science: 64.9%2024-25 · Science: 81.2%2025-26 · Science: 64.8%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1588.9%86.4%86.8%
2015-1686.6%88.5%89.1%
2016-1781.5%82.8%88.4%
2017-1882.0%83.6%90.6%
2018-1977.7%76.1%86.0%
2021-2273.1%68.3%78.6%
2022-2373.4%69.9%70.1%
2023-2468.3%72.7%64.9%
2024-2574.2%81.3%81.2%
2025-2674.7%72.6%64.8%

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 Judkins Park.

The current school opened in 1991 as Colman, replacing a school displaced by I-90 construction. It was renamed Thurgood Marshall in 1996. Its playground connects to the freeway lid. The school has combined neighborhood education, advanced learning and enrichment programs. [1]

  1. 1991

    Current Colman school opened.

  2. 1996

    Renamed for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

  3. 2007

    South-end Accelerated Progress Program joined the campus.

  4. 2014

    Seismic improvements.

  5. 2021

    Schoolwide enrichment pilot began.

The original Colman building became the Northwest African American Museum; it is a separate campus from today’s school. [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

    June 3, 2026 board meeting

    Final acceptance of Thurgood Marshall roof work.

  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

    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.

  28. 28

    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.

  29. 29

    Seattle Public Schools Archives

    SPS directors and superintendents

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

  30. 30

    Seattle Public Schools

    New Superintendent Begins Tenure Leading Seattle Public Schools

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