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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

TOPS
K–8.

Many ages. Many voices. One school.

TOPS brings a tradition of family participation to Eastlake’s historic Seward campus. Its school community has grown to include Deaf and Hard of Hearing programs, adding to a rich history of learning across differences. [1]

Get to know this school
TOPS’ Seward campus, 2008Eastlake, Seattle
TOPS’ Seward campus, 2008. Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cropped
EastlakeK–8Seattle Public SchoolsResearch updated October 9, 2026
School community established [1]
1982
Students · September 2026 [2]
494
Capital budget · 2026–27 [23]
$1.9M

01Community consent

Don’t close TOPS without community consent.

SPS included TOPS 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. [24] Brent Jones resigned in 2025. After Fred Podesta served as interim superintendent, Ben Shuldiner took over in February 2026. [25][26]

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. 449October 2024
  2. 436October 2025
  3. 494September 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 TOPS K-8, ranked by driving distance. [3][18]

Four schools. Four neighborhood communities.

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

TOPS K-8MontlakeJohn Stanford InternationalStevens
TOPS 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

Montlake

12 min1.4 mi
25 min1.2 mi5 mapped crossings: 10TH AVE E · BOYER AVE E · BOYLSTON AVE E · E LYNN ST · HARVARD AVE E

John Stanford International

10 min1.6 mi
30 min1.4 mi2 mapped crossings: 7TH AVE NE · EASTLAKE AVE E

Stevens

14 min1.7 mi
34 min1.5 mi4 mapped crossings: 10TH AVE E · BOYLSTON AVE E · E GALER ST · HARVARD AVE E

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.

  • TOPS students
    4472024

    Left scale

  • Seattle children under 18
    109,5192024

    Right scale

  • Private K–12 share
    25.8%2024

    Right scale

TOPS enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. TOPS 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%TOPS students, 2010: 514TOPS students, 2011: 506TOPS students, 2012: 504TOPS students, 2013: 502TOPS students, 2014: 502TOPS students, 2015: 485TOPS students, 2016: 471TOPS students, 2017: 471TOPS students, 2018: 483TOPS students, 2019: 491TOPS students, 2020: 485TOPS students, 2021: 476TOPS students, 2022: 475TOPS students, 2023: 471TOPS students, 2024: 447Seattle 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.)2010201520202024TOPS enrollment, Seattle children and private-school share, 2010–2024Three lines share one timeline. TOPS 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%TOPS students, 2010: 514TOPS students, 2011: 506TOPS students, 2012: 504TOPS students, 2013: 502TOPS students, 2014: 502TOPS students, 2015: 485TOPS students, 2016: 471TOPS students, 2017: 471TOPS students, 2018: 483TOPS students, 2019: 491TOPS students, 2020: 485TOPS students, 2021: 476TOPS students, 2022: 475TOPS students, 2023: 471TOPS students, 2024: 447Seattle 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.

1994–2024: the longer enrollment record
TOPS annual enrollment, 1994–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.0100200300400500600199420092024447TOPS annual enrollment, 1994–2024NCES fall student headcounts. Dots mark reported observations; lines connect years.050100150200250300350400450500550600199420092024447
NCES fall headcounts; school-year starting year
FallStudentsTeacher FTE
19944520
19954990
19965500
199754125
199856724
199959624
200058125
200155826
200254426
200352423
200452722
200552926
200652427
200752626
200852226
200951728
201051428
201150629
201250430
2013502—
201450229
201548525
201647123
201747124
201848328
201949129
202048531
202147630
202247529
202347131
202444731

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 2019491491
October 2020485485
October 2021471471
October 2022478478
October 2023473473
October 2024449449
October 2025436436
September 2026494494

September and October counts are different snapshots. [2]

04Public investment

Invest here. Then walk away?

Keep these investments working for students and their neighborhoods.

$1.9M

Capital allocated this year

2026–27 adopted budget [23]

  • Fire suppression$381,416
  • 1999 building roof replacement$1,500,000

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]

Projects, amounts & sources

Earlier SPS project listings [14]

  • 2012: Made modifications to Special Education classroom.
  • 2009: Computer network upgraded to fiber optic, enhancing students’ and teachers’ ability to use technology as an educational tool.
  • 2005: Reroof
  • 1999: PBX Systems, Clearing Equipment & 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 TOPS [8]

$6.68M

$6,680,243 · $15,007 per student FTE

Reported total, including district allocations [7]

$10.45M

$10,451,634 · $23,480 per student FTE

Per-student costs divide each total by 445.13 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—$8,178,933492.40$16,610
2020-21—$8,317,983486.80$17,087
2021-22—$9,404,316478.70$19,646
2022-23—$10,251,328475.77$21,547
2023-24$6,439,090$10,244,783477.41$21,459
2024-25$6,680,243$10,451,634445.13$23,480
15 years of budgets and funded staffing
School budget allocations and planned staffing; nominal dollars
School yearBudgetBudgeted studentsStaff FTEBudget per student
2010-11$3,226,26849238.4$6,557
2011-12$3,513,82950041.4$7,028
2012-13$3,626,78650042.9$7,254
2013-14$3,678,20050041.8$7,356
2014-15$3,751,67249342.4$7,610
2016-17$3,394,96248135.3$7,058
2017-18$3,307,86949131.2$6,737
2018-19$4,264,87149041.2$8,704
2019-20$4,926,55849142.8$10,034
2020-21$5,350,14750144.8$10,679
2021-22$5,532,55050245.0$11,021
2022-23$5,938,57750145.3$11,853
2023-24$6,495,02849949.0$13,016
2024-25$6,532,35146647.2$14,018
2025-26$6,136,01044743.6$13,727

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
2017-1828471
2018-1936483
2019-2032491
2020-2135485
2021-2236476
2022-2339476
2023-2439473
2024-2541450

[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]

70.8%

English language arts · 2025–26

65.7%

Mathematics · 2025–26

72.0%

Science · 2025–26

  • English language arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 72.2%2022-23 · English language arts: 69.2%2023-24 · English language arts: 70.8%2024-25 · English language arts: 73.5%2025-26 · English language arts: 70.8%2021-22 · Mathematics: 63.1%2022-23 · Mathematics: 62.7%2023-24 · Mathematics: 63.6%2024-25 · Mathematics: 62.8%2025-26 · Mathematics: 65.7%2021-22 · Science: 77.7%2022-23 · Science: 67.9%2023-24 · Science: 69.3%2024-25 · Science: 73.8%2025-26 · Science: 72.0%0%25%50%75%100%2021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262021-22 · English language arts: 72.2%2022-23 · English language arts: 69.2%2023-24 · English language arts: 70.8%2024-25 · English language arts: 73.5%2025-26 · English language arts: 70.8%2021-22 · Mathematics: 63.1%2022-23 · Mathematics: 62.7%2023-24 · Mathematics: 63.6%2024-25 · Mathematics: 62.8%2025-26 · Mathematics: 65.7%2021-22 · Science: 77.7%2022-23 · Science: 67.9%2023-24 · Science: 69.3%2024-25 · Science: 73.8%2025-26 · Science: 72.0%
Assessment results by school year
General state assessments; percentage of tested students meeting standard
School yearELAMathScience
2014-1563.9%60.9%76.7%
2015-1668.9%62.8%76.0%
2016-1771.8%63.4%80.7%
2017-1873.9%65.2%76.4%
2018-1974.8%64.6%78.2%
2021-2272.2%63.1%77.7%
2022-2369.2%62.7%67.9%
2023-2470.8%63.6%69.3%
2024-2573.5%62.8%73.8%
2025-2670.8%65.7%72.0%

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 Eastlake.

TOPS—The Option Program at Stevens—adopted its name in 1982 and moved to Seward in 1991. Its Eastlake campus combines buildings from 1895, 1905 and 1917 with a 1999 renovation. The school has housed elementary Deaf and Hard of Hearing classes since 2006 and middle-school classes since 2014. [1]

  1. 1982

    The program adopted the TOPS name.

  2. 1991

    TOPS moved from Stevens to Seward.

  3. 1999

    Campus renovated, connected and expanded with a gym.

  4. 2010

    Seismic upgrades.

  5. 2006–2014

    Elementary and middle-school DHH programs joined TOPS.

Through TOPICS, community members share skills and interests with mixed-grade groups chosen by students. [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

    2026–27 adopted capital budget

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

  24. 24

    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.

  25. 25

    Seattle Public Schools Archives

    SPS directors and superintendents

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

  26. 26

    Seattle Public Schools

    New Superintendent Begins Tenure Leading Seattle Public Schools

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