A series of community meetings to discuss the second phase of Seattle Public Schools closures was cancelled last week because the school board thought too many families would be still be on vacation, said district spokesman Peter Daniels.

"Participation might not be as wide range as it needs to be," said Daniels. Public meetings will be rescheduled for early September, he said.

According to a recent statement released from the district, the meetings were called off to give the district more time to consider options for the second round of school closures. A group of principals, teachers and parent teacher association representatives convened to discuss options, review data and figure out the next steps in the process.

That group also said more time was needed before the larger community meetings should happen, said Daniels.

In June, the board voted to close seven buildings and the district plans to shutter an additional school in each of the north, central and southwest parts of the city by fall 2007.

During the first round of closures, the board voted to shutter Viewlands Elementary School based on low enrollment and poor building condition. But the district also decided to give families more time during the second phase to discuss an appropriate location for the school's Autism Inclusion Program after parents protested the board's recommendation to move the students to Greenwood Elementary.

Daniels said he hopes the community and the district can agree on a suitable home for Viewlands' students, but that he sees few options other than Greenwood.

Daniels acknowledged the district's swift timeline, but said it's necessary to make sure there's enough time for the district to submit ballot measures by mid-November for any capital funds it might seek.

"We need to know which schools will still be on our list," he said.