Public hearings will be held at each building recommended for closure by Seattle Public Schools.

Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools Maria Goodloe-Johnson has recommended to the School Board that Arbor Heights Elementary program discontinue, Pathfinder K-8 move from the Genesee Hill building into Arbor Heights, and that West Seattle's Lowell building close.

Families, staff and community members are asked to share their opinions and ideas about Goodloe-Johnson's preliminary recommendations on district-wide capacity management and building closure through December and January. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the final recommendations Jan. 29.

"We are considering building closures in order to strengthen academic programs and protect the district's long-term financial health," Goodloe-Johnson said. "These are very difficult decisions to make, but they are decisions we must face now, and we must face them together, as a community,"

Goodloe-Johnson said the district's Strategic Plan, "Excellence for All," has been shaped by the participation of of families, staff and community members, and expressed her hope that a similar number of people would become engaged as the capacity management and building closure recommendations are considered.

Each of the buildings recommended for closure will host a public hearing on Dec. 15, 16 or 18.

Preliminary Capacity Recommendations Public Review Schedule:

Dec. 3, 6 p.m., School Board meeting

John Stanford Center, 2445 3rd Ave. S.

Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m., Community Workshop

John Stanford Center

Dec. 6, 9:30 a.m., Community Workshop

Fiipino Community Center, 5740 MLK Jr. Way

Dec. 15, 6:30 p.m., Public Hearing

TT Minor, 1700 E. Union St.

Pinehurst, 11530 12th Ave. N.E.

Van Asselt, 7201 Beacon Ave. S.

Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m. Public Hearing

Genesee Hill, 5012 S.W. Genesee St.

Mann, 2410 E. Cherry St.

Old Hay, 411 Boston St.

Dec. 18 6:30 p.m., Public Hearing

Lowell, 1058 E. Mercer St.

Jan. 7, 6 p.m., School Board Meeting

John Stanford Center

Jan. 21, 6 p.m., School Board Meeting

John Stanford Center

Jan. 22, 6 p.m., Public Hearing

John Stanford Center

Jan. 29, 6 p.m., School Board Vote

John Stanford Center

Those who wish to present testimony at these hearings are asked to sign up by calling 252-0042 or emailing hearing@seattleschools.org. Testimony is limited to three minutes per speaker.

Updated information about the process and timeline will be posted on the district's Web site, www.seattleschools.org/area/capacity.

Feedback is welcome. Comments can be emailed to capacity@seattleschools.org or mailed to School Board, PO Box 34165, MS 11-010, Seattle, WA, 98124-1165. Or call 206-252-0040.

Under Goodloe-Johnson's preliminary recommendations six school buildings are recommended for closure, and an additional building will close temporarily but may reopen depending on enrollment.

Nine programs would relocate from one building to another; one new elementary school would be opened and one existing elementary school would expand to a K-8; and five programs would be discontinued and their students reassigned to new schools beginning in fall 2009.

The preliminary recommendations are:

Building Closures:

Genesee Hill, Lowell, Mann, TT Minor, Pinehurst, Van Asselt, Old Hay (may be, temporarily depending on enrollment).

Relocated Programs:

Lowell App to Hawthorne and Thurgood Marshall, NOVA to Meany, Pathfinder K-8 to Arbor Heights, SBOC to Meany, Summit K-12 to Rainier Beach, Thornton Creek to Addams, TT MInor K-3 MOntessori to Leschi, Thurgood Marshall EBOC to Bailey Gatzert, Van Asselt to AAA.

New Programs:

New K-5 at Decatur, Thornton Creek K-5 expands to K-8.

Discontinued Programs:

African American Academy, AS #1, Arbor Heights, Meany, TT MInor.