Press release from Genesee-Schmitz Neighborhood Council
We wanted you to be aware that the Seattle School District's current building levy proposal would have Schmitz Park School moving to a new building, to be constructed on the site of the old Genesee Hill school, beginning in 2015. Schmitz Park has grown tremendously in the past several years and is currently the most overcrowded elementary school in West Seattle, with half or more of the students housed in portables now. The capacity of the new building may be up to 650 students, in line with the district trend toward larger schools to reduce costs.

The district will be taking input until the school board votes on the final plan in October. After that, the plan will go to voters next February.

For more info on the levy:
http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=26776…

http://district.seattleschools.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?sessionid=32…

(A public) meeting was held last Thursday, May 3 at Roxhill School. The first half of the meeting focused on Roxhill School specifically, and the second half of the meeting was on larger planning considerations for West Seattle as a whole.

The district currently has no plans for the Schmitz Park building after the program moves to the Genesee Hill location. Mary McLaren, our school board member, told me after (a recent) meeting that both Westside and Hamlin-Robinson schools may be interested in it. (Westside is being forced from the E.C. Huges location.)

Please contact the district directly if you have concerns or suggestions about the building levy. If your concerns pertain specifically to the Schmitz Park and Genesee Hill sites, please feel free to share your thoughts with us on the neighborhood council as well.

Best,

Kerrie Schurr
Communications Chair