Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is considering re-opening the John Marshall High School building (520 NE Ravenna Blvd) as a middle school in 2013.
The new school would be part of a district-wide response to growing student enrollment numbers. SPS is currently studying these numbers and doing capacity management planning.
A slide from a June School Board work session titled “Demographics, Capital and Capacity Planning” indicates that opening John Marshall as a middle school would cost the district more than five million dollars. The building would have capacity for 760 students and would ease enrollment crowding in the Eckstein Attendance Area.
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The John Marshall building was last used by SPS as an alternative high school. The John Marshall High School closed in 2008.
The building currently houses several tenants, including the Northwest Girlchoir, the Seattle Area German American (SAGA) School, the Lifetime Learning Center, the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine and Little Explorers School. It is also being used as a temporary location for Engine 16 during the renovation of Fire Station 16.
SPS spokesperson Teresa Wippel confirmed on Tuesday (Nov. 17, 2011) that the re-opening of John Marshall school is a possibility. She stressed that no decisions have been made yet.
“The [Capacity Management] planning involves identifying areas of the school district with the highest projected enrollment growth and developing scenarios and solutions to address that growth,” Wippel explained.
Before deciding how best to serve the growing student population in Seattle, SPS is collecting input from the public at three upcoming community meetings:
Monday, Nov. 28, 2011, 6-7:30 p.m. at Denny International Middle School Library (2601 SW Kenyon St).
Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, 6-7:30 p.m. at Eckstein Middle School Library (3003 NE 75th St).
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, 6-7:30 p.m. at Washington Middle School Library (2101 S. Jackson St).
The meetings will include presentations by Seattle Public School Capital Projects and Planning staff members, followed by a question and answer period. Comments from the community will be collected, recorded, considered and included in the District’s Short Term Capacity Management planning process.
Comments and questions can also be directed to capacity [at] seattleschools.org.
