Seattle school with deaf, hard-of-hearing program could close under school district’s proposals

SEATTLE, Wash. — A Seattle school, which specializes in working with students who cannot hear or have hearing loss, could close under the school district’s proposals.

On Wednesday, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) released its “System of Well-Resourced Schools” initiative, which includes two options that aim to address the issues.

Option A would close 21 schools and save the district around $31.5 million. Fifty-two schools would remain open.

Option B is a little different.

The proposal would keep 56 schools open and shut down 17 schools. This plan would save Seattle Public Schools around $25.5 million.

The plans have been in the works for at least a year and a half, however, the district has been discussing this topic for almost two decades, said Marni Campbell, Well-Resourced School officer for SPS.

TOPS K-8 at Seward School, which specializes in working with students who can’t hear or have hearing loss, is listed in Option A.

Taryn and Chris Longhurst’s eight-year-old son attends the school after he had spent the previous years at their neighborhood school in West Seattle.

“We spent four years in our neighborhood school not getting his needs met. So now Seattle Public Schools is going to take away the only deaf and hard-of-hearing program they offer and send us back to the neighborhood where we just spent four years not getting his needs met,” Taryn, mother, said. “Think about the deaf kids who only speak in ASL (American Sign Language), and you’re going to send them to a community school where they’re the only person? What kind of a community are they going to have? How isolating is that?”

The parents said the program at TOPS allows many kids like their son a chance to learn in an inclusive environment where they feel seen and heard by teachers, faculty and staff members, who have specialized training.

“To have people understand your needs, to look like you, to sound like you, to sign like you. That means so much to these kids. I’m worried that they will be lost to the system if they’re sent into local schools with the best intentions, but there’s no one like them. There’s no one there that speaks their language,” said Chris, father, said.

According to the school district’s website, “SPS will ensure that all special education services and the full continuum of pathways will be available to all students who qualify. For many students, the services and pathways will be available at their neighborhood school. If a student is assigned to a pathway not available at their neighborhood school, they will be assigned to a school that has the appropriate pathway as close as possible to their residence.”

KIRO 7 News reached out to the school district to get more details about the services, and if it will include the program at TOPS.

We’re still waiting for the information as of Friday.

While some parents are speaking against the school district’s proposal, others are supporting it, including Jai Bryant, whose eight-year-old son attends Rainier View Elementary.

Bryant told KIRO 7 News that several schools within the district have fewer resources than others.

She believes the consolidated schools will have more programs, allowing many underserved students to gain access to opportunities that can improve their lives.

“Even with some of the displacements, the kids are going to get what they need in their local neighborhood schools. There’s going to be more resources for brown and Black children, who previously didn’t have access to these programs,” she said.

Bryant added, “It is a game changer because we know that education is the great equalizer. If you want kids of color, any underserved child, if you want them to continue to compete in this world, us as Americans, to continue in the global economy, we must educate our children.”

Bryant, a SPS alumnus, said the closure would bring different communities together that can benefit students of all backgrounds.

“Diversity is the key. Every culture brings something different,” she said.

KIRO 7 News reached out to the school district to understand what resources would be available at the consolidated schools. We’re still waiting for those details.

The district’s school board is expected to vote on a possible decision by the end of the year.

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